Vincent presses are not used to squeeze the juice out of sugar cane. The presses that are used for this application are quite different: they consist of huge rollers that crush the cane between them, like immense steam rollers.

On the other hand, Vincent presses found service in two different sugar cane applications in 1995.

One application was part of a University of Florida project funded by the DOE. It involved an effort to reclaim the lands left from phosphate strip mining operations. Dr. Ashley Vincent, through Savant Vincent, the consulting firm that he heads, was retained for a portion of the project.

Four different varieties of sugar cane were grown on the reclaimed lands. These canes, complete with leaves and tassel, were harvested, shredded, and run through a Vincent VP-6 screw press. The inbound material was split roughly 50/50 into press cake and press liquor. It was hoped that the press liquor could be economically further processed into ethanol. The press cake is suitable for animal feed.

A second application involving sugar cane started with a telephone call from a research scientist who saw our ad in a trade journal. His project required testing with 10″ and, later, 16″ presses at a sugar plantation in southern Florida. Pilot operations were conducted by a joint venture formed between a large growers’ co-op and an even larger flavors and fragrance firm.

Their efforts are directed at extracting certain essential molecules from the leaves on the top of the cane. After harvesting and shredding, these leaves are run through a Vincent press. The characteristic 50/50 split is achieved. The duty is heavy, requiring extra horsepower. Currently the site has one VP-22 is in service on a semi-commercial basis.

Pilot operations such as these are exciting because of the potential they represent. Should the processes prove economic, there would be a need for multiple, large capacity presses.