These sets of machinery processes coconut into coconut oil and powder using screw expression mechanism. The following sets of machines are used:
- Milk Expeller: The milk expeller extracts the milk containing water, fat and oil from the coconut seed.
Description: It has a coconut cutting unit located directly above the extraction assembly. The nut cutter is a set of series of knives welded onto a central shaft that rotates at a clearance to a sieve located below the knife assembly. The expeller unit and is comprised of a worm that has two pressing points and rotates within a barrel made of square rods. It has adjustable lever that enables the machine to be set at varying pressures to increase the milk extraction and cake dryness efficiencies.
Performance indices and Specifications:
- Capacity = 1,000kg, 2,000kg and 5,000kg per day
- Oil extraction efficiency = 94%
- Cake dryness = 90%
- Revolution per minute of worm = 60 rpm
- Power requirement (electric motor) = 20HP
Features:
- Expression of the milk in one pass of the seeds instead of two or more passes
- Continuity in operation
- Steam heated platform dryer: This equipment dries the coconut powder and other agricultural products by removing moisture from them to a safe level that is conducive for storage.
Description: The dryer is comprised of the drying cabin and boiler units. The cabin is an upright rectangular structure in which series of heat exchanger pipes are arranged. These pipes also hold several trays made from aluminium sheets and wire mesh. The two units are interconnected with galvanised pipes having valves to allow passage and stop the flow of steam from the boiler to the drying cabin unit at desired times. A blower is incorporated to expel the moist air extracted from the drying materials from the cabin through an exhaust vent. Electric heaters are also provided to along the air channel in the blower to raise the dryness of the air before making contacts with the materials. The boiler section heats water to boiling point thereby raising steam and sending it to the drying cabin. It uses coconut shells, firewood, gas or diesel burners as heat source.
Features and Specifications:
- Capacity i.e Mass of coconut powder = 500 per day
- Drying efficiency= 96 %
- Speed of centrifugal fan – blower = 2,000 rpm
- Duration to dry one batch (125kg) of coconut powder = 5 hrs
- Discharge time = 15 mins
- Power of electric heaters = 4,500 watts
Features:
- Use of aluminium materials for the trays
- Absence of burning effect on the coconut powder