Fresh fruit bunch handling may look like a relatively simple part of a palm oil mill, but in actual operation, the conveyor system has a direct impact on how smoothly the whole production line runs.
In a recent African palm oil mill project, our team at VORTECH supplied a customized Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyor for transporting Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB). The conveyor was designed for a handling capacity of more than 100 TPH and needed to operate continuously under the hot and humid conditions commonly found in palm oil mills.
For this project, our main concern was not simply making the conveyor larger. We needed to make sure its capacity, dimensions, drive system, and installation arrangement could match the customer’s actual palm oil processing line.
Project Background
The customer needed to upgrade the FFB handling section of the palm oil mill.
At this stage of palm oil processing, large quantities of fresh fruit bunches need to be transferred continuously between different processing areas. If the conveyor capacity is too low or the feeding is unstable, FFB can accumulate at one section while downstream equipment is waiting for material.
This is something we pay particular attention to when designing palm oil mill conveyor systems.
After discussing the required processing capacity and installation conditions with the customer, we proposed a heavy-duty Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyor suitable for continuous FFB transportation.
Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyor Specifications
The main specifications of the conveyor supplied for this project were:
| Specification | Project Configuration |
| Equipment | Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyor |
| Material | Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) |
| Conveying Capacity | ≥100 TPH |
| Scraper Width | 1050 mm |
| Conveyor Length | 38 m |
| Drive Motor | 22 kW |
| Application | Palm Oil Mill |
A conveyor length of 38 meters meant that equipment stability and structural strength had to be considered carefully.
At the same time, the 1050 mm scraper width was selected to provide enough conveying space for the required FFB throughput without making the conveying section unnecessarily large.
What We Considered When Designing the FFB Conveyor
When we design an FFB conveyor for a palm oil mill, conveying capacity is only one of the parameters.
Additionally, we must comprehend how the conveyor will function on the job site.
FFB Handling Capacity
The first requirement from the customer was clear: the conveyor needed to handle more than 100 tons of fresh fruit bunches per hour.
For this type of application, we do not recommend selecting the conveyor simply according to the average production capacity of the mill.
Fresh fruit bunches do not always enter the conveyor at a perfectly uniform rate. During unloading and feeding, there can be short periods with much heavier material flow.
For this reason, sufficient conveying capacity is important for preventing excessive FFB accumulation around the feeding section.
Conveyor Length and Plant Layout
This project required a conveyor approximately 38 meters long.
With a conveyor of this length, we need to consider more than the distance between the feeding and discharge points. The supporting structure, drive arrangement, chain operation, maintenance access, and installation space all affect the final design.
Before confirming the equipment configuration, our engineers reviewed how the conveyor would connect with the customer’s existing processing sections.
This helps avoid a common problem in palm oil mill projects: the individual machine has enough capacity, but the feeding or discharge position does not match the rest of the line.
Heavy and Irregular Fresh Fruit Bunches
FFB is quite different from handling grain, powder, or other relatively uniform materials.
Palm fruit bunches are large, irregular in shape, and heavy. They can overlap or accumulate unevenly during transportation.
Because of this, the conveyor structure needs to be robust enough for repeated impact and continuous loading.
The scraper and chain system must also maintain stable movement when the material distribution inside the conveyor is not completely uniform.
Why We Used a Scraper Conveyor for This Project
For this application, a Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyor was suitable because it can move large quantities of FFB continuously while keeping the conveying route relatively controlled.
The scraper system moves the fresh fruit bunches along the conveyor section and provides consistent material transfer toward the next stage of the palm oil processing line.
For the customer, the main requirements were:
- Continuous transportation of large quantities of FFB
- Stable feeding to downstream equipment
- Reduced dependence on manual fruit handling
- Reliable operation during long production periods
- A structure suitable for the palm oil mill environment
The conveyor was therefore designed around the production conditions of this particular plant rather than using a completely standard configuration.
22 kW Drive System for Continuous Operation
The conveyor supplied for the project uses a 22 kW drive motor.
Motor selection for an FFB conveyor needs to take into account the conveyor length, material load, operating resistance, starting conditions, and required conveying capacity.
Simply installing a larger motor is not always the best solution.
The drive system, chain, scraper structure, transmission components, and conveyor body need to work as one system. If these components are not properly matched, increasing motor power alone does not solve the underlying mechanical problem.
For this project, the drive configuration was selected to support the required 100+ TPH FFB conveying capacity while maintaining stable continuous operation.
Designed for African Palm Oil Mill Conditions
Another point we considered was the operating environment.
Palm oil mills in Africa often operate in areas with relatively high temperatures and humidity. Equipment may also be exposed to palm fruit residues, oil, moisture, and dust during daily production.
These conditions influence equipment selection and maintenance.
For the scraper conveyor, we focused on:
- Structural strength
- Reliable chain and scraper operation
- Stable drive performance
- Easy access to maintenance areas
- Suitability for continuous production
- Practical maintenance under mill conditions
From our experience, a conveyor that is difficult to inspect or maintain can become a problem even if its initial performance is good.
For that reason, maintainability is always part of our equipment design discussion with the customer.
Matching the Conveyor with the Palm Oil Processing Line
One point we often discuss with customers is that an FFB conveyor should not be selected as an independent machine.
Its capacity needs to match the equipment before and after it.
In a palm oil mill, FFB handling can involve several stages, including receiving, temporary storage, loading, sterilization, and further processing. If one section has much lower handling capacity than the others, it can become the bottleneck of the entire line.
When designing this project, we therefore considered the customer’s required processing capacity together with the conveyor’s feeding and discharge arrangement.
The objective was straightforward: keep fresh fruit bunches moving continuously without creating unnecessary accumulation between processing sections.
Customized Palm Oil Mill Conveyor Design
There is no single conveyor size that works for every palm oil mill.
Even two mills with the same production capacity can require very different conveyor configurations because their plant layouts, feeding methods, installation heights, and processing equipment are different.
For VORTECH projects, we normally confirm several basic parameters before recommending an FFB conveyor:
- Required FFB handling capacity
- Conveyor length
- Conveyor width
- Feeding position
- Discharge position
- Installation height
- Plant layout
- Operating hours
- Connection with upstream equipment
- Connection with downstream equipment
These details allow us to determine whether a standard configuration is suitable or whether the Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyor needs to be customized.
Project Delivery
For this African palm oil mill project, the completed conveyor was manufactured according to the confirmed technical parameters and prepared for integration into the customer’s FFB handling system.
The final configuration included a 38 m conveyor length, 1050 mm scraper width, 22 kW drive motor, and conveying capacity of at least 100 TPH.
For our engineering team, the important point of the project was ensuring that these parameters worked together as a complete conveying system rather than treating each specification separately.
A reliable FFB handling system provides a stable connection between different sections of the palm oil mill and helps the downstream processing equipment receive material more consistently.
VORTECH Palm Oil Processing Equipment
At VORTECH, we provide both individual equipment and integrated palm oil processing solutions.
Our equipment for palm oil projects includes:
- Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyors
- FFB Conveyor Systems
- Palm Oil Press Equipment
- CPO Filtration Systems
- Palm Kernel Recovery Equipment
- Material Handling Systems
- Complete Palm Oil Mill Equipment
For conveyor projects, we can customize the equipment according to production capacity, plant dimensions, material transfer distance, and the layout of the existing palm oil mill.
Planning an FFB Conveyor for Your Palm Oil Mill?
If you are selecting an FFB conveyor system, the required TPH is a good starting point, but it is not enough to determine the complete conveyor design.
From an engineering perspective, we would also want to know the conveying distance, feeding height, discharge position, plant layout, daily operating hours, and the equipment connected before and after the conveyor.
Providing these details at the beginning of the project helps us recommend a more practical Palm Fruit Scraper Conveyor configuration and reduces the need for changes during installation.
