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Intro: In-line NIR in Olive oil
Narrator: Olive oil production is rich in history and tradition but that doesn’t stop producers such as the San Francisco cooperative from making good use of modern technology. The company recently installed a new infrared analyser to measure the amount of oil remaining in the pomace after the first extraction. The system makes a test on the olive pomace every few seconds using a technology called near infrared transmittance. The results can be viewed on a computer screen giving the olive millers vital information about how much oil is still available after the first extraction.
React faster and control the process in real time
Javier Cabrera: The equipment feeds you some results, and based on the information you can get reference points because if you don’t really know the limitations of the machinery, you can’t do anything. You have it here, it’s an extra device. When it’s indicating something, you need to know how to correct it. If there are some parameters that need to be changed, if you have to add water, or remove some, it’s quite simple.
If the level of depletion is very high, it can be adjusted to improve this. You can see the answers. You can see the parameters, how it measures every 30 seconds, maybe after 5 minutes, you’ll see it fall, but until at least an hour of measurements, you won’t truly see if it is falling or not, but the parameters that notify you every 30 seconds will show you if you need to fix something.
Narrator: The ProFoss system from FOSS has been on trial at the mill for two months and with promising results.
Francisco Luis Nieto: The system, which is on-site, will give you a picture in the exact moment. It’s amazing how big the differences can be over a short period. It is different from getting random samples. This always gives you readings, every minute, every 30 seconds, always.
Narrator: The mill handles around 35 million kilos of olives every year, so there will be plenty of work for the infrared analysis system and lots of potential to squeeze more quality oil out of the production process.
Francisco: It makes it possible for you to react quickly in the exact moment that something happens, that a problem appears. Whatever the problem, now you can act on it in that very instant.
