• What is an oilseed press?
  • An oilseed press is a machine used to separate oilseeds, such as sunflowers, canola, and soybeans, into oil and oilseed meal. Examples of lesser-known materials that can be pressed for their oil include pumpkin or grape seeds and brazil nuts.
  • How much oil does an oil seed press produce?
  • The capacity of an oil seed press is often given in the weight of seeds that can be processed per hour. For canola seeds, about one third of the seed weight going into the press will be produced as oil, while the remaining two thirds will be meal.
  • How is oil separated from oilseed?
  • The result of processing oilseeds is two end products: oil and the leftover solids, traditionally called meal. The two most common methods for separating the oil from the oilseed are chemical extraction and mechanical extraction. With chemical extraction, there is less oil loss, but plants incur higher investment costs while yielding a lower value product.
  • What are the different types of small oilseed presses?
  • There are two major types of small oilseed presses: screw presses (also known as expeller presses) (Figure 2) and reducing screw/cage presses. Many are made overseas, while at least one is now available from a United States manufacturer.
  • How much oil does a canola press produce per hour?
  • For canola, about 1/3 of the seed weight going into the press is produced in oil, while the remaining 2/3 becomes meal. Approximately 1/3 of the seed weight is converted to oil in the press. Presses of these types are typically rated in the 3 kg (6.6lb) to 100 kg (220 lb) of input material per hour range.
  • How much moisture do you need to store oil seed?
  • While generally 10% is used as a rule of thumb for the moisture content at which to store grain and seeds, the seed will store well at this moisture content, but it most likely will not press well. Seed cleaning and storage information is provided in a separate article, ‘Cleaning and Storage of Oilseed’.