Creating time, cost and manpower economies in shea nut processing
Our client, Ghana Speciality Fats industries limited (GSFIL), is a joint venture enterprise between agri-processing leaders Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Wilmar Holdings. Since 2006, GSFIL has grown to become the largest processor of shea nuts in Ghana, manufacturing shea oils and butter. With a processing capability of upwards of 25,000 tonnes a year, making it the biggest shea nut processor in Ghana.
Kumar first supplied our flagship 130-140 TPD Xpress model Expeller with a 5 stage cooker to GSFIL in 2008, followed by a 300 TPD solvent extraction plant in 2019. Our relationship with GSFIL grew over the years as we supplied other equipment, spare parts, piping and insulation materials. When they expanded Ghana operations in 2019, we sold them 4 Xpress expellers with cookers.
GSFIL approached us last year looking to improve operational efficiency by reducing manual interventions in the extraction process. From our deliberations, we understood the challenges were around the need to stop the expeller each time the cake thickness required adjusting. This led to expeller downtime and production inefficiencies affecting the bottom line. -reducing nutritional components.
Our team of engineers went to the drawing board to address this problem for GSFIL. And they succeeded in finding a solution!
We also developed a hydraulic chamber opening system that drastically reduces the effort needed to clean the expeller and change the worm.
The automatic cone adjustment system consists of
- a hydraulic power pack (oil storage tank, filter, electric pump, pressure regulator and control valves)
- a hydraulic cylinder unit (movable piston connected to the output shaft in an enclosed cylinder)
- leak proof closed-loop piping
When we developed this system, we were solving a problem for GSFIL. Still, we also realised that this is a common problem for most oil-seed processing companies - Kumar now offers the Hydraulic cone adjusting system as par for the course.
Kumar was the first company to supply and successfully run a shea nut extraction unit, resulting in several repeat orders from GSFIL. Our shea nut extraction capabilities and customer-focused problem-solving capabilities have made us a reference for other companies in the African oils and fats industry, where we have to this day, installed over 20 shea plants.
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For 82 years, Kumar has been delivering dependable process engineering solutions to the oils and fats industry. We're known for our robustly engineered, versatile and operationally profitable plant and machinery. It's why over 500 customers in 65 countries depend on us to solve their processing challenges, big or small. If you’d like to know more about our solutions please fill out the form below:
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