DIATOM IS OUR NEW FILTRATION SYSTEM FOR EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OILS, WITH A PROGRAMMED FUNCTION CONTROL and with use of diatomaceous earth for separating crude oils from vegetation water, impurities and any fatty parts with high degree melting point, which are left after the pressing of the olives.
Our DIATOM 6 systems are constituted by:
Large filtering surface which though having high flow rates, provides for the fluid to cross it at a low speed so as to avoid, during the pumping process, a forced action causing “stress” on the product.
Low working pressures (4-5 Bar) that allow to exploit to the maximum the characteristic product filtration curves.
Other systems employed for this type of filtration normally work with less square meters of surface area, thus having a considerably higher filtration speed and pressures of 8-10 bar.
For this reason our design and construction is finalized to meet the operational, functional and especially practical needs of our Clients.
What are the characteristics that a diatomaceous earth filtration system for extra virgin olive oils must have today:
- Must have operating economy characteristics with regard to the use of manpower, and with regard to the normal consumables, both for ease of management and ordinary and extraordinary maintenance, both for the loss of oil which the use of diatomaceous earth determines in each case.
- Must be fast also when you have to re-prepare the precoat.
- Must give a clear filtrate, with stability characteristics during filtration, without constant monitoring.
- Must be fully accessible during the cleaning and discharge of the exhausted diatomaceous earth in order to check from time to time the efficiency and the correct use of the filter.
- Must have the ability to replace the filtering cloths and the such, quickly and cost-effectively, without the need of specialized personnel.
- Must have a long working autonomy before discharge, in order to assure really low operating and manpower costs.
- Must have devices that provide for the end of filtration also in emergency conditions.
These are just a few of the advantages offered by DIATOM 6.
Large tank for the continuous dosing of the diatomaceous earth so as to limit staff intervention.
Average duration of a filtration session about 10 to 12 hours before you need to discharge the exhausted diatomaceous earth with constant flow rates and filtrate quality, without need of a fixed commitment of personnel, except at the start and at the end of the process (after installing the optional “turbidimeter”).
Economics of diatomaceous earth: given the low rate of filtration, the oil has time to yield to diatomaceous earth moisture and impurities, fully exploiting their retention capacity, also thanks to our innovative oil flow control system by means of the modulation frequency of the pump.
Savings thanks to the reduced leakage of oil: a lower consumption of diatomaceous earth, given the same conditions, results in a lower loss of oil. An ejection system at the end of filtration further helps to reduce the loss of oil to the exhausted diatomaceous earth.
At the end of filtration the system automatically emits a signal (to alert the operator) when the flow rate is negligible and the filter completely obstructed with earth. The operator will then start the oil expulsion phase from the exhausted diatomaceous earth and subsequent discharge.
At any voluntary interruption, or for lack of electricity, there is a predisposition of the system so that the system may automatically restart from the point where it was interrupted.
Great accessibility to the operational part of the filter: fundamental for the easy control and prevention of faults which in completely closed machines are seen always too late.
Automation of DIATOM 6.
This “filtration system” speaks for itself and is the best expression of our innovative technology in the field:
The control of all functions, from the beginning to the end of the filtration process, without exceeding in sophistication of automation, and without losing sight of ensuring the maximum convenience in everyday use.
The work cycle can be freely programmed by the operator with a manual control or fully automatic.
The Diatom 6 system, supplemented by a further computer module and a series of components, allows the filtration process management in an automatic manner and with the direct control of all the parameters that influence it, furthermore it allows the acquisition and storage of parameters, a function which today is increasingly crucial to check, also after several days, the parameters set by the operator, for both batch traceability, as well as historical research, even after several years, to see what were the parameters which had been set for similar oils.
DIATOM 6 is designed and constructed with components which allow to reduce to a minimum the turbulences and the “stress” that the oil can be subjected to during the filtration process.
This aspect has always been one of our specialities which over the years has brought us to a position of leadership in the treatment of a product such as edible oil which is extremely delicate and very sensitive to temperature and pressure.
The first machine built for the filtration of olive oil dates back to 1958, in recent years the design has evolved to account for the ongoing and new experiences, improving and integrating with innovative filtration and construction techniques.
Today we are able to offer not only a filter, but a real “filtration system” designed specifically to achieve the automation of all basic functions: from the preparation of the machine (precoat) to filtration and the discharge of the exhausted diatomaceous earth at the end of the cycle.
