Bark - Sycamore
Bark - Sycamore
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey natural colour extraction plants for sycamore bark, which the catalogue lists in the Red Colour group together with Fruit - Avacado, Flowers - Hibiscus, Roots - Maddar, Berries - Sumac, Wood - Brazil Wood and Plant - St. John’s Wort. The catalogue does not state the tree species or the pigment, so both are confirmation items before the plant is configured.
Mechotech's Bark - Sycamore plant is configured around the specific chemistry and processing requirements of Bark - Sycamore. Built in SS 316L with integrated solvent recovery, automation, and full documentation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system. Bark is a dense feedstock, so the line is built around size reduction to expose the pigment-bearing tissue, followed by extraction, filtration, concentration with solvent recovery and drying; the extraction solvent and conditions depend on the pigment class confirmed during pilot work.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Bark - Sycamore Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Raw Material | Sycamore bark (catalogue name: Bark - Sycamore) |
| Botanical Name | Not stated in the catalogue — the name ‘sycamore’ is applied to different tree species in different regions, so the species is confirmed with the client |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Bark; exact form (chipped, shredded or milled) confirmed with the client |
| Colour Group | Red Colour (as listed in the Mechotech catalogue, alongside Fruit - Avacado, Flowers - Hibiscus, Roots - Maddar, Berries - Sumac, Wood - Brazil Wood and Plant - St. John’s Wort) |
| Colour-forming Components | Not stated in the catalogue; the pigment class is established during process development |
| Process Category | Natural Colour Extraction Plants |
| Extract Type | Standardised dry extract (powder) |
| Extraction Method | Food-grade solvent (alcohol / aqueous) extraction in closed, jacketed SS 316L extractors |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L, electropolished, CIP-cleanable |
| Filtration System | Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filtration |
| Concentration System | Falling-film / vacuum evaporator with closed-loop solvent recovery |
| Drying System | Spray dryer or vacuum dryer |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, vacuum, compressed air, soft water, power (project-specific) |
| Automation | PLC-based automation |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement |
| Compliance | GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification |
| Final Product Form | Free-flowing standardised extract powder |
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 raw-material supply and 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
Sycamore bark is cleaned and size-reduced (chipped, shredded or milled) so that the solvent reaches the pigment-bearing tissue, as is required for bark feedstocks generally; the species and the particle size are confirmed and set during process development.
Extraction
Milled Bark - Sycamore is extracted with food-grade solvent (alcohol / aqueous) in closed jacketed SS 316L extractors under controlled temperature and multiple cycles to maximise recovery of the target actives.
Filtration
The extract (miscella) is clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press followed by cartridge polish filters.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
The miscella is concentrated in a falling-film / vacuum evaporator, with solvent recovered through the condenser return system.
Standardisation
The concentrate is assayed and adjusted to the declared target specification before drying.
Drying & Quality Control
The standardised Bark - Sycamore extract is spray- or vacuum-dried, then released after assay, residual-solvent, heavy-metal, microbial, and moisture testing.
Major Plant Equipment
- Raw material authentication, cleaning and moisture testing
- Mill (size reduction)
- Jacketed SS 316L extraction vessels
- Plate-and-frame filter press
- Cartridge polish filters
- Falling-film / vacuum evaporator
- Closed-loop solvent recovery system (condenser return)
- Spray dryer / vacuum dryer
- CIP (clean-in-place) system
- PLC-based automation panel
Plant Output
Applications
- Natural colourant and dye ingredient supply (red colour group of the natural colour extraction category)
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP operation between batches.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Integrated condenser-return recovery reuses solvent between batches and reduces solvent loss.
Standardised to Specification
In-process and batch-release assay are used to check the finished colour extract against the agreed target specification, such as shade and colour strength.
Integrated Drying
A matched spray/vacuum dryer produces a free-flowing, low-moisture powder ready for encapsulation and blending.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured to requirement from pilot scale upward, with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Bark - Sycamore?
What specification can the Bark - Sycamore plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Bark - Sycamore plant?
Which industries use the Bark - Sycamore plant?
How is Bark - Sycamore extract produced in Mechotech's extraction plant?
Which tree and which pigment does the Sycamore bark page cover?
How do the red natural colours differ in stability?
How does Sycamore bark differ from the Oak bark / Birch page?
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