How to Improve Oil Press Yield

Published: April 12, 2023Category: Technical Knowledge

Maximizing oil yield boosts profitability, reduces raw material waste, and enhances product quality. This guide summarizes practical techniques across raw materials, equipment, and process parameters to help you achieve consistently higher yields.

Why Yield Matters

• Higher output per ton of seed lowers unit cost.
• Better heat and moisture control reduces oxidation and preserves flavor.
• Stable yield indicates process capability and equipment health.

Key Factors Affecting Yield

1. Raw materials: variety, maturity, cleanliness, shell content, initial moisture.
2. Pretreatment: cleaning, dehulling, cracking, softening, flaking.
3. Conditioning: temperature, moisture, residence time (protein denaturation and plasticity).
4. Pressing: screw configuration, backpressure, temperature profile, feed rate.
5. Storage and handling: avoid re-absorbing moisture; prevent oxidation.

Practical Tips

• Moisture control: target 6–9% kernel moisture before pressing; fine-tune by crop.
• Uniform flaking: 0.25–0.35 mm thickness improves heat transfer and cell rupture.
• Staged conditioning: gradually heat with proper moisture to enhance plasticity.
• Progressive pressure: ensure proper cake thickness and hardness; avoid slippage.
• Temperature balance: enough heat to lower viscosity, not too high to oxidize.
• Cleanliness: magnetic separation and sieving reduce equipment wear and oil loss.
• Continuous monitoring: log power, current, temperatures, and cake residual oil.

Crop-Specific Guidance

• Peanut: hot pressing 110–130°C for aroma and high yield; cold pressing <60°C for premium flavor; aim cake residual 8–12% (hot press).
• Sesame: light-to-medium roasting for aroma; hot press 120–150°C (fragrant oil) or cold press <60°C for light color.
• Rapeseed/Canola: soften to 7–9% moisture; hot press 110–125°C; control pungent notes via conditioning.
• Sunflower: dehull 85–90%; moisture 6–8%; hot press 100–120°C; consider two-stage pressing.
• Soybean: moisture 6–8%; gentle conditioning 95–110°C; if extracting, prioritize flake quality and desolventizing.
• Cottonseed: remove lint and hulls; moisture 7–9%; 110–125°C; manage gossypol via pretreatment and refining.
• Flaxseed: cold press <50–55°C for premium oil; minimize shear and oxygen exposure.

Troubleshooting Checklist

• Low yield with soft cake: increase conditioning temperature/time or reduce moisture slightly.
• High cake residual oil: check flake thickness, screw wear, and backpressure settings.
• Dark oil color: reduce roasting intensity or lower temperature; shorten residence.
• Foaming or emulsification: review moisture; ensure gradual heating and steady feed.
• Excessive energy use: inspect bearings/screw wear, and verify proper preconditioning.

Process Optimization

• Pilot runs: use small batches and design of experiments to tune parameters.
• Data logging: correlate yield with moisture, temperature, and power to find sweet spots.
• Maintenance: replace worn screws/rings; calibrate sensors; keep magnets clean.

Equipment-Process Synergy

Shengshi Hecheng provides parameter sets and equipment recommendations tailored to each oil crop (hot/cold pressing, single/double screw, pre-press and extraction), plus on-site commissioning and operator training to help you reach stable high yield quickly.