The diagram illustrates the process of producing olive oil and water from olives.
Overall, the process consists of seven sequential stages, beginning with the harvesting of olives and ending with the distribution of the final products to retail outlets. Notably, the entire process relies heavily on machinery and automated systems.
First, ripe olives are handpicked and placed in containers. Next, they are transferred to a rinsing machine, where they are washed thoroughly with cold water to remove dirt and debris. After cleaning, the olives move along a conveyor belt for further inspection, ensuring any remaining impurities are removed.
The following stage involves crushing the olives in a grinding machine, which turns them into a paste. This paste is then spread onto an industrial perforated tray, where it is separated into two components: olive paste and olive pits . While the pits are discarded as waste, the paste is retained for further processing.
Subsequently, the olive paste is packed into permeable bags and subjected to high-pressure pressing to extract liquid. This liquid is then transferred to a centrifugal separator, where it is divided into water and pure olive oil due to differences in density.