Argan Oil Processing Plants
An argan oil processing plant handles dried fruit and nuts, cracks the nuts for kernels, roasts them for culinary oil or leaves them raw for cosmetic oil, then cold presses and filters the oil.
Product Categories
- Herbal, Botanical & Nutraceutical Extraction(9)
- Essential Oils, Spices & Oleoresins(6)
- Fruit & Vegetable Processing(8)
- Starch, Flour, Edible Oil & Food Processing(7)
- Drying & Dehydration Systems(5)
- Evaporation, Concentration & Solvent Recovery(4)
- Pharmaceutical & Industrial Process Equipment(4)
- Cocoa, Shea, Palm Oil & Oilseed Processing(6)
- Cereals, Tubers & Sugar Processing(6)
- Specialty African Botanical & Natural Ingredients(11)
- Specialty Food, Beverage & By-Product Processing(7)
Talk to Kadali Africa Ventures
Send your raw material, product and capacity for a technical proposal.
Contact Kadali
Argan Oil Processing Plants
The tree grows in a limited arid range, so nut supply, collection and drying come before any equipment is sized. Capacity is counted in kilograms of kernels, and the slowest and most labour-heavy stage is usually breaking the hard nut and separating kernels from shell, so a buyer should decide how much of that stage is mechanised. The oil grade is settled at the kernel stage: unroasted kernels give cosmetic oil and mildly roasted kernels give culinary oil, and a line serving both needs a roaster that can be bypassed. Oxidation is the main quality risk, so kernel freshness and storage of the oil matter. Cold-pressed argan oil is purified only by settling and filtering, so the cleanliness of the kernels and the filter media carry more weight than in a line ending in a refinery.
Dried argan fruit is peeled to release the nut, and the hard nut is broken to free the kernels. Traditionally this cracking and grinding is slow hand labour, and the extraction literature describes mechanical peeling and press extraction, not a nut-cracking machine, so the cracking method is a point to settle explicitly. Kernels are sorted to remove shell fragments and spoiled kernels. For culinary oil they are roasted briefly before cold pressing; a mild roast develops the hazelnut flavour without damaging oxidative stability, while a harder roast lowers the natural tocopherols. For cosmetic oil the kernels are not roasted at all. A screw press, kept at low temperature, squeezes the oil out. The oil carries waxes and gums, so it is decanted and filtered, and cold-pressed grades normally stop there. The press cake is sun-dried and fed to livestock, and it may still hold a good share of oil, so pressing efficiency shows in the cake. Quality is judged by acidity, which sets the grade from extra-virgin downwards, peroxide value and ultraviolet extinction, with taste, smell and colour alongside.
Indicative Capacity Range
- 100–2,000 kg kernels/day
Key Specification Inputs
Kernel preparation, oil oxidation, pressing and filtration.
Technical Specifications
| Technology | Cold pressing of argan kernels, with settling and filtration |
|---|---|
| Working Principle | Dried fruit is peeled, nuts are cracked, kernels are roasted for culinary oil or left raw for cosmetic oil, and the oil is squeezed out at low temperature |
| Nut Breaking | Manual, semi-mechanical or machine cracking, which is a point to settle with the kernel supply in hand |
| Roasting | Optional batch roaster for culinary kernels, with a bypass for cosmetic kernels |
| Pressing | Screw press with temperature control, sized by kilograms of kernels per day |
| Clarification | Decanting or settling tanks followed by a filter press or plate filter |
| Refining | Not normally used for cold-pressed grades; an optional stage only where a buyer specifies it |
| Contact Material | Food-grade stainless steel for kernel, oil and filter surfaces |
| Quality Tests | Acidity, peroxide value and ultraviolet extinction, which place the oil in a grade |
| Packing | Opaque or dark containers filled with little air |
| Utilities | Electric power for the press and roaster, compressed air and a route for press cake and shell |
Typical Process Route
Fruit and nut intake
Sun-dried fruit and nuts are received, checked for mould, dampness and foreign matter, and logged by lot. Tracing each lot from collection to press is easier to set up at intake than later.
Dehulling and nut cracking
The dry fruit flesh is removed, usually by a mechanical peeler, and the hard nut is broken open. This is the labour-heavy stage; which parts are done by machine and which by hand fixes the staffing.
Kernel sorting and conditioning
Kernels are separated from shell fragments and discoloured or rancid kernels are removed. Shell left in the feed wears the press and flavours the oil.
Roasting for culinary oil only
Kernels for food oil are roasted briefly and mildly, then cooled. Cosmetic-grade kernels skip this step, so the roaster should be bypassable and the two lots kept apart.
Cold pressing
A screw press squeezes the kernels at controlled low temperature. Heat in the press raises oxidation and spoils the flavour, so barrel temperature and throughput are the controls.
Settling and filtration
Pressed oil rests in tanks and is filtered to remove waxes, gums and fine solids. Filter media quality and change frequency decide clarity.
Refining only where specified
Cold-pressed culinary and cosmetic oil are not normally refined. Any further treatment should be named in the specification with its reason.
Storage and packing
Filtered oil is held cool and dark in food-grade tanks and filled into opaque or dark containers with little air. Light, heat and air drive oxidation.
Process & Equipment Modules
- Fruit intake and cleaning screen
- Dehulling or peeling unit
- Nut cracker or hand-cracking stations
- Kernel sorting table and aspirator
- Batch kernel roaster, with bypass
- Kernel cooler
- Screw press for cold pressing
- Settling tanks
- Filter press or plate filter
- Food-grade oil storage tank
- Filling and capping line
- Press cake handling
Plant Output
Applications
- Culinary argan oil from roasted kernels for salads, bread dipping and finishing dishes
- Cosmetic argan oil from unroasted kernels for skin and hair products
- Bulk cosmetic oil sold to formulators and private-label brands
- Bottled oil for retail and gift packs
- Press cake as livestock feed
- Shells as fuel
Key Features
Roast Bypass for Two Grades
Cosmetic oil comes from unroasted kernels and culinary oil from mildly roasted kernels. A roaster that can be switched out lets one press serve both grades.
Cracking Decides Labour
The nut-breaking stage sets staffing and throughput. Be clear about the mix of machine and hand work before fixing plant capacity.
Cold Pressing With Temperature Control
Low-temperature pressing keeps the oil's flavour and natural antioxidants. Press temperature should be measured and logged.
Settling and Filtration Matter Most
Because the oil is not refined afterwards, kernel cleanliness and the filter system decide the clarity of the finished oil.
Oxidation Protection
Opaque storage and filling with little air protect oil that spoils mainly by oxidation.
Country Pages for Argan Oil Processing Plants
This product is listed on the pages of the countries below, each with its own enquiry route. Where Kadali has no office in a country, enquiries are handled from the Accra office.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information is needed to size Argan Oil Processing Plants?
What capacity range does Argan Oil Processing Plants cover?
Why is some argan oil sold for food and some for cosmetics?
How are the nuts cracked, and how much of that can be mechanised?
Which tests show whether argan oil is fresh and of good grade?
What does the filtration stage need to handle?
What happens to the press cake?
How do I request a proposal for Argan Oil Processing Plants?
Enquire about Argan Oil Processing Plants
Send your raw material, target product and capacity to Kadali Africa Ventures for a technical proposal.