How to use oil press?

How to use oil press - starting

Bear in mind that every press will have slightly different requirements for starting and stopping. Steps below are for one particular type of press, but should translate well to any press with slight modification.

Oil press machine

1. Be certain the gate allowing seed to the press is shut. This allows the barrel and press head of the press to be heated without seed present.
2. Be certain the desired tip diame ter is in the press head and set the press head to screw end clearance if a change is needed. Different clearances can be noted by counting the number of threads showing or by measuring this distance.
3. Most oilseeds that will be pressed require that the press be initially heated to a temperature of ~120 F (60 C). Typically this is done with heating bands that cover each press head of the press and a con troller. Some heat band control lers thermostatically control the heat of the heat band, while other heat bands are simply on or off. Typically about 10 minutes are needed to get the press head up to the preheat temperature. This can be measured with a thermom eter inserted into a hole in the press head or more simply with an infrared thermometer aimed at the press head.
4. Start the press and select the de sired drive speed.
5. Once the press head is at the cor rect starting temperature open the gate allowing seed to flow to the press. Oil and meal production is not immediate; it may take sev eral seconds to over a minute to start having oil drip or flow from oil holes in the barrel. Different oilseeds contain different amounts of oil, so the oil that is produced may range from a steady drip to a steady stream.

How to use oil press - shutting down
Close the gate that allows feed stock to flow to the press.
1. Wait until the meal flow slows considerably or stops, and oil no longer drips from the barrel.
2. Shut off the screws.
3. Turn off heaters if they have been used during pressing.

Manufacturers suggest removing and cleaning the barrels and screws of the presses after shutting down the press. Experience has shown that if the seed flow to the press is shut off and the press is run long enough to expel the material in the press, this may not be necessary. If the press is to be restart ed soon (within a week?) then leaving the press without removing the barrel and cleaning is all right. The press will start up again with only the steps out lined above.