Hey guys, so like title says. I’m meeting with a manufacturer tomorrow about putting together an ethanol extractor. Now I’m not 100% noob, I’ve seen both the Delta Cup 15 and the Ethos in action, and had their reps explain the A-Z process to me. However I’m not an expert by any means.
What kind of questions should I be asking? What should I be looking for? I would appreciate any help and tips you guys are willing to give. This extractor won’t be peer reviewed because it’s “for R&D purposes”. However, I would still like the performance to be something that future4200 members would be impressed with.
Not to be a dick, but isn’t that what you should have prepared prior to scheduling a meeting with this manufacturer? There are thousands of manufacturers that will hear you out and quote you as soon as you have your requirements ready.
I’ll recommend something I’ve seen said around here - the “buy a clue” option. The more info you prepare on your end (end product requirements, power consumption capabilities, available workspace, previous experiences, description of necessary automation or number of employees available, etc), the less time your consultant has to work, which obviously means money saved. I’m sure you can find a decent consultant on the matter through this forum. I’d consider, but don’t have the time right now anyways.
Are they solely a stainless steel fabrication shop? Or are they also doing your electrical, software, etc?
I’m no expert either, but one point that comes to my mind right away would be to ask about the relative centrifugal force (RFC) of a design. The exact number you want is hashed out pretty thoroughly in the Salad Spinner Washing Machine thread, but off the top of my head I think it was a figure at least over 1,000 being ideal. The last thing you want is a fuge that’s only as efficient as a Hobart for drying your biomass.
The company I am going to is not just a random steel fabrication shop. They already currently make ethanol extractors. So I don’t need to go into there and draw out the wheel for them on paper.
What I am trying to ask is, when these people put an Ethol extractor in front of me, what should I be looking for? And any red flags to watch out for etc?
Hey Batch, @hambread 's comment still applies. There are quite a few variables like high and low temp ratings, pressure rating, what type of filtration is included if at all, how solvent is moved from solvent tank to the system through filtration, what type of cooling is required/provided, the electrical requirements, ethanol return, runs/hr/day, total load capacity (volume and mass), Total time required to pre chill the system, how ethanol is chilled, how ethanol is recycled… tons of questions to ask, tons. The answers you are looking for will depend on your SOP’s and desired end product.
Red flags: Absurd processing capacities that outstrip your Ethanol storage capacity (contact your local Fire Department), non- PE approved/UL listed (just because its for R&D dose not mean it shouldn’t be peer reviewed), no jacket, shitty welding, no sanitary finished…
The person making the equipment decisions should have experience purchasing similar manufacturing/extraction equipment, extraction experience, operations experience, an in-depth understanding of the SOP’s/desired end product, buildout design/plans experience, budgeting, production/growth time line and so on.
The fact that you won’t say who the prospective seller/manufacturer is a huge red flag, do they have a good reputation with extractors or have they ripped people off? If you tell us who they are we might be able to offer more insight than if you keep their identity concealed.
Also, more details on what you are trying to accomplish would be good, are you wanting to extract hemp or MJ? How many lbs/day/week/month/year are you aiming for? Whats your desired end product? There’s a lot of knowledgable people on this forum, but none to my knowledge that are psychic.
