Hi, I was hoping you would chime in. I have read many of your older posts on CXE. I agree with everything you wrote about Vitalis and CXE.
Not to bash Vitalis, but I knew they were questionable when speaking with a sales rep. I believe they do run CO2 at lower pressure for CXE; however, when I inquired about using CO2 as an antisolvent, as you have described previously, he was clueless. Vitalis doesn’t understand why using EoTH as the primary solvent and CO2 as the secondary solvent is useful. And regardless, their Q-series systems cannot operate with CO2 as a secondary (anti) solvent.
I asked him to compare their Q-series to the Azoth Xact Xtract for CXE, and I kid you not, he was like:
He said he doesn’t know of anyone using Azoth. And condescendingly said Azoth started as a laundry machine (or dishwasher?) manufacturer - like that even matters to me . . .
Care to jump on a call for a chat early next week? I’m pretty sold on sticking with a chilled ethanol centrifuge as the workhorse, but I’m no expert, and I have an open mind. So I’d like to hear what you have to say.
This industry is evolving, and if companies refuse to work with clients to provide them well functioning systems, and clear/easy lines of communication they are just shooting themselves in the foot to less sales/return customers.
Customer service is key; your customer is always correct, even when you don’t think so.
Either change your business practices or you will see yourself fall in this market.
Being on the forefront of technology Innovation is key to providing your customers with great products that no one else can compete with.
That’s one of the reasons we don’t stock a warehouse full of equipment.
We are always designing new renditions of already proven devices.
Who wants to buy last year’s model?
Or even last quarters model?
Auto manufacturers do not keep stock of older models, and price values depreciate quarterly, for last year’s models.
Innovation is the key to survival.
If your business practices are not built on the above mantra, you will sadly most likely sink.
I can have my machine shop retrofit caps/fittings using a lathe/mill, and can TIG on new compression fittings; we can also recertify systems with new Bill of Material’s/drawings, with our PE.
This is somewhat costly though, as we need to take the time to redraw (in autocad) the system to the new assembly configuration, and create the BoM’s.
Better than trying to sell a used system and buying a new CLS.
You’re kinda kinda SOL if you have a precision system, at this point, either way…
People need to trust true/real engineers more. Not fall for gimmick marketing tactics.
I just had an inquiry from a client to source a 5 lb extraction unit and small C1D1 booth 2 days ago.
I emailed with Kevin at Precision and Kyle at BZB and Cole at ETS and they sent me over end to end pricing on their 2nd or 3rd reply and I have the info I need to present to the client for them to make a decision based on lead times and CAPEX.
I would love to include include your equipment in the proposal because @Cassin speaks so highly.
Please drop a ballpark figure on:
5lb extraction unit
Recommend heater/chiller/line sets/thermofluid
Smallest C1D1 that fits said unit
Any delivery or install fees.
You can email all this to standardoilconsulting@gmail.com but I’m just gonna post the info in this thread so you might as well post it here.
This is a serious inquiry (so was the one from my associate) so please don’t let your “standard intake process” cost you another sale because honestly ets sucks and so does precision and bzb is kind of expensive so you have an actual opportunity to make a sale and inform other people about your product offerings here
It’s amazing how many companies survive while making it so incredibly hard to give them money.
“I’d like to give you money, please tell my how much to give you and I’ll wire it to you.”
[one to three weeks pass]
‘Ok, so you’re going to need to fill out this NDA and intake form, then we will review it, then you will have a call with a support member, then we will review what you’ve given us, then we will possibly allow you to access pricing information.’
Sorry, I already bought something from your competitor three days after I tried to first give you money. It’s possibly an inferior product in some way, and possibly even more expensive, but I could go to their website and give them payment details and they shipped it.
If I’m building/specifying a clean sheet facility, sure I can call for quote. Otherwise, most of my work is done well outside normal business operating hours on my continent, and I’m not wasting time waiting for the bullshit quote dance.
With 2 days of no response I am going to assume that @MACHTechologies.Luke has no intention of listing prices and is not interested in making a sale for his employer. This is the 2nd instance of this I have seen from him and one would have to imagine there is plenty more.
Someone should hit up the owner of Mach ( does anyone know who this is?)and let him know he has a guy costing him revenue and making his company look very unprofessional and not on the same playing field as their competitors. Not a good business model for the startup.
Looks like my client will be giving their money to BZB, people that can be bothered to give a price for shit they are selling.
If anyone had old Eden’s, or MRX’s sitting around they are currently the best for CXE modification. There are design details that make or break CXE conversion and they have the best designs for super clean CXE runs.
I’ve worked with Luke a lot - he’s been pretty awesome and responsive to me. Perhaps he’s just not an active Future person? I poked him and he responded to my text and email in about 15 minutes…
I been posting my cryo-etoh setup on IG. Its doing a damn good job right now. And that FSO smells amazing - vast improvement over my previous etoh system that didn’t start out freezing and needed like double winterization. X.x
I agree. @MACHTechologies.Luke has been very responsive to my emails and texts as I have learned about and priced different mfg cryo-EtOH and LPG systems. Super nice guy and knowledgeable too. Their pressurized liquid N2 solventless terpene extraction system has me quite intrigued, especially if it can do as claimed: water-clear terpenes.
My 2cents: I’d rather have forward progress than not, even if that means adjusting my expectations. I get that many ppl in this thread don’t like how MACH interacts with potential customers. I’m just sitting on the fence and speaking with a few mfgs in the background.
Did you buy a system from MACH? Or are you still running the Precision system?
Before I met Luke - I had just bought a full scale TruSteel system, including a Precision C-15. I’m running it every day and once we had the kinks worked out its a dream. One person - smooth sailing, beautiful amazing smelly FSO.
Luke had a smaller footprint, on a faster timeline, for a cheaper price. I’ve seen his machine run two different times and wish I had it. I wish I had space for the terpene still they developed - I remember seeing it behind the curtain in Port Huron here in Michigan. Wow is it a beauty. I’m still using short path steam distillation for my terps or buying them from CO2 extractors.
I’m not unhappy with the one I have - but the next one will be made right here in Michigan. The tanks I have are from China - some of the welds are already rusting, the fittings are not all the right size, so we have had to tool out some of our clamps, which is TERRIBLE.
The AV-15 was as advertised. The C-15 gets cold but nearly pulls the pipes out of the wall from the chiller hoses connected to it, so we can only run it at half speed.
The instacool is a resounding disappointment - I have to run the ethanol through it 3 times to get it cold enough. So instead of 10-15 minutes its taking almost 40 to make that work. It ices up like a real bitch as well - and they have NO SOLUTION for that. The system is functional but not ideal. Losing equipment up time due to engineering problems - its physically impossible to insulate the machine, which has -50C coolant coming to it and legit becomes a block of ice by the end of the day, so we have to thaw it out and mop it all the time.
Everything else in my facility is fully insulated - but not this thing. And it where the control panel is… feels like that is waiting on disaster.
But again - it is functional - producing FSO every day. And the AV-15 runs better than advertised which is awesome. We’re getting excellent alcohol recovery in minutes instead of hours, you know?
Its forming on the welds for the connecting ports. I did a passivation on it already, did not help - its a poor weld. It happens sometimes and I’ll keep checking on it. It needs to be buffed down and passivated again - but its a rated tank, with a jacket, without an access port to get to it. So to fix it I’ll have to cut the top off. x.X such is life. Wouldn’t get that kind of mess from a US tank, IMO. It definitely doesn’t meet 3A which is sad, cause it should. You know?
For reals though - getting systems purring even if they are not purrfect is part of the job. Been commissioning equipment and system for almost 15 years now. If everything worked just fine, why would they need me?
@Ralf In Vitalis’ extractions with CIS (Co-Solvent Injection System) or Gen 2 dual solvent systems the terpene extraction is done mono-solvent with co2 only first, then the bulk cannabinoid extraction is done with dual-solvents. Let me know if you would like any more info…sorry to hear you had a less than positive experience with someone previously…let me know if you would like to give a convo another shot.
