🌻 SUNFLOWER SEED CRUSHING PLANT – FULL DETAILS
🔹 1. Seed Procurement & Pre-processing
Raw Material Sourcing:
Direct from farmers or aggregators.
Required seed moisture content: ~8% for efficient processing.
Cleaning & Dehulling:
Removal of dust, stones, metals, and broken seeds.
Optional dehulling to improve oil yield and meal quality.
Storage:
Silos or covered warehouses with moisture and pest control systems.
🔹 2. Seed Preparation
Cracking & Flaking:
Seeds are cracked into smaller particles and flattened into thin flakes.
Conditioning:
Flakes are heated (up to 80°C) to improve oil extraction efficiency.
Cooking (optional):
Increases oil yield by softening cellular structure.
🔹 3. Oil Extraction Methods
✅ A. Mechanical Pressing (Expeller Press)
Screw press expellers are used.
Common in small/medium plants.
Yields around 30–38% oil depending on seed quality.
✅ B. Solvent Extraction (Hexane)
Used for large industrial plants to extract residual oil from expeller cake.
Produces higher total oil yield (~42–45%).
Requires solvent recovery and environmental compliance systems.
🔹 4. Crude Sunflower Oil Processing
Degumming: Removes gums and phospholipids.
Neutralization: Eliminates free fatty acids (FFA).
Bleaching: Removes color pigments and traces of metals.
Deodorization: Removes odor using steam under vacuum.
Winterization (Optional):
Prevents cloudiness in cold temperatures by removing waxes.
Final product: Refined, deodorized, winterized sunflower oil (RBDW).
🔹 5. Sunflower Cake/Meal Processing
By-product after oil extraction.
Contains 28–40% protein.
Used as:
Cattle, poultry & fish feed
Bio-fertilizer
Ground or pelletized, then packed in 25/50 kg bags.
🔹 6. Packaging & Distribution
Oil:
Retail: Bottles, pouches, cans (500ml to 5L)
Bulk: Drums, flexi tanks, or tankers
Meal/Cake:
Bagged or bulk for feed mills.
🔹 7. Quality Control & Certifications
Oil Testing:
Moisture, color, FFA, wax content, peroxide value.
Meal Testing:
Protein %, fiber, ash, oil residue.
Certifications:
ISO 22000, HACCP, FSSAI, Halal, USDA Organic (if applicable)
🔹 8. Major Equipment List
Seed Cleaner & Destoner
Dehuller (optional)
Flaker & Cooker
Oil Expeller or Solvent Extractor
Filter Press or Centrifuge
Oil Refinery Unit (Batch or Continuous)
Packing Machines (Pouch, Bottle, Drum)
Boiler (for heat and steam)
Solvent recovery (for large plants)
🔹 9. Plant Size & Output Examples
| Scale | Seed Input/Day | Oil Output | Meal Output | Area Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small (1–2 TPD) | 1–2 tons | 300–700 L | ~1.3–1.5 tons | 800–1,200 sq.ft |
| Medium (5–10 TPD) | 5–10 tons | 1,800–3,500 L | ~4–8 tons | 2,500–5,000 sq.ft |
| Large (30–100+ TPD) | 30–100 tons | 10,000–35,000 L | 25–80+ tons | 10,000+ sq.ft |
🔹 10. Services Offered by a Sunflower Oil Plant
Contract Crushing Services (for farmers/traders)
Private Label Packaging & Bottling
Bulk Oil Export or Supply
Sunflower Meal Supply to Feed Mills
OEM Manufacturing
Turnkey Plant Setup, Installation & Maintenance
Consulting for Regulatory Approvals (FSSAI, BIS, etc.)
✅ Ideal Business Opportunities:
Edible oil retail business
Animal feed industry
Organic fertilizer sales
Export of bulk sunflower oil
OEM oil bottling & branding