Palm Oil Processing Machine Manufacturers

The palm oil milling process

Palm oil processing differs fundamentally from oilseed pressing. Fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) must be processed within 24–48 hours of harvest to prevent FFA increase caused by enzymatic activity. The milling sequence is: sterilisation — FFBs are cooked in steam sterilisers (batch horizontal sterilisers or continuous cage sterilisers) to deactivate lipase enzymes, loosen fruits from the bunch, and partially break down fruit cell walls; threshing — the sterilised bunches are passed through a thresher drum to separate individual fruits from the empty bunch stalk; digestion — the separated fruits enter a vertical steam digester that macerates the fruit pulp to release oil; pressing — the digested mash is pressed in a twin-screw or cage press to extract crude palm oil (CPO) and a water/oil/solid mixture (press liquor); clarification — the press liquor is diluted, heated, and settled in a clarification tank to separate CPO from sludge; drying and storage — the clarified CPO is dried and transferred to storage tanks. The press cake (nuts in fibrous shell) is passed through a nut and fibre separator; the nuts are cracked to recover palm kernels for palm kernel oil extraction.