Oil expellers
Optiflow 30 screw press
Double-chamber screw press for multi-oilseed crushing
Crushing capacityOn request
Motor powerOn request
Why this crop is different
Crushing Sunflower
Sunflower sits in the middle: high enough in oil to press properly, low enough that larger plants pre-press and extract. It is also the seed we are asked about most often from outside India — sunflower expansion programmes across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have put a lot of small and mid-sized mills into planning at once, usually with power and spares availability as the deciding question rather than price.
- Sunflower is dehulled before pressing. The hull is bulky and oil-free, and leaving it in costs capacity and wear for nothing.
- For an export enquiry, ask us about the spare-parts plan at the same time as the machine. It is the part that decides uptime.
Process flow
How a sunflower oil line works
Follow the seed from left to right. The numbers on the drawing match the steps below it, and every machine is explained in plain words. We build this line in 3 ways. Open each to compare.
Sunflower line: one long press
The simplest sunflower line. One long press does all the squeezing, and a sloping screw cools the meal on its way to the bags. The oil is filtered and neutralised, ready for bleaching.
The line, step by step
Clean the seed
Seed arrives from the field with dust, straw and stones in it. All of that is taken out first, because it wears the press and spoils the oil.
- 1
Seed cleanerShakes the seed over screens to take out dust, straw and anything larger or smaller than the seed.
Cyclone and blower: Sucks away the light dust and drops it in one place, keeping the air in the mill clean.
- 2
DestonerRemoves stones, which are the same size as seed but heavier. One stone can damage the press.
- 3
CrackerBreaks the seed open between rollers, so the hard outer skin can come away from the soft kernel.
- 4
Kernel and husk separatorShakes and blows the broken skins away from the kernels. Husk holds no oil, so it should not go to the press.
Husk goes to husk processing
- 5
Seed storage siloHolds clean seed ready for pressing. A rotary valve at the bottom lets it out at a steady rate.
Moved between machines by: Bucket elevator, Screw conveyor
Warm the seed
Warm, evenly moist seed releases its oil far more easily than cold seed.
- 6
BoilerMakes the steam that heats the cooker.
- 7
Seed cookerWarms and stirs the seed with steam. Warm seed gives up its oil far more easily, like warm butter compared with cold.
Squeeze out the oil
This is where seed becomes two products: oil, and a dry cake known as meal.
- 8
Final pressOil expeller · Double chamber · Optiflow 30
The heart of the mill. A turning screw squeezes the seed harder and harder until the oil runs out through narrow gaps, leaving a dry cake.
Moved between machines by: Bucket elevator
Weigh and bag the meal
The meal is weighed into bags. It is valuable in its own right, usually as animal feed.
- 9
Cooling screw conveyorA long sloping screw that carries the hot material along while it cools down.
- 10
Batch hopper and weighing machine ×3Holds the meal and weighs out each batch into a bag.
- 11
Bagged mealThe pressed seed, sold as animal feed or sent on for further processing.
Moved between machines by: Screw conveyor
Separate the oil from the solids
Oil leaves the press cloudy with bits of seed, called foots. These are sifted out and sent back to the press, and the oil moves on.
- 12
Vibro sifterThe oil from the press is cloudy with bits of seed, called foots. This vibrating screen lets the oil through and holds the bits back.
- 13
Paver chain conveyorCarries the wet bits caught by the sifter back up, so they go through the press again and their oil is not wasted.
Solids return to the press
- 14
Settling oil tankThe oil rests here while the finer particles sink to the bottom, and a slow stirrer keeps the tank even.
Moved between machines by: Pump
Filter and start refining
The oil is filtered clear and stored, then neutralised as the first step of refining.
- 15
Pressure leaf filterPushes the oil under pressure through filter leaves inside a closed vessel, leaving the fine solids behind.
- 16
Filtered oil tankStores the clear oil after filtering.
- 17
NeutraliserThe first step of refining. It removes free fatty acids from the oil, which settle out as soap stock.
Soap stock
Moved between machines by: Pump
The oil ends here: To the bleaching process
Sunflower line: two presses side by side
Two presses share one feed and work side by side, to crush more seed in a day. Each piece of seed goes through one press only.
The line, step by step
Clean the seed
Seed arrives from the field with dust, straw and stones in it. All of that is taken out first, because it wears the press and spoils the oil.
- 1Seed cleaner
Shakes the seed over screens to take out dust, straw and anything larger or smaller than the seed.
Cyclone and blower: Sucks away the light dust and drops it in one place, keeping the air in the mill clean.
- 2Destoner
Removes stones, which are the same size as seed but heavier. One stone can damage the press.
- 3Cracker
Breaks the seed open between rollers, so the hard outer skin can come away from the soft kernel.
- 4Kernel and husk separator
Shakes and blows the broken skins away from the kernels. Husk holds no oil, so it should not go to the press.
Husk goes to husk processing
- 5Seed storage silo
Holds clean seed ready for pressing. A rotary valve at the bottom lets it out at a steady rate.
Moved between machines by: Bucket elevator, Screw conveyor
Warm the seed
Warm, evenly moist seed releases its oil far more easily than cold seed.
- 6Boiler
Makes the steam that heats the cooker.
- 7Seed cooker
Warms and stirs the seed with steam. Warm seed gives up its oil far more easily, like warm butter compared with cold.
Squeeze out the oil
This is where seed becomes two products: oil, and a dry cake known as meal.
- 8
Final press ×2Oil expeller · Double chamber · Optiflow 30
The heart of the mill. A turning screw squeezes the seed harder and harder until the oil runs out through narrow gaps, leaving a dry cake.
Moved between machines by: Bucket elevator
Cool the cake
OptionalCake leaves the press hot. A cooler brings it down before bagging so it stores well. Not every line needs this.
- 9
Meal coolerA slowly turning drum with air drawn through it cools the warm meal, so it stores safely in bags.
Weigh and bag the meal
The meal is weighed into bags. It is valuable in its own right, usually as animal feed.
- 10Batch hopper and weighing machine ×3
Holds the meal and weighs out each batch into a bag.
- 11Bagged meal
The pressed seed, sold as animal feed or sent on for further processing.
Moved between machines by: Screw conveyor, Bucket elevator
Separate the oil from the solids
Oil leaves the press cloudy with bits of seed, called foots. These are sifted out and sent back to the press, and the oil moves on.
- 12Vibro sifter
The oil from the press is cloudy with bits of seed, called foots. This vibrating screen lets the oil through and holds the bits back.
- 13Paver chain conveyor
Carries the wet bits caught by the sifter back up, so they go through the press again and their oil is not wasted.
Solids return to the press
- 14Settling oil tank
The oil rests here while the finer particles sink to the bottom, and a slow stirrer keeps the tank even.
Moved between machines by: Screw conveyor, Pump
Filter and start refining
The oil is filtered clear and stored, then neutralised as the first step of refining.
- 15Pressure leaf filter
Pushes the oil under pressure through filter leaves inside a closed vessel, leaving the fine solids behind.
- 16Filtered oil tank
Stores the clear oil after filtering.
- 17Neutraliser
The first step of refining. It removes free fatty acids from the oil, which settle out as soap stock.
Soap stock
Moved between machines by: Pump
The oil ends here: To the bleaching process
Sunflower line: pressed twice, one after the other
Two presses in a row, each with its own cooker on top. The cake from the first is warmed and pressed again in the second, to recover more of the oil.
The line, step by step
Clean the seed
Seed arrives from the field with dust, straw and stones in it. All of that is taken out first, because it wears the press and spoils the oil.
- 1Seed cleaner
Shakes the seed over screens to take out dust, straw and anything larger or smaller than the seed.
Cyclone and blower: Sucks away the light dust and drops it in one place, keeping the air in the mill clean.
- 2Destoner
Removes stones, which are the same size as seed but heavier. One stone can damage the press.
- 3Cracker
Breaks the seed open between rollers, so the hard outer skin can come away from the soft kernel.
- 4Kernel and husk separator
Shakes and blows the broken skins away from the kernels. Husk holds no oil, so it should not go to the press.
Husk goes to husk processing
- 5Seed storage silo
Holds clean seed ready for pressing. A rotary valve at the bottom lets it out at a steady rate.
Moved between machines by: Bucket elevator, Screw conveyor
Pre-press (1st pressing)
The warmed seed gets its first squeeze. This takes most of the oil and leaves a cake that still holds some.
- 6Boiler
Makes the steam that heats the cooker.
- 7
Pre-pressOil expeller with cooker on top · Single chamber · Optiflow 45
A cooker sits directly on the press, so the seed is warmed by steam and drops straight in to be squeezed.
Moved between machines by: Bucket elevator
Final press (2nd pressing)
The cake from the first press is warmed and squeezed again, to recover the oil still left in it.
- 8Final press
Oil expeller with cooker on top · Double chamber · Optiflow 30
A cooker sits directly on the press, so the seed is warmed by steam and drops straight in to be squeezed.
Moved between machines by: Bucket elevator
Cool the cake
OptionalCake leaves the press hot. A cooler brings it down before bagging so it stores well. Not every line needs this.
- 9Meal cooler
A slowly turning drum with air drawn through it cools the warm meal, so it stores safely in bags.
Weigh and bag the meal
The meal is weighed into bags. It is valuable in its own right, usually as animal feed.
- 10Batch hopper and weighing machine ×3
Holds the meal and weighs out each batch into a bag.
- 11Bagged meal
The pressed seed, sold as animal feed or sent on for further processing.
Moved between machines by: Screw conveyor
Separate the oil from the solids
Oil leaves the press cloudy with bits of seed, called foots. These are sifted out and sent back to the press, and the oil moves on.
- 12Vibro sifter
The oil from the press is cloudy with bits of seed, called foots. This vibrating screen lets the oil through and holds the bits back.
- 13Paver chain conveyor
Carries the wet bits caught by the sifter back up, so they go through the press again and their oil is not wasted.
Solids return to the press
- 14Settling oil tank
The oil rests here while the finer particles sink to the bottom, and a slow stirrer keeps the tank even.
Moved between machines by: Screw conveyor, Pump
Filter and start refining
The oil is filtered clear and stored, then neutralised as the first step of refining.
- 15Pressure leaf filter
Pushes the oil under pressure through filter leaves inside a closed vessel, leaving the fine solids behind.
- 16Filtered oil tank
Stores the clear oil after filtering.
- 17Neutraliser
The first step of refining. It removes free fatty acids from the oil, which settle out as soap stock.
Soap stock
Moved between machines by: Pump
The oil ends here: To the bleaching process
The line
Machines for Sunflower
Taken from the catalogue: every machine listed here is rated for this crop. General-purpose conveying, filtration and spares suit every line and are listed separately.
Oil expellers
Optiflow 40 screw press
Heavy-duty double-chamber screw press for multi-oilseed application
Crushing capacity10–11 TPD final press · 13–14 TPD pre-press
Motor power30 kW × 960 rpm
Oil expellers
Optiflow 50 screw press
Heavy-duty double-chamber screw press for multi-oilseed application
Crushing capacity11–12 TPD final press · 14–15 TPD pre-press
Motor power50 HP × 960 rpm
Seed cookers
Oilseed cooker
High-performance vertical-mounted seed conditioner
Capacity100 TPD (MCH-500) · 200 TPD (MCH-1000)
Motor power15 HP (MCH-500) · 30 HP (MCH-1000)
Expeller accessories
Crammer feeder
Smart feeding that prevents bridging in the feed hopper
FitsOptiflow presses and others on request
Expeller accessories
Cake breaker
Better cooling, easy conveying and consistent packaging of cake
FitsOptiflow presses and others on request
Seed cleaning and steam
Seed cracker
Cracking machine for hard oilseeds before pressing
Capacity10–50 tonnes per day
Roll materialChilled cast iron, grooved and balanced
Seed cleaning and steam
Oilseed dehuller
Hull removal for higher protein and better oil quality
ApplicationOilseed dehulling
OperationContinuous hull separation
Seed cleaning and steam
Seed decorticator
Shell and husk removal for seeds, nuts and grains
ApplicationSeed and nut decortication
OperationRotary knife with vibration separation
What it earns
What a Sunflower line produces in a day
Set to sunflower at 40% oil, the figure we publish for this crop. The tonnage, the hours and the three prices are yours to change — the rates shown are examples, not a quotation.
Seed pressed11.5 tper day
Oil4,046 L3.70 t per day
Cake7.63 tper day
| Oil sales | ₹607,000 |
| Cake sales | ₹214,000 |
| Seed cost | −₹713,000 |
| Gross margin per day, before power and labour | ₹107,000 |
| Per month · 25 working days | ₹2,684,000 |
Worked out from the three prices on the left, which are examples. Put your own in before you trust this figure.
The line this needs
| Stage | Duty | Machine | Units |
|---|
Each machine is sized from the capacity we publish on its own page. Stages we do not publish a capacity for are sized to your layout.
Get a project proposal for this
Machine list, layout and power load for your numbers.
Where we deliver
Growing regions we supply
Most of our sunflower enquiries come from Karnataka and Maharashtra, and across East Africa. We quote and commission across India, and export through our Ludhiana works.
KarnatakaMaharashtraAndhra Pradesh
Other crops
We build lines for these too
Tell us your Sunflower capacity
Three short steps. Our team replies on WhatsApp, by phone or by email, whichever you prefer.