Extracting Potential:

Development of Moringa Seed Oil Press

Adam Klauer
Adrian Lau
Betsy Miller
Hunter Sulovski
ENGR 493
14 December 2015

ABSTRACT
The Moringa Seed Press Team was tasked with developing a cheap, effective way of
extracting oil from the moringa seeds. The oil obtained from extraction is valuable and rich in
nutrients, and it has countless uses, from cooking to beauty products to machine lubricants.
Several design concepts were generated, and ultimately the team decided on a design where the
seeds are pressed using a thread bar and plunger mechanism. The press is used by filling a PVC
tube with the seeds and turning a handle attached to the thread bar and plunger in order to press
the seeds against the capped end of the PVC pipe. The pressure exerted on the seeds causes the
oil to be squeezed out and exit through a tap at the bottom of the press, and the leftover seed cake
is then able to be removed. Future testing and prototype iterations are required in order to ensure
the success and efficiency of the press.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT . 1
1.

2.

3.

INTRODUCTION 3
1.1

BACKGROUND .. 3

1.2

PROBLEM STATEMENT ... 4

1.3

MISSION, VISION, VALUES, STRATEGY .. 4

PROCESS .. 5
2.1

BENCHMARKING ... 5

2.2

CONCEPT GENERATION AND SELECTION .. 6

2.3

MATERIALS . 7

2.4

CONSTRUCTION OF PROTOTYPE .. 8

2.5

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE . 10

CONCLUSION 11
3.1

TESTING . 11

3.2

DISCUSSION .. 11

3.3

FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS 12

4.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 13

5.

REFERENCES 13

1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1

BACKGROUND

Moringa oleifera is a heat-loving, nutrient-dense plant that has earned the nickname, the
miracle tree. The moringa tree grows mainly in semi-arid, tropical, and subtropical areas, and it
is widely cultivated in Africa, Central and South America, and Sub-Himalayan areas, many of
which have high rates of malnourishment (MORINGA). This tree not only thrives in difficult
environments but also possesses a variety of vitamins, minerals, and proteins with significant
benefits for humans. Considered one of the worlds most useful trees, the moringa tree can be
cultivated for its leaves, roots, bark, and seeds (Moringa Oleifera).

Figure 1: Countries where Moringa grows naturally (highlighted in green).

(Image: www.treesforlife.org)
While the moringa leaves are the most commonly used part of the plant for consumption,
the oil that can be extracted from the seeds has significant nutritious value. The seeds contain
high levels of vitamin A and C and moderate amounts of B vitamins and dietary minerals. The
seeds are a good source of protein, dietary fiber, antioxidants, beta-carotene, and phenolics
(Moringa Oleifera).
Mature seeds yield 3840% seed oil which is commonly called ben oil due to its high
concentration of behenic acid. The refined oil is clear and odorless and resists rancidity. This oil
can be used in cooking, beauty and hair products, and machine lubricants, while the seed cake
remaining after oil extraction can be used as a fertilizer or a means for water purification.
Moringa seed oil is used as a supplement for anemia, arthritis, hysteria, scurvy, prostate
problems, bladder troubles, heart issues, and various infections(Attard). Moringa seeds are rich
in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid which may help protect against cancer, and

researchers also have discovered that extracts from the moringa seeds have antibacterial effects
(Purohit). With all of these benefits, moringa seeds and their oil have great potential to improve
the health and economic wellbeing of those who cultivate them.
1.2

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Current methods of seed oil processing are not economically feasible to small moringa
farmers in developing countries. Moringa farmers are in need of a cheaper and more effective
way to extract the moringa seed oil and harvest the leftover seed cake in order to take full
advantage of the seeds versatility.
1.3

MISSION, VISION, VALUES, STRATEGY

Mission: To provide an engineering solution for third world rural communities to take full
advantage of the versatility of moringa seeds.
Vision: To sustainably improve the health and economies of impoverished rural communities
while increasing recognition of moringa seeds value locally and globally.
Value: The team values the physical health, economic welfare, and autonomy of its customers
and strives to provide them with a greater quality of life while maintaining integrity and
advancing professional development.
Strategy: The team plans to uphold its values and bring its mission and vision to fruition by
utilizing the engineering design process. To achieve its project goals, the team plans to meet
regularly on a weekly basis to discuss, divide up, and assign responsibilities to members for
completion. The construction and maintenance of a Gantt chart helps to track and guide the
design process and project the future progress. The team plans to research and brainstorm to
generate a concept design to fulfill the teams goals. With the chosen concepts, the teams
strategy is to develop prototypes and constantly reassess progress. The strategy also focuses upon
keeping the customers in mind, and the team plans to consider factors such as cost of materials,
ease of use, and efficiency to determine the improvements that can be made to create a press that
suits the target audience.

2.

PROCESS

2.1

BENCHMARKING

Aiding in the design of the press was the relatively large precedent for researchers
studying the moringa seed. This guided the project as they provided sources for valuable
research, and gave a view of practical hands-on experience with the plant. One such project was
an MIT research paper that outlined a design for a machine for oil extraction based on the classic
Bielenberg press design, which is shown below in Figure 2. This design is a manually operated
mechanical press that separates the oil from the cake, but it is laborious, time-consuming, and
requires pre- and post-processes. Along with discussing the press, the MIT project discussed
pertinent topics such as seed oil reabsorption and oil content. From this data and oil yield
statistics, it was determined that 15% oil yield was an achievable goal, out of the 40% oil content
of the seed. This is a more than two times more the 6% yield-by-mass of methods currently used
in the target region, Kenya (Sabelli). Additional considerations were made regarding typical crop
per Kenyan moringa farmer, typical yield per crop, and availability of resources such as
electricity. As the scope of this project was focused on Kenya, it was decided that the press be
designed to be hand-operated, as there is not always a reliable source of power. All of these
factors and research materials were considered as the team moved into the concept generation
stage.

Figure 2: The Bielenberg press design that was tested by MIT researcher, Alessandra Sabelli.
(Image:http://jatropha.pro/PDF%20bestanden/Evaluation%20of%20commenly%20used%20oil%20ram%2
0press%20machines.pdf)

2.2

CONCEPT GENERATION AND SELECTION

Lever Plunger
Concept

Importance
1
3
4
6
5
2

Mortar & Pestle

Concept

Metrics
Ability to extract oil
Ability to keep seed cake separate
Ease of use
Weight
Cost
Ease of Production
TOTAL

Press Concept

Concepts for the seed press were first developed by team members individually, and then
all concepts were shared, discussed, and narrowed down. In the first round of concept selection,
three concepts were selected for further consideration. One concept consisted of a plate upon
which moringa seeds would be poured with a plate above that would be clamped down to
squeeze the seeds. Oil would escape through small holes in the plate, and after the top plate was
lifted, a scraper would be used to horizontally push the leftover cake into a tray. Another concept
was a mechanized mortar and pestle with ridged plates to crush the seeds, and it would be
dimensioned to retrofit an everyday five gallon bucket. The third concept consisted of a press
that would utilize a long lever to push seeds down a long tube via a plunger and a removable
bottom cap to take out the cake.
The final concept that was selected for moving forward was a variation of the lever
plunger press concept, and the criteria used for selection included ability to extract oil, ability to
keep seed cake separate, ease of use, weight, cost, and ease of production. The metrics were
ranked based on importance, one being the most important and six being the least important. The
three concepts were then ranked based on how well they would satisfy the criteria, one being the
best and three being the worst. Scores were determined by multiplying each concepts rank for a
given metric by the rank of that metrics importance and taking the sum of the products. The
concept with the lowest score won, which was the lever plunger concept.

3
1
1
2
2
2
36

2
3
1
3
3
3
54

1
2
2
1
1
1
28

Table 1: Concept Screening Matrix and winning concept.

2.3

MATERIALS

The following materials were obtained from Home Depot and utilized in the construction of the
prototype. Total cost was within the desired $50 budget.

PVC pipe (2 in. by 12 in.)

Two PVC caps
16 in. length of inch stainless steel thread bar
Petcock valve
Set screws
Aluminum for the plunger, cap, handle, and screen*

*In the future, the aluminum parts will be replaced with plastic injection molded parts, which
will make the press much less expensive.

Figure 3: Materials utilized for building the prototype.

2.4

CONSTRUCTION OF PROTOTYPE

The first prototype was constructed in the Learning Factory machine shop on Penn
States campus. This allowed for the production of billet aluminum parts machined to tolerances
within a thousandth of an inch. The metal lathe and Bridgeport mill were used in the production
of all aluminum parts. A block of 6x5x4 aluminum, shown in the first image of Figure 4, was
used to provide all the material for the machined components of the project. This aluminum
yielded the thread bar handle, the screen, the top cap, and the plunger.
The process for constructing the top cap and the plunger consisted of first using the
horizontal band saw to cut a blank out of the aluminum. This was used to make a block roughly
the size of the final part. As shown in the second image of Figure 4, the metal lathe was then
used to turn these parts round, a process which took more than 250 passes of the lathe for each of
these parts. Once these parts were turned round, similar processes were used to dimension the
parts to their final size. For the top cap this included using the boring bar to shell the piece to a
thickness of .3 inches. The plunger and the top cap lid were center-drilled and tapped to inch,
and concentric counter bored holes were drilled in both the lid and the base, to facilitate the
machine screws that hold the lid onto the base of the top cap. This design allows the prototype to
be fully disassembled. Three tapped holes were played equidistantly around the top cap to allow
set screws which would hold the cap to the PVC tube. The inch threaded bar was cut to length
and the thread ends were ground smooth. The final plunger and threaded bar are pictured in the
third image in Figure 4.

Figure 4: The aluminum block, plunger in the making, and final plunger.
The screen, shown in the first image of Figure 5, was manufactured by cutting a roughly
sized piece of aluminum on the vertical band saw. This block, approximately 1.5x1.5x.75 inches,

was then trued on the Bridgeport mill and dimensioned to fit snugly in the threaded PVC cap.
Holes were routed on each of the four sides to allow oil to pass through the screen while
blocking the seed pulp.
The handle, pictured in the second image of Figure 5, was produced using a similar
procedure. A roughly 3x2x1 inch block was cut into the necessary T shape on the vertical band
saw. It was squared and dimensioned using the Bridgeport mill and a hole was drilled through
the length of the top of the T to allow the L shaped rod to be attached. This rod was then secured
by set screws tapped into the T piece. A inch threaded recess was then drilled into the upright
of the T, to allow it to attach securely to the thread bar.
The assembly started by cutting the piece of 2 inch diameter PVC to a length of 12
inches. PVC primer and glue was then used to attach the threaded collar, which allows the
threaded cap to be used. An appropriately sized hole was drilled and the petcock valve was
threaded into the bottom of the PVC cap. The screen was then pressed securely into the top of
the cap. The other machined components were then assembled, threading the bar through the top
cap and threading the handle and plunger onto their respective sides of the top cap.
The plunger assembly was placed over the PVC assembly and set screws were inserted
through the top cap, holding the two assemblies together, and completing construction of the
press. The final prototype is shown in the third image of Figure 5.

Figure 5: The screen, handle, and final prototype.

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2.5

OPERATION PROCEDURE

When using the prototype, the bottom PVC is unscrewed from the pipe, as shown in Step
1, and the plunger is screwed to the top position to allow room for seeds in the chamber. Moringa
seeds are then inserted through the bottom opening in Step 2, and the cap is screwed tightly back
onto the pipe in Step 3. The petcock valve is turned to the open position to allow oil to exit in
Step 4, and the handle is then turned clockwise until oil is yielded in Step 5. Once the seeds have
been sufficiently pressed, the bottom cap is removed and the plunger is turned to the bottom
position to remove the excess cake, as demonstrated in Step 6.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Figure 6: Steps of operational procedure.

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3.

CONCLUSION

3.1

TESTING

This process was tested three times with three different materials--moringa seeds,
cashews, and peanuts. In Trial 1, 50 moringa seeds, the equivalent of 11 grams, were inserted
and pressed. No oil exited the tap, although the seeds were observed to be slightly moist after
pressing them. In Trial 2, 50 grams of cashews were used to test the press. Once again, no oil
exited the tap, but the cashews were crushed and oily. In Trial 3, 200 grams of peanuts were
poured into the chamber, with the intention of seeing if a greater amount of nuts or seeds would
impact the outcome. The tap still released no oil, but the peanuts were observed to be very oily.

Trial 1Moringa Seeds

Trial 2--Cashews

Trial 3--Peanuts

Figure 7: Results of testing.

3.2

DISCUSSION

After developing and building the Moringa Seed Press, the team decided that the design
was not viable. The press does not extract oil from the seeds and is therefore not practical.
Although the press is not successful in extracting oil from the seeds it is a well-built creative
design that has one positive product, a useable seed cake. There are a few reasons that the
Moringa Seed Press did not work. The most apparent reason was the quality of the seeds.
moringa seeds are grown in arid environments, primarily in Africa and because of this, it is
difficult to obtain fresh moringa seeds in State College, Pennsylvania. The seeds that were tested
were acquired during a trip to Kenya by Penn State researchers and were over a year old. The
age of the seeds had a large impact on the oil content and greatly impacted the results of testing
the press. Given the design prompt of creating a cheap efficient means of oil extraction, the team
began research and found that there were many devices employing the same means of oil

12

extraction which all included an expensive worm gear. The team decided that cost was the most
important factor and created a design that was low cost, and easy to make. The design may have
been too simplified and cost efficient to be an effective means of oil extraction. By prioritizing
cost over effectiveness the final result was a design that worked exactly how envisioned but was
not effective in obtaining oil.
3.3

FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS

Before a conclusion on the effectiveness of the final design can be made, fresh moringa
seeds must be tested. The team believes that the major reason for the ineffectiveness of the press
was because of the quality of the seeds. Looking at Figure 5, when testing moringa seeds,
peanuts, and cashews, both the peanuts and cashews showed more oil when pressed into a cake
than the moringa seeds. This may show that if the seeds were fresh the press would have been an
effective means for oil extraction.
One problem that the design has is the effect of reabsorption. When the seeds are pressed,
the oil leaves the seeds but if any pressure is taken off of the seeds, the oil will be reabsorbed and
will not flow. Oil pressed from one seed can be easily reabsorbed by other seeds or the cake as a
whole. This is seen when the peanuts are pressed. In the peanut cake, oil is visible and the cake
as a whole seems wet. The press design leaves a lot of oil in the cake that leads to a low
extraction. In future designs, fresh seeds with a higher oil content must be tested and oil yield
calculated. If oil yield is much lower than expected, the press design can then be modified after
careful assessment of where it went wrong.
Once fresh seeds have been tested if the press is still not effective, changes must be made
to the design. One important factor in the design that was chosen was the importance of cost over
anything else. The team chose a target audience of rural farmers in Kenya which placed a huge
importance on making the press as cheap as possible. Focusing on the cost, a lot of plausible
designs were eliminated. In the future, a new design can be created with less of a focus on cost.
This design could be initially expensive but that is outweighed by the fact that it would be an
effective means for oil extraction. There is one difference that must be noted between our press
and a potential production mode. As a functional prototype, our press uses several one-off
machined aluminum components. In future versions, these would be proprietary injection
molded plastics, which would allow the production of ideal parts and keep the cost below the
fifty dollar benchmark. Once an effective press is produced, further iterations of this press could
be made with the main focus being on cutting cost. It is more plausable to produce an effective
press then worry about cost than to create a cheap press then worry about effectiveness.

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4.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Our group would like to thank Erik and Adam for guidance on this project over the
course of the semester, Mike for providing us with the moringa seeds necessary for testing,
Mandy for helping us gather the materials for the prototype, and Emma for providing
information about Penn State moringa research.

5.

REFERENCES

Attard, Manuel. "Nutritional Value of Moringa Seeds." LIVESTRONG.COM.

LIVESTRONG.COM, 02 June 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2015.
<http://www.livestrong.com/article/461411-nutritional-value-of-moringa-seeds/>.
"Moringa Oleifera the Miracle Tree." Moringa Medicine, Health Benefits. Miracle Trees, n.d.
Web. 05 Dec. 2015. <http://miracletrees.org/moringa_medicine.html>.
"MORINGA: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD."WebMD. WebMD, n.d.
Web. 05 Dec. 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono1242-moringa.aspx?activeingredientid=1242&activeingredientname=moringa>.
Purohit, Et Al., Int J Res Pharm Sci 2015, 5(2) ; 12. "Moringa Oleifera : A Review of the
Medical Evidence for Its Nutritional and Pharmacological Properties." International
Journal of Research in Pharmacy and Science5.2 (2015): 12-15. Print.
<http://www.ijrpsonline.com/pdf/3029.pdf>
Sabelli, Alessandra Maria. "Design of a Press for Oil Extraction from Moringa Seeds for Haiti."
Thesis. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004. Design of a Press for Oil
Extraction from Moringa Seeds for Haiti. MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Web. Sept. 2015. <http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/32783/57582893MIT.pdf?sequence=2>