Deepening Presence in the Latin American Market, KMEC Adds Another Benchmark Project in Mexico
With the rise of global health awareness and the development of the food industry, the demand for high-quality edible oils in the Latin American region continues to grow. Mexico, as a major economy in Latin America, is experiencing a boom in its food processing industry, placing higher demands on local edible oil production capacity. Against this backdrop, a Mexican local enterprise decided to invest in building a modern edible oil processing plant to meet the increasing market demand. After a global search for equipment suppliers, the client ultimately chose to partner with KMEC to import a complete oil pressing production line, injecting new momentum into the local oil and fat industry.
Project Background: From Raw Material to High-Quality Oil in One Step
This Mexican client primarily processes common local oilseeds (such as soybeans, sunflower seeds, etc.), with a target capacity of processing several hundred tons of raw materials per day. The client aimed to build a complete production line from oilseed cleaning to oil extraction, ensuring production efficiency and product quality. Through in-depth communication, KMEC designed a comprehensive solution for them, encompassing three main sections: pretreatment, prepressing, and extraction. It is worth noting that, according to the client’s plan, the refining section was not included in the initial phase, allowing for flexible expansion in the future based on market demands. This “step-by-step implementation” strategy not only reduced the initial investment but also reserved space for future upgrades.
Equipments and Technical Highlights
1. Pre-treatment Section: Laying the Foundation for Efficient Pressing
Pretreatment is the first critical step in the oil pressing process, directly impacting the efficiency of subsequent sections and the quality of the final product. KMEC equipped the client with the following key machinery:
- Cleaning Screen: Removes impurities from the oilseeds (such as stones, straw, iron filings, etc.), ensuring the safe operation of subsequent equipment.
- Crusher: Breaks large oilseeds into uniform smaller particles, facilitating subsequent softening and flaking.
- Conditioner (Softening Cooker): Alters the physical properties of the oilseeds by adjusting temperature and moisture, making them more pliable.
- Flaking Mill: Rolls the oilseeds into thin flakes, disrupting cell structures, shortening the oil extraction path, and significantly increasing the oil yield.
The entire pretreatment line utilizes automated control, allowing real-time adjustment of process parameters based on raw material variations, ensuring stable quality of the oilseeds entering the pressing stage.
2. Prepressing Section: Efficiently Extracting the Majority of the Oil
Prepressing is the core of the oil extraction process. KMEC configured high-efficiency screw presses for the client, featuring:
- High Squeezing Pressure: Achieved through optimized worm shaft design and multi-stage pressing, enabling efficient squeezing of oilseeds and extracting 60%~70% of the oil.
- Low Residual Oil Content: The residual oil rate in the prepressed cake can be controlled between 12%~15%, providing optimal conditions for subsequent extraction.
- Durable Materials: Wear parts like squeeze bars and rings are made of wear-resistant alloy steel, extending equipment life and reducing maintenance costs.
3. Extraction Section: Deep Recovery of Residual Oil
To maximize economic benefits, the client opted for the extraction process to deeply extract oil from the prepressed cake. The complete extraction equipment set provided by KMEC includes:
- Rotary Extractor (Loop Extractor): Compact structure, low solvent consumption. Utilizes the counter-current extraction principle to reduce the residual oil rate in the cake to below 1%.
- Evaporation System: Employs energy-saving multi-effect evaporation technology to efficiently separate the solvent from the miscella. The recovered solvent is recycled, reducing production costs.
- Condensation and Recovery System: Ensures efficient solvent recovery in a closed-loop system, complying with environmental and safety requirements.
The entire extraction workshop is designed according to international safety standards, equipped with explosion-proof electrical components and gas alarm devices to ensure production safety.
Project Execution and Client Feedback
KMEC dispatched a team of senior engineers to the site in Mexico to supervise equipment installation and commissioning. The team overcame challenges such as local climate conditions and tight construction schedules, completing the installation and commissioning of all equipment in just 3 months. Subsequently, KMEC provided systematic technical training to the client’s operators, ensuring a smooth plant start-up.
Currently, the plant has been operating stably for several months, with all indicators meeting design requirements. The client representative stated: “KMEC’s equipment runs very stably, and the oil yield exceeded our expectations. The low residual oil rate achieved by the extraction section, in particular, has brought us significant economic benefits. Most importantly, the professional service from the KMEC team gave us full confidence throughout the project. If we expand and add a refining workshop in the future, we will definitely continue to cooperate with KMEC.”
Conclusion: Your Oil Processing Project, Supported by KMEC Every Step of the Way
Whether you are planning to build a small-scale oil mill or a large modern oil plant, whether you need a complete production line or equipment for a single section, KMEC can provide you with one-stop service from process design and equipment manufacturing to installation and commissioning. We look forward to working with you to jointly promote the sustainable development of the global oil and fat industry.