Arnica — Root
Arnica — Root
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey roots / husk distillation plants for Arnica (Arnica montana). We supply the complete machinery to process Arnica into an essential oil configured to the client’s target specification for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, food, and fragrance industries.
Mechotech's Arnica plant is configured around the specific chemistry and processing requirements of Arnica. Built in SS 316L with integrated condensers and oil-water separation, PLC-based automation, and full documentation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Arnica Distillation Plant |
|---|---|
| Process Category | Roots / Husk Distillation Plants |
| Botanical Name | Arnica montana |
| Plant Part | Root |
| Extract Type | Essential oil, with aromatic hydrosol as a recoverable co-product |
| Extraction Method | Steam, hydro (hydrodistillation), vacuum or pressure distillation — selected for the volatility and heat-sensitivity of the target oil |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L, CIP-capable |
| Condensation & Separation | Multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation; stainless-steel Florentine flask for oil–water separation |
| Polishing | Polish filtration; drying over anhydrous sodium sulphate or by vacuum |
| Quality Control | GC-MS and physical parameters (specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation) verified per batch |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air, soft water, power (project-specific) |
| Automation | PLC-based automation |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement |
| Final Product Form | Essential oil (liquid) and recoverable hydrosol |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Raw Material Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Configured to your feedstock and trial plan | Product development, parameter validation |
| Semi-Commercial | Configured between pilot and commercial scale | Contract manufacturing, scale-up trials |
| Commercial | Configured to confirmed buyer volume | Commercial production at confirmed buyer volume |
Capacity is configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume; we recommend a pilot plant to validate process parameters before scaling.
Manufacturing Process
Raw Material Preparation
Arnica raw material is cleaned, sorted, and (where required) comminuted to the optimal particle size to maximise oil release during distillation.
Charging & Distillation
The prepared Arnica charge is loaded into the SS 316L still and distilled by steam, hydro (hydrodistillation), vacuum, or pressure distillation — selected for the volatility and heat-sensitivity of the target oil.
Condensation
Vapours pass through an efficient multi-tube condenser with chilled-water circulation, condensing the volatile oil and hydrosol.
Oil–Water Separation
Condensate is separated in a stainless-steel Florentine flask; the essential oil is collected while the hydrosol is drawn off (and can be recovered as a co-product).
Polishing & Drying
The crude oil is polish-filtered and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate (or by vacuum) to remove residual moisture.
Quality Control
Each batch of Arnica oil is verified by GC-MS and physical parameters (specific gravity, refractive index, optical rotation) before release.
Major Plant Equipment
- Raw material cleaning and sorting (with size reduction where required)
- SS 316L distillation still
- Steam distribution system
- Multi-tube condenser (chilled-water circulation)
- Stainless-steel Florentine oil–water separator
- Polish filtration and drying unit (anhydrous sodium sulphate or vacuum)
- Hydrosol collection
- Essential oil and hydrosol storage tanks
- CIP (clean-in-place) system
- PLC-based automation panel
Plant Output
Applications
- Aromatherapy, fragrance, perfumery, and flavour applications
- Pharmaceutical standardised ingredient supply
- Nutraceutical capsule, tablet, and supplement manufacturing
- Food, flavour, and beverage applications
- Cosmetic and personal care active ingredients
- Ayurvedic and traditional medicine preparations
- Export to regulated-market ingredient buyers
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
All product-contact surfaces are SS 316L for corrosion resistance and product purity, with CIP capability between batches.
Efficient Condensation
High-surface-area multi-tube condensers with chilled-water circulation maximise oil recovery and minimise losses of volatile top-notes.
Distillation Still / Extractor
The still (extractor) is configured for the distillation mode best suited to the feedstock, protecting heat-sensitive aroma compounds.
Hydrosol Recovery
Integrated separation allows recovery of the aromatic hydrosol as a co-product.
Scalable Capacity
Plants are configured from pilot to commercial scale with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Arnica?
What specification can the Arnica plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Arnica plant?
Which industries use the Arnica plant?
How is Arnica essential oil produced in Mechotech's distillation plant?
Is this the same plant as the Arnica flower distillation plant?
What is Arnica and what is its botanical source?
Has Mechotech delivered a distillation plant on a similar feedstock to Arnica?
Does Mechotech list other pages for the same raw material?
Ready to discuss your project?
Get a free quote and technical consultation from our engineering team.