Shipping Container for Olive Mill

[dave1949]

Hi Rox,

I have enjoyed reading about your challenging project. I'm all for olive oil

I have noticed that you will be very close to creating a mobile olive oil press with the current track you are following. The 3 phase electric power would be the only real difficulty to overcome.

The charge for pressing is one factor causing you to want your own press. You mentioned doing pressing for others too.

Is there any business advantage to creating a mobile press? You intend to have more presses in the future if your business predictions are correct. If one were mobile, does it help you capture more oil pressing business?

What comes to mind are the typical double trailer trucks that are common in Europe. One trailer could contain the press, the second could be the power and plumbing. The military has done this sort of thing to create mobile command centers. Computer and terminals in one trailer, generator and AC/heat units in the other. Not that you need to hide olives from missle attacks You could begin with one trailer and if things work out, go from there.

Best wishes on your endeavor.
Dave.

 

[EdC]

Rox

I spoke with the rep that did all the container work for the Air Force. There is no problem putting a 5,000 pound load anywhere in the container. You could probably go over 10,000 pounds without a problem.

Since the company also makes offices and mobile clinics out of the containers I asked what they used for insulation. He said an inch of Styrofoam covered with fiberglass panels and then use aluminum T strips sealed with silicone for the seams. He was not sure about that holding up to a pressure washer though.

Instead of sanding the floor why not put in a series of joists that are cut so that they are higher on the end than they are in the middle and cover with 3/4 inch plywood. Just size them so that they are half as thick as whatever the common dimensional lumber is you have access to? The would not even have to go all the way across the floor just halfway. They would just act as spacers since the container floor is still carrying the load.

 

[2manyrocks]

If a shipping container is only 8' feet wide, it would appear to be a miserable, tight working space.

I suggest taking some string or tape and marking off the dimensions you have to work with. Then I'd try to scale some of the equipment that has to fit in those dimensions and see if there is really enough room to actually work.

Has anybody else used containers for this purpose and can you go and look at them before you commit yourself to this?

 

[jayste]

anyone know what happened to Rox and their olive oil processing project?

 

[EddieWalker]

She told me something about going with a different type of building, but I'd have to go back and find it on my facebook page to know for sure. She's still working on the mill idea, but taking a different approach.

Eddie