First Pressing - The Learning continues

7 Days to the Cleve Field Days
On Saturday (29/7) we pressed our first canola. The yield was low, but everything worked together. The smaller diesel engine (7 HP) was not up to the task of running the press but the larger (10 HP) one was able to keep going when the feed hopper was full.
The press screw is running too fast,
So back to the drawing board. An Idler shaft and extra belts will give a slower screw rotation. And the extra gearing may make the smaller engine cope with the load.
(I could not upload my images, so sorry, no pictures today)

Getting ready for the Cleve Field Days

The preparations for Cleve continue. We are hoping to run the press for the first time on Wednesday and bed in the screw and press chamber. This will also give the Diesel Engine some running in time too.

If things go well, we will start larger scale pressing later in the week to get some experience and some actual oil & meal to show potential buyers.

EP trip & Oilpresses

I recently spent a week on the Eyre Peninsula. A part of this was establishing links and generating interest in Biofuels. My visit coincided with a talk by Andy Fischer (from SAFF) to the Butler Agricultural Bureau on Monday 17 July.
Andy's talk generated a lot of interest in what was a very good attendance for the Bureau.
On returning home my first Oilpresses were collected, and are now being mounted on frames in preparation for the Cleve Field Days.
The presses look like a good low priced way of getting into oil production, but the proof is in the pressing.
I hope to get the larger press operational next week and get a weeks worth of pressing experience before Cleve. At Cleve the Aqknowledge Systems site is 362, in the middle by the Office complex.