Our Model KP-24 screw press has gained acceptance since its introduction in 2002. With a 24″ diameter screw, this is the now the second largest of the Series KP “soft squeeze” screw presses. The first machine was produced for rental to Lakeside Packaging, where it is currently used to dewater cornhusk and cob waste at a sweet corn cannery.

Design of the press reversed the normal procedure. It started by selecting the largest helical gear speed reducer offered by SEW-Eurodrive, the Model 157. A reduction ratio was selected that would allow an ample service (“safety”) factor. At the same time the possibility of switching to a larger motor, should it be required, was left open. Once this was done, the largest acceptable screw diameter was selected, which happened to be 24″.

Since then Vincent has standardized on Nord gearboxes, which allowed the development of the even larger Model KP-30.

The first KP-24 had a 40 hp motor, with a screw speed of 22 rpm. If necessary, the motor can be changed to 50 hp, still leaving adequate service factor. For applications requiring more residence time in the press, such as dewatering pectin peel between wash tanks, lower screw speeds and 20 hp motors are specified.

Vincent prefers to use standard American NEMA motors. On request we supply a European IEC motor instead. This eliminates the need for an adapter between the motor and the gearbox, significantly shortening the overall length of the unit.

At the time, other Series KP screw presses used a flat door at the cake discharge, actuated by a 4-bar mechanism. This proved disproportionately large in the KP-24, so a new design, using a conical door and a single air cylinder, was developed. The design worked out so well that it is now standard on all of the smaller Series KP screw presses.

The KP-24 screen was made of 3/32″ perforated stainless. This was a one-piece assembly which proved difficult to handle in the field. Today the screen is split in two halves, removable from the sides of the press. This has greatly facilitated maintenance.

All smaller Series KP presses have had a single resistor bar. However the relatively large diameter of the KP-24 has resulted in the use of two resistor bars. At the same time, the KP-24, as with the other KP’s, has three stages of compression. This, along with the high screw rpm, gave the high capacity, soft squeeze characteristic to the KP presses.

(Today low speed versions of the Series KP presses are finding increasing popularity because, in some applications, they can achieve the same performance as our longer, more expensive presses.)

ISSUE #124