Intoduction
Please note, that since 2006 we have not been involved directly in the manufacture of disillation equipment.The information on this page has been kept for illustative purposes only.
Commercial Distillation Equipment
Scale
This is probably the single most important factor to consider when embarking on a new project. A clear idea of scale will dictate the size and type of equipment, and how it will be used.It cannot be overstressed that correctly assessing the scale of any project and fully realising the logistical implications of your chosen scale is of primary importance before any capital investment is undertaken.
It may be stating the obvious, but the Scale of any operation is determined by the amount of plant material to be processed and the amount of time available to process it in.
Other considerations like the type of material, level of mechanisation, etc., are obviously important considerations and will affect the final assessment of scale to a greater or lesser degree but quantity and time are paramount.
Condensers
Condensers in 100% stainless steel, are specially designed for the production of essential oils.This involves designing for the temperature ranges needed in essential oil production and the ability to control and monitor cooling gradients to achieve the precise parameters that any given oil requires - subtly different for each oil.
The design, as well as being theoretically well-founded, has been developed and fine-tuned through years of practical experience. Temperature gauges, for example, are provided as standard to accurately monitor the coolant temperature gradient, something we have found by experience is of great benefit in properly controlling the process in real life situations, enabling simple adjustments to be made to compensate for fluctuating environmental circumstances and enabling a consistency of product.
Often, more than one type of plant material may be processed in the same still at different times and the ability to thoroughly steam clean the condenser is a valuable design requirement.
Condensers are designed to enable mounting in either vertical or near-horizontal configuration enabling designs that use either configuration to use the same modular condensers, simplifying manufacture and keeping down the cost.
Separators
Gravitational separators are used to separate the oil from the aqueous fraction of the distillate (sometimes called the hydrolat or 'floral-water'). These are made in stainless steel with a 16mm glass 'neck' which enables precise and simple monitoring and collection of the oil. The design is simple to operate, robust and easily steam cleaned.
Retort Configurations
Retort design is crucial to an efficient distillation process.However, the design of the retort depends largely on the type of plant material to be processed, and most importantly the manner in which it is to be handled. For this reason a basic modular design, unlike the condenser and separator, is not really practical, and these are generally made to specific requirements, whether that is a small hand-filled pilot still, a fixed retort or retorts - either hand filled or machine filled - or fully mobile trailer retorts in a wide range of sizes.
| 2 Tonne Mobile Retort
| This retort has hydraulic tipping facilities for easy filling and emptying. | 1 tonne Mobile Retort
|
A simple and robust design. No hydraulics are needed. The Retort can be towed behind any road vehicle |
Large-Scale 'Fixed' Retort
Showing 'mezzanine' infrastructure,
tipping retort, vertical condenser
and separator.