Training periods. Staff turnover. Time management. Learning curves. Expediting processes. Maximizing equipment effectiveness. These all are matters that businesses face, in general, and businesses seeking to do hemp and cannabis distillation are no different. If anything, they’re more susceptible to these types of business issues. It’s critical for companies seeking to perform distillation to not only seek the right equipment provider, but even more so, the right partner.
Here’s why professional engineering services beyond the initial purchase are vital.
That beautiful, golden cannabis distillate pouring out of a shiny, stainless steel distillation skid; we’ve all seen the images all over Instagram and social media. These good-looking images do an amazing job at showcasing a picture-perfect example of the end-goal of distillation. However, much like other things you come across daily on social media, these pictures can be extremely deceptive. It’s not as simple as putting bud in a machine and turning a knob to get the gold.
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Many, MANY factors are involved in preparing cannabis crude and maximizing equipment performance when producing high-quality cannabis distillate. Beyond making the right initial purchase of distillation equipment, the processor is also required to have the knowledge and know-how to turn out the best quality end product.
That’s when professional engineering support services come into action.
Prior to operating your distillation setup, your crude oil will require proper preparation… and be warned: a one-size-fits all approach does not work. Before your distillation machine even shows up at your facility, your provider should properly coach you through cannabis-specific pre-distillation processes that fit your needs. Depending on your crude oil input, equipment capacity and other primary factors, your provider should walk you through preparing your cannabis crude oil using the best suited extraction method for your requirements.
Once you’re properly trained on crude prep, the installation of your distillation equipment can begin, and this isn’t something you should tackle on your own. As convenient as it may sound, distillation machines are not “plug-and-play.” In this field of costly equipment, you’ll want and need installers that have a thorough background in installation to set you up properly. It’s important to note that credible distillation companies will include installation costs as part of your original quoted price.
Not only should your provider send qualified, trained professionals to your facility and properly set you up on-site, but they should also train your people on how to best operate your new equipment to get the best results distilling cannabis. This should include clear, understandable standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Many companies spend a tremendous amount of time performing trial and error runs on their own, which can be profoundly expensive due to the wasted materials, time and lost opportunity. Troubleshooting issues can be especially costly when a component of their machine isn’t working optimally, or even worse, fails on them. The right provider should have a cannabis-specific background in manufacturing cannabis distillate, and the consultant should be available at a moment’s notice to walk you through any issues that you may face. Remember, down time is extremely costly in this industry.
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Choose a professional engineering service provider with the proper background and experience running cannabis. Beyond the purchase of equipment, proper crude oil prep, installation, setup, training and support make all the difference in becoming not just an operational distillation processor, but a profitable distillation processor. Before you pull the trigger on your distillation setup, look beyond making a purchase: make a partner.
About the Author: Root Sciences
Root Sciences is the leader in the distribution of equipment and support services for processing facilities in the cannabis and hemp industries, representing premium extraction, distillation and other post-processing technologies. Founded in 2016, Root Sciences has clients in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North and South America. For more information, visit www.rootsciences.com.