Hi,

I'm totally new to hydraulic presses, I would like to seek advice on
where (what) to get a compact/small/light/table-top hydraulic press
preferrably horizontal type.

I'm planning to squeeze solid (but soft) vegetative (plant) matter and
extract liquids/fluids from it. Something that can squeeze about 1-2
gallons (4-8 liters) of solid matter at a time will be sufficient. I
think I need about 30tons, 8000-15000 PSI. Will likely use it daily
(5-7hrs/day) for the next 5 years, so it should last a long time.
Budget: less than $1000 per press.

Any advice/alternatives/tips/safety info/etc.. would be greatly
appreciated.

thanks,
eric

In article ,
says...
Hi,

I'm totally new to hydraulic presses, I would like to seek advice on
where (what) to get a compact/small/light/table-top hydraulic press
preferrably horizontal type.

I'm planning to squeeze solid (but soft) vegetative (plant) matter and
extract liquids/fluids from it. Something that can squeeze about 1-2
gallons (4-8 liters) of solid matter at a time will be sufficient. I
think I need about 30tons, 8000-15000 PSI. Will likely use it daily
(5-7hrs/day) for the next 5 years, so it should last a long time.
Budget: less than $1000 per press.


I assume that this will be hand powered? A couple things come to mind.
One is a used platen press like this...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ry=26261&item=
5569431652

That one's missing the bottom platen, but it's nothing more than a heavy
plate that sits on the ram and has a ears that keep it centered in the
side columns. Coincidentally, I have one just like it I've been meaning
to set up as a bearing press.

Another possibility is a tie rod or platen type die set and a hydraulic
jack. Download this pdf and go to page 13 to see the die set.

http://www.danly.com/idanly/PDFs/Dan...ieSet-0598.pdf

I got a quote a few months ago on one that was probably bigger than what
you'd need, IIRC it was around $800.

Ned Simmons

Most of these types of manual presses just use a bottle jack in a frame of
sorts. Harbor Freight proly has some. Muffler/car shops use'em for
bearings, etc.
Then, just weld together various "dies" fer yer veggies.

Goddamm HF sells some of this stuff for what the raw steel alone would cost
here in the US. Cain't get much cheaper'n'dat.

Bottle jacks themselves are a dime a dozen, imported.

I lernt about bottle jacks first hand, when, after a murder in my apt
building in Le Bronx, the cops found a drug press in the apt. right next to
mine. Indeed, an 80 ton bottle jack in an A-frame.

Guess who has dat bottle jack now?

Figgered I'd never need their coke and reefer dies, but, ****, I coulda
given'em to you!!
----------------------------
Mr. P.V.'d
formerly Droll Troll
"Eric Gutierrez" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm totally new to hydraulic presses, I would like to seek advice on
where (what) to get a compact/small/light/table-top hydraulic press
preferrably horizontal type.

I'm planning to squeeze solid (but soft) vegetative (plant) matter and
extract liquids/fluids from it. Something that can squeeze about 1-2
gallons (4-8 liters) of solid matter at a time will be sufficient. I
think I need about 30tons, 8000-15000 PSI. Will likely use it daily
(5-7hrs/day) for the next 5 years, so it should last a long time.
Budget: less than $1000 per press.

Any advice/alternatives/tips/safety info/etc.. would be greatly
appreciated.

thanks,
eric

Eric Gutierrez wrote:

Hi,

I'm totally new to hydraulic presses, I would like to seek advice on
where (what) to get a compact/small/light/table-top hydraulic press
preferrably horizontal type.

I'm planning to squeeze solid (but soft) vegetative (plant) matter and
extract liquids/fluids from it. Something that can squeeze about 1-2
gallons (4-8 liters) of solid matter at a time will be sufficient. I
think I need about 30tons, 8000-15000 PSI. Will likely use it daily
(5-7hrs/day) for the next 5 years, so it should last a long time.
Budget: less than $1000 per press.

Any advice/alternatives/tips/safety info/etc.. would be greatly
appreciated.

thanks,
eric


Sounds similar to an apple press. The commercial units I have seen have
a series of canvas bags that are filled with pulp. The bags are aligned
like a bellows and the press pushes the whole stack horizontally.
Extraction is pretty good as the pulp comes out almost dry.

I think for a home set-up you might be heading down the wrong path
though. Check out the unit at
http://www.mendingshed.com/mendingsh...tobasvics.html. This is a
screw extractor. Although some pulp does get through, the off-fall is
pretty dry (after a second pressing) and with the right input, I have
done 10 gallons out an hour without working. Instead of hydraulic, you
may want to use a modified (bigger) version of this screw extractor. If
you need pure liquid, a second pulp straining might get you where you
need to be.

The other option I've seen is roller presses. Cranberries and similar
are often done this way in commercial operations.

More info might help...is your the process you are doing something
really specialized that you don't want to talk about or can you give us
more?

Koz

Hi,

Here's more info:

I'm going to be processing about 500 coconuts per day at the start
(hope to grow to 10000 per day within a year). First, I need to grate
the coconuts to get -only- the cocomeat. Coconut meat is white, soft,
rubbery and almost dry unlike apples.

I then will bag the coconut meat into a mesh-bag (or canvas bag). The
total volume of the bag is probably the equivalent of a basketball. I
can of course use smaller bags to make them fit in the die/plate. I
then need to press this bag as much as possible to extract coconut
milk (food, end-product). That's pretty much what I need to do. So
the 'die' or press-plates have to be food-grade, so I'm thinking
stainless steel.

I've been looking at cheap hydraulic shop presses around $100-400 at
http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulic_press.html
Perhaps the 30-ton version at $288.

I was thinking that I can just use food-grade dies/plates and put the
mesh-bags in-between the plates while the press works on pressing them
together and hold for a few minutes. While pressing, the coconut milk
will be collected somehow.

That part (die/plate) I'll probably have to fabricate somewhere.


Again, thanks for any tips/advice.
eric




Koz wrote in message
Sounds similar to an apple press. The commercial units I have seen have
a series of canvas bags that are filled with pulp. The bags are aligned
like a bellows and the press pushes the whole stack horizontally.
Extraction is pretty good as the pulp comes out almost dry.

I think for a home set-up you might be heading down the wrong path
though. Check out the unit at
http://www.mendingshed.com/mendingsh...tobasvics.html. This is a
screw extractor. Although some pulp does get through, the off-fall is
pretty dry (after a second pressing) and with the right input, I have
done 10 gallons out an hour without working. Instead of hydraulic, you
may want to use a modified (bigger) version of this screw extractor. If
you need pure liquid, a second pulp straining might get you where you
need to be.

The other option I've seen is roller presses. Cranberries and similar
are often done this way in commercial operations.

More info might help...is your the process you are doing something
really specialized that you don't want to talk about or can you give us
more?

Koz

On 30 Mar 2005 17:13:38 -0800, the inscrutable
(Eric Gutierrez) spake:

Hi,

Here's more info:

I'm going to be processing about 500 coconuts per day at the start
(hope to grow to 10000 per day within a year). First, I need to grate
the coconuts to get -only- the cocomeat. Coconut meat is white, soft,
rubbery and almost dry unlike apples.

Ooh, too bad. I'm a coconut milk afficionado myself. Ever use an ounce
of coconut milk in your omelet? It's a most fluffy, tender treat!


I then will bag the coconut meat into a mesh-bag (or canvas bag). The
total volume of the bag is probably the equivalent of a basketball. I
can of course use smaller bags to make them fit in the die/plate. I
then need to press this bag as much as possible to extract coconut
milk (food, end-product). That's pretty much what I need to do. So
the 'die' or press-plates have to be food-grade, so I'm thinking
stainless steel.

I've been looking at cheap hydraulic shop presses around $100-400 at
http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulic_press.html
Perhaps the 30-ton version at $288.

I thought you wanted a HORIZONTAL machine, Eric.


I was thinking that I can just use food-grade dies/plates and put the
mesh-bags in-between the plates while the press works on pressing them
together and hold for a few minutes. While pressing, the coconut milk
will be collected somehow.

I would think that mesh bags would compress more eaisly than coconut
meat. Are you sure they're not cold-expeller pressing the stuff?


Again, thanks for any tips/advice.

Perhaps you could check with some of the repair companies in Thailand.
That's where most of our imported coco meat and milk comes from. Maybe
they could send some of the brochures for the production machines and
you'd geet a better idea of how the pros do it on a massive basis.

I'm really curious as to their processes, too.


----------------------------------------------------
Thesaurus: Ancient reptile with excellent vocabulary
http://diversify.com Dynamic Website Applications
================================================== ==

Eric wrote:

snip

I've been looking at cheap hydraulic shop presses around $100-400 at
http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulic_press.html
Perhaps the 30-ton version at $288.

I've been using a 12 ton "A" frame press from HF for some years now and
they are selling this:

32880-0VGA 30 TON A-FRAME HEAVY DUTY SHOP PRESS $249.99

I strengthened the top of my "A" frame with 3/8" straps and replaced the
top with a piece of 3/4" x 4" CRS and got their air/hydraulic 20 ton jack.
Really saves on the arm!! The unit works well to this day (well over
10k cycles to date. You might consider it if you have a compressor.

Bill

About 25 years ago the professionals used a rotary screw press to extract
coconut oil from copra. The copra was fed by conveyor to a press that had a
tapered screw which ran in a cylinder made of 25 mm steel bars. The pitch of
the screw reduced along its length so that the volume of the copra was
continuously reduced. The juice ran out between the bars and was collected
for further processing. This was a 200 Hp unit,a little large for your
needs, but a similar unit could be cobbled up from an old domestic meat
grinder with a few holes drilled in the barrel. they can generate a pretty
high pressure if you turn them fast enough.
I haven't had any exposure to the industry for a long time so I don't know
what the latest approach is

Tom



"Larry Jaques" wrote in message
...
On 30 Mar 2005 17:13:38 -0800, the inscrutable
(Eric Gutierrez) spake:

Hi,

Here's more info:

I'm going to be processing about 500 coconuts per day at the start
(hope to grow to 10000 per day within a year). First, I need to grate
the coconuts to get -only- the cocomeat. Coconut meat is white, soft,
rubbery and almost dry unlike apples.

Ooh, too bad. I'm a coconut milk afficionado myself. Ever use an ounce
of coconut milk in your omelet? It's a most fluffy, tender treat!


I then will bag the coconut meat into a mesh-bag (or canvas bag). The
total volume of the bag is probably the equivalent of a basketball. I
can of course use smaller bags to make them fit in the die/plate. I
then need to press this bag as much as possible to extract coconut
milk (food, end-product). That's pretty much what I need to do. So
the 'die' or press-plates have to be food-grade, so I'm thinking
stainless steel.

I've been looking at cheap hydraulic shop presses around $100-400 at
http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulic_press.html
Perhaps the 30-ton version at $288.

I thought you wanted a HORIZONTAL machine, Eric.


I was thinking that I can just use food-grade dies/plates and put the
mesh-bags in-between the plates while the press works on pressing them
together and hold for a few minutes. While pressing, the coconut milk
will be collected somehow.

I would think that mesh bags would compress more eaisly than coconut
meat. Are you sure they're not cold-expeller pressing the stuff?


Again, thanks for any tips/advice.

Perhaps you could check with some of the repair companies in Thailand.
That's where most of our imported coco meat and milk comes from. Maybe
they could send some of the brochures for the production machines and
you'd geet a better idea of how the pros do it on a massive basis.

I'm really curious as to their processes, too.


----------------------------------------------------
Thesaurus: Ancient reptile with excellent vocabulary
http://diversify.com Dynamic Website Applications
================================================== ==

Eric Gutierrez wrote:

Hi,

Here's more info:

I'm going to be processing about 500 coconuts per day at the start
(hope to grow to 10000 per day within a year). First, I need to grate
the coconuts to get -only- the cocomeat. Coconut meat is white, soft,
rubbery and almost dry unlike apples.

I then will bag the coconut meat into a mesh-bag (or canvas bag). The
total volume of the bag is probably the equivalent of a basketball. I
can of course use smaller bags to make them fit in the die/plate. I
then need to press this bag as much as possible to extract coconut
milk (food, end-product). That's pretty much what I need to do. So
the 'die' or press-plates have to be food-grade, so I'm thinking
stainless steel.

I've been looking at cheap hydraulic shop presses around $100-400 at
http://www.asedeals.com/hydraulic_press.html
Perhaps the 30-ton version at $288.

I was thinking that I can just use food-grade dies/plates and put the
mesh-bags in-between the plates while the press works on pressing them
together and hold for a few minutes. While pressing, the coconut milk
will be collected somehow.

That part (die/plate) I'll probably have to fabricate somewhere.


Again, thanks for any tips/advice.
eric



I think you will need a lot more pressure than 30 tons to get the kind
of extraction rate you need to do this commercially. Even if you use a
6" "meat" cylinder to hold the bag of product at 30 tons you have only
about 1 ton per square inch. With a fairly dry product and even if you
assume the product fluidizes under pressure, my guess is the extraction
rate will be lower than you want.

Loading a 6" cylinder would be a pain and the press stroke would have to
be fairly long....along with needing a more complex hole pattern on the
extraction cylinder because the product will act as a plug to block the
liquid extraction. Larger and easy to load extraction cylinders would
be worse unless you can really up the pressure.

Most extractors I have seen for fairly dry product (75 % solids?) are
either screw type or roller type. Screw would be the way to go but is a
little complex to scab together. Roller would be good but you would
probably have to use 2 sets...a pre-roll with a rough surface so the
product begins to sheet without backing up and a second roll set to do a
final pressing. Removal of the off-fall is usually done with a woven
wire conveyor belt that allows any residual liquid to drop through....is
also sometimes done with a wedge wire screen if the off-fall can slide
into a dump bin that can be emptied often (ok for small volume, bad for
high). Vacuum systems are sometimes used to get the last drops off the
product if the liquid has value or if there is enough left to be worth
collecting. It adds cost in the short run but if the extra recovery is
even 1/2 of 1% it can pay in the long run.

Is this going to be a food operation in the US? If so, check the new
homeland security crap for food manufacturers. It's a MAJOR run around
now that essentially squeezes out the little guy due to product
reporting requirements from source to table. I'm not sure how vigorous
the enforcement is for small manufacturers but initially, it looks
nearly impossible for the little guy to meet the requirements.

It all may be a moot point though; I am more used to continuous
process applications rather than batch. Lower extraction rates and
batch handling may work just fine for your needs.

Koz



Koz wrote in message


Sounds similar to an apple press. The commercial units I have seen have
a series of canvas bags that are filled with pulp. The bags are aligned
like a bellows and the press pushes the whole stack horizontally.
Extraction is pretty good as the pulp comes out almost dry.

I think for a home set-up you might be heading down the wrong path
though. Check out the unit at
http://www.mendingshed.com/mendingsh...tobasvics.html. This is a
screw extractor. Although some pulp does get through, the off-fall is
pretty dry (after a second pressing) and with the right input, I have
done 10 gallons out an hour without working. Instead of hydraulic, you
may want to use a modified (bigger) version of this screw extractor. If
you need pure liquid, a second pulp straining might get you where you
need to be.

The other option I've seen is roller presses. Cranberries and similar
are often done this way in commercial operations.

More info might help...is your the process you are doing something
really specialized that you don't want to talk about or can you give us
more?

Koz