Coconuts are incredibly versatile agricultural products, with diverse applications.
Most people are familiar with coconut milk, used commonly in South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine. Coconut oil is also a fairly well-known product, with bottled refined coconut oil available in most parts of the world. What many people don't know, however, is that coconut husk, coconut meat, coconut water, coconut leaves, and sap extracted from coconut trees all have utility in different processes and cultures.
Nonetheless, making the most of coconuts is not only about finding applications for every part of the tree. It is also about how equipment, particularly coconut oil manufacturing machines, can maximise the yield and efficiency of coconut products.
In this article, our focus is on coconut oil and the role of commercial coconut oil making machines in extracting maximum value from this resource. We will understand why coconut oil is so popular, how it has been processed historically, and what the future of coconut oil manufacturing might look like.
Worth the hype: The benefits and applications of coconut oil
Coconut oil's chemical profile lends it many attractive properties. It is rich in medium-chain fatty acids, especially lauric acid. It boasts antimicrobial properties - this means that coconut oil is used as a natural remedy to treat skin diseases and other health conditions. Its high smoke point also makes it a good choice for culinary applications, particularly in frying and baking.
Beyond the kitchen, this tropical oil is used as a natural lubricant, as a leather conditioner, and even as a polish for wood products. In industry, coconut oil has the potential for use in the green fuel sector as it forms methyl esters or biodiesel.
These are only the applications of coconut oil. Coconut husk can be used by artisans to weave mats, cocopeat (made from the pith inside coconut husk) is a great growing medium for plants… the list of coconut applications goes on.
Overall, improvements in resource use, production time, and product quality of coconut products can have benefits not only for household consumers but also for multiple industrial sectors. It is no surprise then that industries want to enhance the performance of coconut oil manufacturing machines.
Traditional coconut oil manufacturing machines and processes
Coconut oil manufacturing machines, albeit in simpler forms, have existed for many years. And they have been as diverse as the uses of coconuts. Nonetheless, a few approaches to coconut oil extraction have dominated the industry.
Commercial coconut oil making machines extract coconut oil using traditional or mechanised operations. They may or may not use heat.
For starters, we have the wet extraction or wet milling process. In this process, a coconut oil manufacturing machine crushes fresh coconut meat to obtain coconut milk. This milk is stored for hours until it ferments and separates into oil and water. Manufacturers may then take one of two approaches - applying heat to separate the oil from the water or carrying out cold extraction which involves chilling and thawing the mixture or putting it through a centrifuge machine.
The other popular method for oil extraction is dry extraction. In this approach, commercial coconut oil making machines, typically screw-type machines, are used to push dried coconut meat through a barrel-like cavity. After entering through the hopper or feeder, the meat is sliced, heated and pressed, yielding coconut oil and a hardened cake.
The need for innovation in commercial coconut oil making machines
The coconut oil manufacturing machine price is not insignificant. To add to that, from harvesting to dehusking, deshelling, and cleaning, the production process is also labour-intensive, adding to production costs.
Naturally, coconut oil manufacturers want to maximise the value that they can derive from this resource-intensive process. While manufacturing premium products like virgin coconut oil is one route to greater profitability in the edible oil industry, cutting costs is the other.
Innovations in commercial coconut oil making machines can make the extraction process more energy efficient. They can increase oil yield, reduce processing times, and in the process, cut overall production costs.
From integrated to fully automatic coconut oil extraction machines: Research and innovations in coconut oil extraction
Before coconut oil can be extracted, the coconut must undergo several preparatory steps.
First, coconuts are harvested manually, with highly skilled individuals either climbing trees to pick them or using the hook-and-pole method. Harvested coconuts are dehusked to expose the inner layer of the fruit. Then a hammer and chisel are used to manually remove the hard shell. Finally, the obtained coconut meat is washed to eliminate unwanted debris.
Then comes the process central to coconut oil manufacturing: oil extraction. The water is separated from the coconut meat, which is then fed to a spiral separator which shreds the meat - the smaller the pieces, the easier the extraction process. High heat is applied to this shredded coconut meat to make extraction easier. Finally, an expeller press applies intense mechanical pressure to the meal. Sometimes two rounds of expeller pressing are required to extract all the oil. Sometimes, expeller pressing is also followed by solvent extraction. Combining these two approaches not only maintains the quality of the oil but also maximises oil yield.
In some oil extraction plants, each of the above processes requires specialised equipment. Recent research from Nigeria has focused on overcoming this challenge - the researchers developed a low-cost integrated coconut oil manufacturing machine, comprising a cutting mechanism, heating system and expeller press. This method showed benefits not only in terms of cost but also in oil quality, processing time, and ease of usage.
Other research has explored the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to address issues faced by coconut oil manufacturers. A study conducted in São Tomé and Principe used a technology-based decision support system to help coconut oil producers select the most appropriate extraction methods. Similarly, advanced information systems, internet technologies and advancements in innovation can support the development and use of fully automatic coconut oil extraction machines.
Most importantly, commercial coconut oil making machines today are not one-size-fits-all. The best engineering partners build plants tailored to coconut oil manufacturers' specific requirements. At Kumar Metal Industries, for instance, the OM Innovation Centre is equipped with the latest technologies and a highly skilled team to develop customised solutions to customer problems.
Over the past few decades, the oils and fats industry hasn't seen a massive transformation. To a large extent, the traditional processes of mechanical extraction and now solvent extraction have been mainstays in the industry. Nonetheless, this doesn't mean that the industry has stagnated. Instead, the incremental innovation that our OM Centre stands for has kept the industry moving forward, one steady step after another.
Assessing coconut oil manufacturing machine price
There are many types of commercial coconut oil making machines on the market. Some will be more advanced than others, but that doesn't mean that they're best suited for your purposes. Depending on your intended production volumes, raw material quality and choice of extraction process, what's best for you may differ from what's best for your competitors.
In general, there are a few process and design considerations that can help you to make an informed decision, getting the most benefit for the coconut oil manufacturing machine price.
Press barrel size. The expeller press that you choose should be of an appropriate size compared to the coconut meat volumes that you want to process. A press barrel that is too small or too large will not give you the results that you desire.
Heating element. If you don't want to invest in multiple pieces of machinery, ensure that your extractor is also equipped with a heating element. This heater should effectively pre-heat the coconut via conduction, reducing its moisture content sufficiently to get the best results from extraction.
Ease of use. Depending on your manpower availability, you may or may not have technically trained staff to operate machines. In such situations, it is helpful to have fully automated coconut oil extraction machines which are easy for non-experts to use.
Resource efficiency. Finally, you should compare the resource efficiency of different commercial coconut oil making machines. This involves not only assessing the oil yield obtained from a given quantity of coconut meat but also the energy, water, time and labour input required. Modern coconut oil manufacturing machines will usually optimise for these factors. Taking resource efficiency into consideration ensures that you also account for OPEX rather than just the CAPEX of the coconut oil manufacturing machine price.
Coconut oil and its value-added products have important applications for consumers as well as diverse industries. Discarding any part of the plant, its meat or its oil as waste is a missed opportunity. That is why it is so important to leverage modern coconut oil manufacturing machines - it helps us to ensure that we are providing as much, if not more, value to the planet as we are extracting from it.
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