Cocoa Butter Extraction Plant

The process begins in the kettle of the screw press, where cocoa nibs are conditioned using steam at controlled temperatures — typically between 80°C and 110°C. This thermal treatment serves a precise purpose: it softens the cellular matrix of the nib, reduces the viscosity of the cocoa butter within, and significantly improves extraction yield.

Conditioning is not a step to rush. Temperature control here directly determines efficiency at the press.

Our expellers are engineered specifically for cocoa applications. Under optimal conditions, they achieve cocoa butter extraction in the range of 40 to 45%, with residual oil in the pressed cake kept to approximately 10 to 12%. That pressed cake is not a byproduct to discard — once cooled, crushed, and pulverized, it becomes cocoa powder, a high-value commodity with strong demand across the food, beverage, and confectionery industries.

Crude cocoa butter leaving the press carries suspended solids, industry-referred to as foots. These coarse impurities must be addressed before the butter moves further down the line.

This is the role of the Vibro-Separator. It performs pre-filtration — removing the bulk of solid contaminants and protecting downstream filtration equipment from unnecessary load.

Pre-cleaned butter is then passed through a Filter Press or optionally a Vertical Pressure Leaf Filter (VPLF) to remove fine particles and achieve a high degree of purity. The result is clear, hygienic cocoa butter ready for storage or further refining.

Bucket Elevators handle vertical lifting of dry materials such as cocoa nibs and cocoa cake, using enclosed belt or chain buckets for dust-free, gentle handling.

Screw Conveyors move materials between processing stages with food-grade stainless steel options for butter-contact parts — meeting international hygiene standards. Both are available in mild steel (MS) and stainless steel (SS) construction.

Each plant includes a custom-built control panel with user-friendly controls, safety interlocks, and overload protection. Panels are configured to your plant layout and are available for automatic or semi-automatic operation.