Harvest time in the olive industry is a defining moment for olive oil and table olive producers. Efficient harvesting not only determines yield and profitability but also impacts fruit quality and timing for processing. Traditionally, picking olives by hand with poles, rakes, and nets was an arduous, labour-intensive process - in fact, manual harvesting with rakes and nets can account for 50% of an orchard’s production costs. Today the rising labour shortages and tighter margins, modern growers are increasingly turning to mechanisation to save time and money. The Olive Centre, a specialist supplier for the Australian olive industry, offers a full spectrum of harvesting equipment to address these needs - from state-of-the-art mechanical shakers like the Sicma harvesters to portable electric comb rakes, pneumatic rakes, nets, wheelable frames, and other accessories. This range of tools, paired with research-driven best practices, allows commercial groves to optimise harvest efficiency while maintaining fruit quality. Below, we explore each category of harvesting equipment available through The Olive Centre, focussing on key features, suitable applications, and insights from recent studies and field experience.

Mechanical Harvesters: Trunk Shakers and Self-Propelled Buggies

Mechanical harvesters are the heavyweights of olive harvesting - high frequency vibration systems built into the machines that shake fruit off trees with speed and efficiency. The Olive Centre provides a leading range of mechanical harvesters, including tractor-mounted shaker heads, skid-steer loader attachments, and dedicated self-propelled “buggy” harvesters. These systems use a vibrating head equipped with a clamp system that attaches to the tree’s trunk or main branches, transmitting high-frequency oscillations that travel with force to the higher branches holding olives to their stems. The result is a rapid cascade of olives into catching systems, often an inverted umbrella or frame beneath the tree. In well-designed groves, a single mechanical shaker can typically harvest 40–60 trees per hour (with a clamp-and-shake cycle of only 5-7 seconds per tree) - a dramatic improvement over manual picking rates. One Australian field review notes the jump from roughly 100 kg of olives per hour using the latest pneumatic or electric hand tools to approximately 500 kg per hour with efficient mechanical harvesting machines. This efficiency in throughput allows growers to bring in the crop at optimal ripeness and throughput, provided the subsequent milling capacity keeps pace. 

Modern trunk shakers come in various configurations to suit different operations and grove terrain. The Olive Centre’s lineup includes tractor PTO-driven models (e.g., vibrating heads mounted on a tractor’s three-point linkage or front-end loader), retrofittable kits for skid-steer loaders and telehandlers, and stand-alone self-propelled units often nicknamed “buggies.” For example, the Sicma B411 Plus is a compact 4-wheel-drive buggy harvester with a telescopic vibrating head and a 6-meter diameter catching umbrella. This machine can clamp onto trunks up to ~40 cm in diameter and shake the fruit free, which falls into the umbrella. The built-in catch frame on such harvesters typically holds 200–300 kg of olives, and can be emptied through a hydraulic trap door into bins or trailers for easy collection. Thanks to features like high-frequency self-centering shaker heads and rubberised clamps, these systems minimise bark damage while maximising fruit removal. 

In fact, a recent Italian field study on two olive cultivars achieved a 97% fruit removal rate using an advanced vibrating head and catch-frame system - virtually clearing trees in one shake. Mechanical harvesters are the workhorses of modern olive groves, enabling the timely harvest of large tonnages with a fraction of the manpower once required. 

Practical considerations: Adopting trunk shakers does require that groves be compatible with the machinery. 

• Adequate tree spacing (commonly ~7- 8 m × 5 m or more between trees) and a single main trunk form are ideal to allow machinery access and efficient vibration transfer. 
• Trunk clearance - Trees are often pruned to have a clear trunk at least 1 m high, which improves the shaker’s grip and vibration transmission through the canopy. 
• Sufficient tractor power and hydraulics are also key - for instance, a tractor-mounted shaker may demand ~80–100 HP and ~100 L/min hydraulic flow to operate effectively. 
• Terrain is another factor: on steep slopes (greater than ~20% incline), standard wheeled harvesters may struggle with stability and access. In such cases, tracked carriers or smaller equipment might be necessary, or growers may rely more on handheld tools. 

Despite these considerations, when conditions align, mechanical harvesting can drastically reduce picking costs and duration. Crucially, studies have found that mechanical shaking does not degrade olive oil quality compared to hand-picking, as long as fruit is handled properly - it enables harvesting at the optimal timing for peak oil quality, which can actually improve final product outcomes. By working closely with The Olive Centre, growers can select a mechanical harvester matched to their grove’s tree size, layout, and terrain. The payoff is a more sustainable operation: lower labour requirements, faster harvest completion, and a better chance of capturing olives at ideal ripeness. 

Hand-held - Electric and Pneumatic Harvesting Comb Rakes      

Not every olive grove can accommodate a large shaker in their operation, and not every producer needs one. Electric and pneumatic olive harvesters - essentially motorised or air-powered “comb” or “rake” units – fill an important role for small to mid-sized producers and for groves on difficult terrain. These are handheld or pole-mounted tools with vibrating tines that comb through the olive branches, knocking olives off much faster than purely manual picking. The Olive Centre offers several options in this category: 

• Electric rakes, such as the Infaco Electro’liv battery-powered harvester (available in a 48 V lithium model or a 12 V version that runs off a vehicle battery) and Lisam pneumatic olive rakes that connect to an air compressor. Electric harvesters tend to be lightweight, portable, and quiet - ideal for small crews moving tree to tree with backpack batteries or long cables. 
• Pneumatic rakes, on the other hand, are favored by some larger operations that have tractor-mounted air compressors; they deliver very high-speed combing action and can run continuously as long as the air supply is maintained. Both types often feature interchangeable plastic or carbon-fiber tines (“fingers”) that oscillate or rotate to strike olives off the branches into waiting nets or sheets on the ground.  The Olive Centre can offer any of the Australian Airmac compressor range.

Despite being smaller-scale than trunk shakers, electric and pneumatic harvesters substantially improve productivity over manual hand picking. Field data and grower reports suggest a single worker with a modern pneumatic or electric rake can harvest on the order of 80–120 kg of olives per hour (depending on tree yield and skill) - several times what hand picking would yield. One recent analysis noted about 100 kg/hour as a benchmark using the latest pneumatic or electric rakes. These tools are therefore very useful for reducing labour hours and addressing seasonal labour shortages, which have become a recurrent obstacle in olive production. They also excel in groves where tree spacing or steep hilly terrain make it impractical to bring in heavy machinery. Operators can simply lay out nets under a tree and work through the canopy with the powered rake, a method that is far less fatiguing than beating branches with poles.  

Handheld harvesters do require proximity to each tree and are typically used by multiple workers. The efficiency per person is lower than a single large shaker with a catch frame (which can outpace a whole team of people), so producers must balance equipment investment with their useage capability and available labor. In many cases, electric or pneumatic combs are the preferred solution for small olive groves, where gentle handling and selective harvesting might be needed. They cause minimal damage when used properly, though some fruit bruising can occur – so harvested olives, especially table varieties, usually are collected onto nets or padding and not dropped from excessive heights to avoid bruising. Research into gentler harvesting continues: for instance, trials in California have combined canopy shaking with trunk shaking to improve efficiency for table olives. This method increased fruit removal by 75% and delivered higher-quality, less-damaged fruit compared to using either method alone. While such dual-method harvesters are still in development for table olives, it underscores that even in the realm of smaller-scale equipment, innovation is boosting performance. The Olive Centre stays abreast of these developments, supplying trusted brands (like Electric tools by Infaco, & Pneumatic equipment by Lisam) that have a track record in international olive cultivation. For growers, electric and pneumatic harvesters represent a relatively affordable and versatile investment to significantly cut harvest time and labour costs without the need for heavy machinery and a much bigger budget. 

Nets, Rakes, Catching Frames and Other Harvesting Accessories

Harvesting equipment is not just about the machines that detach olives - it also encompasses all the tools that catch, collect, and transport the fruit once it’s off the tree. The Olive Centre offers a wide array of “catch and carry” accessories to support efficient harvesting operations. Among these are harvest nets and catching frames. Traditionally, tarps or nets are spread under olive trees to collect olives as they are hand-picked or knocked down with poles. Today’s purpose-made olive nets are durable, UV-resistant, and come in various sizes that can be fitted around trunk bases. They drastically reduce the time needed to gather fallen olives and prevent fruit loss on the ground. Some modern harvesters use an umbrella-style catching frame – essentially a large circular net on a frame that can be deployed under the tree (either by a person or as an attachment on a machine) to catch olives as they rain down. The Olive Centre offers products like a 5–6 m diameter catching frame that can be positioned around the trunk to funnel olives into an Industry-standard Orange Crate and will fit about 20kgs of fruit per crate. Such frames can be a game-changer for groves still harvested by hand or with electric or pneumatic combs, as they keep fruit off the soil (maintaining cleanliness and quality) and make collection faster. 

Download Olive Harvesting Range Catalogue

Optimising Harvest Efficiency and Fruit Quality: Research Insights

Equipping an olive operation with the right tools is half the battle; the other half is using them in an optimised harvest strategy. Fortunately, extensive academic and industry research offers guidance on how to mechanise effectively without compromising the olives. One key concept is fruit detachment force (FDF) - essentially, how strongly an olive is attached to its branch. FDF decreases as olives ripen, which is why oil olives (allowed to ripen longer) are generally easier to remove, whereas table olives (picked green) are much more stubborn. A University of California study noted that table olives have a fruit removal force of about 0.5 kg - meaning they require significantly more shaking or even chemical loosening to enhance fruit removal. Oil olives, usuall progressed in manturation (compared to green table fruit), have a lower detachment force, and modern high-density oil cultivars are usually harvested by over-the-row machinery like an Moresil, Oxbo, New Holland or Colossus. This explains why trunk shakers and canopy shakers are an innovation mainly needed for table olive orchards (to address their high FDF), whereas oil olive groves in super-high-density (SHD) systems can be harvested by modified grape harvesters that strip fruit with minimal effort. For producers, understanding their varieties’ detachment characteristics can inform which equipment to use and whether strategies like applying an abscission agent (fruit loosening spray) might be worthwhile. In ongoing trials, compounds like ethephon are being tested to reduce olive attachment strength and thus increase mechanical harvester efficiency.  Use fruit loosening agents with caution as improper use can defolate the entire tree.

Another insight from research is the importance of grove design and pruning in mechanical harvesting success. A tree with an open, accessible structure (single trunk, properly managed canopy) should yield better results with shakers. Studies from Europe have documented that tree architecture and pruning style significantly affect vibration transmission and fruit removal. Many growers now implement mechanical pruning and keep trees shorter to accommodate harvest machinery - a necessary adaptation as “there is no mechanical harvesting without orchard and canopy adaptation,” as one agricultural engineer famously put it. This might mean switching to hedgestyle planting (250–300 trees/ha) if one plans to use over-the-row harvesters, or simply maintaining a 6– 8 m spacing and a vase or single leader form for traditional orchards using trunk shakers. The Olive Centre, beyond just providing equipment, also provides grove consulting services to help producers plan such transitions, ensuring that investments in machinery are matched by an orchard setup that maximises efficiency and minimises fruit loss. 

Finally, research confirms that speed and timing of harvest are crucial for quality. Mechanical harvesters enable a very fast picking ....  entire blocks can be harvested at the optimal ripeness window rather than stretched over weeks. By concentrating harvest in the optimal period, growers can obtain olives at peak oil quality and get them milled promptly. 

Evidence from studies in Spain and Italy shows that when olives are harvested at the right maturity and processed quickly, mechanisation does not impair oil quality metrics; on the contrary, timely harvesting can result in higher-quality extra virgin olive oil compared to a protracted hand harvest, where some fruit inevitably becomes overripe or delays in processing occur due to extended time duration needed. 

For table olives, minimising bruising is a bigger concern, and the research offers pointers - for instance, experiments have shown harvesting in the cool pre-dawn hours can reduce fruit bruising and respiration, improving the condition of mechanically harvested table olives. Such findings are encouraging producers to adjust harvest schedules and techniques (e.g., adding padding to catch frames or using conveyors instead of dropping olives into bins) to protect fruit quality.  

Tthe modern olive grower has an unprecedented range of harvesting equipment at their disposal, and when these tools are coupled with informed practices, the results are compelling: lower costs, higher efficiency, and preserved quality. Offering industry leading equipment - from Sicma’s cutting-edge shakers to nimble electric rakes, and all the supporting gear - reflects the evolving landscape of olive harvesting. By leveraging both technology and research-based know-how, commercial olive producers can confidently tackle the critical harvest season, bringing in the crop efficiently and at peak quality to ultimately produce better oil and table olives for the market.

Conclusion

Harvesting will always be a pivotal and challenging aspect of olive production, but it no longer needs to be a bottleneck. The range of equipment available through TheOliveCentre.com empowers growers to choose solutions tailored to their grove size, layout, and production goals. Whether it’s a robust mechanical harvester shaking 500 kg of olives per hour into an umbrella, or a team of workers with electric combs and nets swiftly stripping trees on a hillside, each approach offers advantages that can improve the bottom line. Importantly, ongoing innovation - much of it supported by academic and government research from Australia and abroad - continues to refine these tools and techniques for greater efficiency, ensuring that higher productivity does not come at the expense of fruit quality. With The Olive Centre’s expertise and equipment range (including their partnership with world-class harvesting machine manufacturers), Australian olive growers have access to the best of both worlds: advanced technology proven in international groves, and local knowledge and support to implement it successfully. The result is a harvest that’s faster, easier, and more profitable – helping producers focus on what comes next, turning those olives into exceptional oil and table olives for consumers to enjoy. 

References

• Amanda Bailey (2024). On Olives Blog: Technical overview of harvesting equipment and grove management for mechanical efficiency.
  
• AgriEngineering (2025). ‘Review on mechanical olive harvesting efficiency, costs, and quality outcomes’, AgriEngineering Journal, 7(2)
• Amanda Bailey, On Olives Blog (2024). Technical overview of harvesting equipment and grove management for mechanical efficiency.
  
• Sicma Harvesting Equipment (Product specifications). B411 Plus and related models with integrated catching umbrellas.
  
• University of California, Davis (2023). Studies on fruit detachment force and mechanical harvesting of table and oil olives. Department of Plant Sciences. Davis, CA.
  
• Spanish and Italian field trials (2019–2024). Results on vibration transmission, tree architecture, and fruit removal efficiency (97% removal with vibrating head systems).  (2019–2024). ‘Tree architecture, vibration transmission and fruit removal efficiency in mechanical olive harvesting’, European Journal of Agronomy.
  
• (2022–2024). ‘Impacts of harvest timing and handling on extra virgin olive oil quality’, Journal of Food Quality.
  

Fundamentals of Olive Oil Extraction and Quality

Modern extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) production relies on continuous centrifugal extraction, which has largely replaced traditional presses. In a continuous system, olives are cleaned, crushed into paste, and then malaxed (gently mixed) before a horizontal decanter centrifuge separates oil from water and solids. This process is far more efficient and hygienic than the old press-and-mat method, which is now considered obsolete. Key quality factors include processing fruit quickly to avoid fermentation, maintaining low temperatures during malaxation, and minimising exposure to oxygen. For example, transporting olives in ventilated crates and crushing/milling within 24-48 hours of harvest helps prevent heat buildup and unwanted fermentation that could spoil flavour. Cleaning and de-leafing the fruit before crushing is also critical - removing leaves, dirt, and debris ensures no off-flavours or contaminants make it into the oil. Mordern mills typically incorporate washing and leaf-removal steps for this reason. 

Temperature control is paramount during extraction. EVOO is generally produced under “cold-press” conditions, meaning malaxation is kept around ≤27 °C to preserve aromatic compounds and polyphenols. Longer malaxation times or higher temperatures can increase yield but will reduce polyphenol content and flavour freshness. Recent research confirms that malaxation time and temperature must be optimised per cultivar e.g., one study found that extending malaxation from 15 to 90 minutes caused polyphenols to drop by up to 70%. In Australian groves, where harvest season temperatures can be high, processors often monitor paste temperature closely and may use heat exchangers or vacuum conditions to control it. Shorter malaxation (20-40 minutes) at moderate temperatures is commonly employed to balance oil yield with quality retention. Equally important is timing from harvest - olives allowed to sit too long (especially in warm conditions) will start fermenting. Using shallow, well-ventilated bins and milling within a day of picking is recommended to keep olives cool and intact. Big Horn Olive Oil in USA, for instance, emphasises rapid processing: they cold-press olives within 2 hours of harvest to “lock in freshness and antioxidants,” drastically reducing oxidation time in between. Such practices help Australian producers achieve long shelf life (18 - 24 months) and vibrant flavour in their EVOO whereas Cockatoo Grove has a Midnight EVOO where they pick and press in the cool of the night.

Harvest Timing and Olive Oil Quality ~ Australian Insight

Ongoing research in Australia has highlighted how harvest timing and orchard factors influence oil quality. As olives mature on the tree, oil yield rises, but phenolic compounds (antioxidants) tend to drop. In field trials across New South Wales and Victoria, early-harvest olives produced oils with higher polyphenol content and longer shelf stability, whereas late-picked fruit gave more mellow oils with lower antioxidant levels. Free fatty acidity and peroxide (rancidity indicators) remained low until fruit became overripe, but antioxidant-rich components like tocopherols and polyphenols decreased as the fruit matured, leading to reduced oxidative stability in late-season oils. Australian producers must therefore balance quantity vs quality: an early pick yields robust, pungent oils rich in healthful polyphenols, while a later pick yields more volume with milder taste. The table below (adapted from industry data) illustrates this trade-off: 

Table: Effect of harvest timing on olive oil characteristics (indicative values for common varieties).

Other local research has examined irrigation effects on oil quality. Water-stressed olive trees (common in Australian summers) often produce smaller, more bitter fruit with higher polyphenol content, whereas heavily irrigated trees yield plumper olives with diluted phenolics but higher total oil output. For example, a study found that deficit-irrigated trees had the highest polyphenol levels (and earlier fruit ripening) in dry years, while fully irrigated trees gave greater oil yields at the cost of some phenolic concentration. These findings underscore that post-harvest decisions (when to pick, how to handle fruit before milling/crushing) are just as crucial as the milling technology itself. Cutting-edge extraction equipment can maximise quality potential, but growers must still deliver quality olives to the mill and process them with urgency to produce premium Australian EVOO.

   

• Two-Phase Centrifugation: Oliomio decanters operate without added dilution water, separating oil and wet pomace directly. This “2-phase” process leaves the oil richer in polyphenols (since no wash-water strips them out) and avoids producing large volumes of wastewater. As one Queensland producer noted, using a two-phase Oliomio mill “leaves the oil in its natural state” with all its aroma and antioxidants. In contrast, older three-phase systems required water addition and hence washed out some flavour and nutrients. 
• Integrated Continuous Flow: Unlike traditional presses or early monoblock mills, Oliomio machines run a continuous flow process. Olives go in one end, and oil (plus separated pomace) comes out the other, with no manual intermediate handling. Even the smaller models use augers or pumps to move paste through the crusher → malaxer → decanter stages without stopping. This boosts throughput and prevents paste from sitting exposed to air. (Entry-level models like the older Spremoliva C30 were discontinuous, requiring batch-wise malaxing, but the latest Oliomio range is fully continuous for capacities ≥50 kg/hour .) Continuous design also improves labour efficiency and throughput; operators can just keep feeding olives and collect oil, rather than pressing batch by batch.
• Compact, Hygienic Construction: Oliomio units are built entirely from food-grade stainless steel (AISI 304), with sanitary design principles to meet strict hygiene standards. There are no porous bags or mats as in old presses - all surfaces contacting the olive paste or oil are smooth stainless steel, easy to wash and disinfect. Many models include CIP (clean-in-place) features like built-in washing jets for the malaxer and decanter drum. Automated washing cycles allow thorough cleanup between batches or at day’s end, which is vital for preventing residue buildup and off-flavours. This focus on cleanliness is a major upgrade from traditional mills, where remnants in mats or presses could turn rancid. 
  
• Automation & Control: Despite their small size, Oliomio machines are equipped with modern control systems. Standard features across the range include inverter-driven motors (variable frequency drives) to adjust the crusher speed and decanter bowl speed. By tuning these speeds, an operator can optimise extraction for different olive varieties or ripeness levels. A flow meter for precise water dosing (used sparingly, e.g., to flush the decanter or facilitate paste flow in difficult batches) is also built in. Malaxer temperature is thermostatically controlled; midrange and larger Oliomio models have digital temperature readouts and automatic heating elements to maintain the set malaxation temperature. Safety and ease-of-use are considered as well - control panels consolidate the start/stop and adjustment functions, and protections like emergency stops and motor overload controls are provided. Overall, these systems bring a level of automation once seen only in large industrial mills down to the farm scale.
  
• Energy Efficiency: By using inverter motors and a compact footprint, Oliomio mills are relatively energy-efficient for their output. For instance, the standard Oliomio 80 model runs on a single-phase 220V supply, drawing ~3 kW, meaning it can be used without special electrical infrastructure. Even the 100 kg/hr “Gold” model, despite its higher capacity and automatic features, uses only about a 4 kW motor and can be configured for single or three-phase power. This efficient power usage is partly due to the elimination of heavy hydraulic presses and due to optimised decanter designs that don’t require excessive dilution water or prolonged processing. The continuous process also avoids idle time between batches, making the best use of energy to process a given tonnage of olives.

Range of Oliomio Equipment - Models and Features 

MORI-TEM offers a spectrum of Oliomio mills to suit different scales, from artisanal boutique producers up to small commercial cooperatives. All share the principles above, but with varying throughputs and degrees of automation. Below is an overview of the current Oliomio lineup and its characteristics:

• Frantoino Bio - A compact entry-level continuous mill designed for boutique production. With a throughput of roughly 50 - 60   kg of olives per hour (up to ~0.4   ton per 8-hour day), the Frantoino Bio enables a small grove to produce its own oil efficiently. It is a self-contained unit performing crushing, malaxing, and separation in one chassis, and runs on single-phase power (≈3 kW) for easy setup. Despite its small size, it incorporates a knife crusher, a horizontal malaxer, and an innovative 2-phase decanter centrifuge. An inverter control allows adjustment of the crusher and decanter speeds to adapt to fruit conditions. The Frantoino Bio also features an adjustable nozzle system on the decanter, which lets the operator fine-tune the oil/pomace separation for olives of different water content. Standard fittings include a paste feeding screw with variable speed and a malaxer heating jacket (basic thermostat control) to facilitate cold extraction. This model is ideal for artisanal olive farms, niche producers, or research labs - anyone processing on the order of a few hundred kilos per day - who wants a professional-grade yet portable mill. Built entirely in stainless steel, the Frantoino Bio emphasises hygiene and simplicity, requiring only a single operator. (Optional add-ons: a mini olive washer/de-leafer and a waste paste pump can be attached to make a complete milling line.)
• Oliomio 80 Plus - A step up in capacity, the Oliomio 80 can process 70 - 80 kg/hour and is recommended for about 0.6 tons of olives per day. This model includes more advanced controls: it has a horizontal continuous malaxer with temperature regulation and a digital display on the control panel. The crusher is of the knife type, and the decanter is a modern two-phase design similar to Frantoino’s, but larger. Like all Oliomios, it features an inverter to fine-tune decanter and crusher RPM, a flowmeter for any process water, and an automatic drum-washing system to ease cleaning. The Oliomio 80 is often the choice for small farms and estates in Australia that are expanding production - it’s still operable on single-phase power (3 kW) but offers fully continuous processing with better throughput. Notably, the malaxer on the 80 Plus is insulated and has a built-in heater and temperature sensor/visualizer, allowing true control of paste conditions. Growers processing on the order of 5-10 tons per harvest find that this model hits a sweet spot in being compact yet sufficiently automated. (Typically paired with the DLE “Baby” washer/leaf remover and a small plate filter unit for polishing the oil .) Quality-wise, the Oliomio 80 is engineered to let producers crush olives immediately after picking, yielding high-quality EVOO with minimal oxidation.
• Oliomio Gold - Introduced as “Oliomio’s newest” small-scale extractor, the Gold model pushes capacity to 90-100 kg/hour while adding full automation features. It is designed for a daily throughput of ~700-800 kg (0.7-0.8 ton) of olives in an 8-hour shift. The Oliomio Gold includes all features of the 80 Plus and more: for example, it has completely automatic self-cleaning of the machine via an integrated washing circuit. At the end of processing (or between batches), the operator can activate the cleaning cycle to flush the malaxer and decanter, which reduces labour and ensures no cross-contamination between different batches or varieties. Additionally, the Gold has dual motor options - it can be ordered in single-phase 4 kW or three-phase 4 kW versions, giving flexibility to farms with industrial power available. This model also features a second screw conveyor with variable speed that feeds olives into the crusher automatically (improving consistency of throughput), as well as an included pomace (waste) discharge pump (PSS.1) to eject the wet pomace without manual shovelling. Optional accessories for the Gold include an olive destoning kit and an inverter to adjust the malaxer’s internal stirring speed for even finer control. In practice, the Gold has become popular with estate producers and regional mills in Australia who value its “press-and-forget” automation - one can continuously feed in fruit and the machine manages the rest (crush, mix, extract, self-clean), producing a clean, high-quality oil with minimal staffing. Its throughput (~100 kg/h) often matches the picking rate of a small mechanical harvester, making it a great fit for mid-sized groves. 
  
• Oliomio Profy 200 - The Profy is a higher-capacity monobloc mill, named for its “professional” capabilities. With 150-200   kg/hour throughput, it serves small commercial operations or cooperative processing facilities. The Oliomio Profy is essentially a compact two-malm (two malaxer) plant in one frame. It consists of a heavy-duty FR_250 crusher (which can be configured as knife or hammer crushing), a dual-stage malaxing system (paste flows from Malaxer #1 to Malaxer #2 automatically), and a DMT_2 two-phase decanter. This configuration allows semi-continuous operation even at higher volumes: while one malaxer is being filled with fresh paste, the other is feeding the decanter, thus optimising utilisation. The Profy’s design pays special attention to oil quality: for example, it notes that the difference in paste temperature between crusher inlet and outlet should not exceed 1-2 °C - an indicator of gentle handling with minimal friction heat. The malaxers are completely enclosed (with vapour locks) to prevent excessive oxidation of the olive paste. The decanter is a high-efficiency horizontal centrifuge with a specialised 2.0 auger, designed to produce a cleaner oil without temperature increase during extraction. Thanks to the integrated waste pump, even at this scale, the system cleanly expels pomace. The Profy 200 requires three-phase power (about 9 kW installed) and features options like a crusher speed inverter and an advanced temperature controller for the malaxer. In Australia, an Oliomio Profy (≈150 kg/hr) is considered an “ideal capacity” for collaborative mills - it’s enough to allow multiple small growers to process their olives locally without having to invest in a very large plant. Growers can retain control over their product and timing, while the machine’s compact footprint and ease of use lower the barriers to entry for professional olive oil production. As evidence of its success, hundreds of Australian producers have adopted Oliomio systems (many of them in the 80-200 kg/hr range), enabling on-farm processing and contract milling services that deliver award-winning EVOO.
  

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To summarise the small-to-medium Oliomio models discussed above, the table below compares their capacities and key features:

Oliomio Model	Throughput	Key Features	Typical Application
Spremoliva C30	30-40 kg/hour	Batch malaxer (discontinuous); basic mini-press setup; no built-in heating or automation	Hobbyists, micro-batch or lab use (older design)
Frantoino Bio	~50-60 kg/hour	Continuous 2-phase system; single malaxer; simple controls; single-phase power; adjustable decanter nozzles	Boutique farms, artisanal producers, pilot plants
Oliomio 80 Plus	~70-80 kg/hour	Continuous flow; horizontal malaxer with heating & temperature display; inverter speed control; basic CIP wash kit	Small farms (~0.5-1 ton/day harvest); estate olive groves
Oliomio Gold	~90-100 kg/hour	Enhanced automation (auto malaxer & drum washing, variable-speed feed auger)waste pump included; single or 3-phase	Medium farms (~0.8 ton/day); premium boutique mills needing labour-saving features
Oliomio Profy 200	~150-200 kg/hour	Dual malaxers for semi-continuous processing; heavy-duty crusher; closed/vacuum malaxing; full automation; waste pump	Cooperative regional mills; small commercial processors (~1.5-2  ton/day)

Table: Comparison of select Oliomio continuous mill models (MORI-TEM). All feature two-phase extraction, stainless steel construction, and integrated crushers and decanters; higher models add more automation and capacity. Note how the traditional press is absent - even the smallest Oliomio brings modern centrifugal extraction to the farm, highlighting the leap in technology from the old press or “monoblocco” mills of past decades.  

Medium-Scale Modular Systems: Sintesi, Forma, Cultivar, TecnoTEM

For producers scaling beyond the monobloc units, MORI-TEM offers modular olive mill installations that handle larger throughputs while prioritising quality. These systems - marketed under names like Sintesi, Forma, Cultivar, and TecnoTEM Oliomio Sintesi Series - break the extraction process into separate machines (e.g., independent crusher, malaxer group(s), decanter, separator) designed to work in harmony. They introduce features like multiple malaxers for higher throughput, vacuum malaxation technology, and advanced control systems. Importantly, they still operate on the continuous two-phase principle and embody the same hygiene and automation ethos as the smaller Oliomio range. Here’s an overview of each series:

• Oliomio Sintesi Series: Sintesi (Italian for “synthesis”) plants are engineered for small-to-medium facilities that demand top oil quality, including high polyphenol content. With nominal processing speeds of 140-500 kg/hour, Sintesi fills the gap between compact mills and large industrial ones. A hallmark of Sintesi is its vacuum malaxing system: it uses vertical, closed malaxers under slight vacuum to malax the olive paste with minimal oxygen exposure. This gentle handling helps retain aroma compounds and prevent phenolic losses due to oxidation. The temperature control is uniform across all malaxers (“global”) and can be precisely managed to keep conditions cold. The system can be run in continuous mode or in batches, providing flexibility for producers who might want to separate distinct varietals or ripeness batches. Structurally, the crusher in Sintesi lines is separate from the malaxer (often a standalone mill with its own inverter speed control) and feeds paste via an electric valve and pump. Each malaxing vessel has an outlet with a dedicated elliptical piston pump to transfer paste to the decanter smoothly and consistently. The decanter itself is a horizontal twophase unit similar in concept to the Oliomio small mills but scaled up; it features MORI-TEM’s special 2.0 auger design that maximises oil yield without needing dilution water and avoids any paste temperature increase during extraction. Cleaning is made easy - Sintesi malaxers have fully opening lids giving access to all internal surfaces, and optional automatic washing systems are available to rinse the equipment between runs. In summary, Sintesi marries state-of-the-art quality control with moderate capacity. It’s targeted at operations like boutique olive mills processing a few tonnes per day, high-end producers focusing on nutraceutical-grade EVOO, or collaborative ventures where multiple growers share a facility but want to keep each batch’s quality optimal. By dramatically reducing oxidation, Sintesi can produce oils with exceptionally high sensory and healthy qualities - effectively “super premium” oils - even at a farm scale. 
• Forma Series: The Forma line represents MORI-TEM’s solution for standard medium-sized olive oil factories, with production throughput ranging roughly from 180 to 1000 kg/hour depending on configuration. “Forma” systems are modular and can be configured in 2, 3, or 4 malaxer setups (often denoted 2GL, 3GL, 4GL for the number of malaxing units). Unlike Sintesi, Forma malaxers are generally horizontal (open-top trough style) but can still be closed during operation to avoid air contact. The design allows batch separation in a continuous process: on a 2GL (two-malaxer) Forma, the crusher is mounted atop the malaxers and can direct paste into Malaxer #1 or #2 selectively. This means two different olive batches can be handled in staggered timing - highly useful if a mill processes different varieties or ripeness lots in one day. In the 3GL and 4GL versions, the crusher is entirely separate (feeding via a tube), and paste allocation to each malaxer is automated by valves. An underlying philosophy of Forma is optimising flavour formation and extraction efficiency. For example, engineers highlight the management of oxygen at the crusher inlet: introducing a controlled small amount of air at crushing can activate the lipoxygenase pathway in olive paste, which creates desirable aromatic compounds (the “green” fruity aromas). However, it must be balanced - excess oxygen would oxidise those aromas later. Forma crushers thus allow fine-tuning of oxygen ingress to strike this balance. Similarly, the thermal delta between incoming olive paste and outgoing paste from the crusher is kept minimal (around 1-2 °C difference) to avoid heating the paste during the initial grind. Once in the malaxers, paste is kept in closed conditions with jackets to control temperature effectively. On 3GL/4GL models, paste transfer from malaxers to the decanter is managed by synchronised pumps and automated valves, maintaining a continuous feed without manual intervention. The decanter in Forma systems is similar to that in Sintesi - a high-yield, 2-phase horizontal centrifuge with a special auger that requires no added water and ensures no additional heat is generated as the oil is extracted. Cleaning and maintenance are facilitated by large openings (the entire top cover of each malaxer can flip open), eliminating dead spots where paste could accumulate. The Forma line is well-suited to cooperative mills, family operations scaling up, or new olive ventures aiming for ~0.5 to 5 tons/hour capacity with modularity. A producer can start with a 2-malaxer setup and potentially expand to more malaxers as volumes grow. With Forma, every piece of the process is under control (crush, oxygen, temp, malax, extract), which is why MORI-TEM touts that it “allows extraction of a great product” when coupled with their support and the producer’s own best practices.
• Cultivar Series: The Cultivar series is built for high-capacity farm or estate production, in the range of 650 to 4000 kg/hour throughput. These are essentially small industrial plants optimised for single-estate operation with low oxidation impact. They share many design elements with Sintesi (in fact, “Sintesi” and “Cultivar” both employ vacuum malaxation), but are scaled to much larger throughputs. In Cultivar systems, the crusher is separate and includes an inverter control to adjust crushing speed/ intensity. As with Forma, there is emphasis on controlling oxygen at the crusher for flavour and keeping the paste temperature rise negligible. However, malaxation in Cultivar is done in closed vertical malaxers under a light vacuum - similar to Sintesi, but these malaxers are bigger and oriented vertically to facilitate the handling of large paste volumes. The slight vacuum environment (a mild negative pressure) during malaxation further reduces oxidation, which is especially beneficial when malaxing for longer times or with larger batches. Temperature control is applied globally across all malaxers to keep conditions uniform. Paste is pumped in and out of the malaxers automatically via valves and piston pumps, as in other series. Cultivar’s horizontal decanter is designed for maximal oil recovery with high quality, again using the 2.0 auger to avoid dilution water and prevent any thermal increase. Given the large flow rates, the Cultivar decanter must handle a heavy throughput while still achieving a clean separation; Mori-TEM’s design focuses on maintaining oil quality even at scale (e.g., by effectively removing fruit water and solids without needing a polishing separator for the oil). Cleaning these large systems is addressed through fully opening lids (like Forma) and optional automatic washing systems to reduce downtime between production runs. Cultivar installations are often custom-tailored to an estate’s needs - for example, an Australian grove with a few thousand tons of olives might choose a Cultivar 1000 (around 1   ton/hr) line to process their entire crop on-site at peak ripeness, ensuring ultimate freshness. These systems let big producers avoid transporting olives long distances to external mills (which can cause fruit damage and delays). With Cultivar, even large Australian olive farms can implement immediate, oxidation-minimised processing “at the tree,” delivering oil that competes with the best artisanal products. It represents a farm-scale adoption of the same principles of quality: controlled oxygen, gentle handling, and sanitation on a grander throughput. Notably, despite their size, Cultivar systems still pride themselves on producing a “good quality product” with the support of Mori-TEM’s expertise - essentially debunking the notion that large-scale mills must sacrifice quality for quantity.  
• TecnoTEM Series: TecnoTEM is the high-end line intended for customised continuous processes and third-party manufacturers (hence “techno”), spanning roughly 400 to 4000 kg/ hour capacities. These plants are built to be modular and flexible for special requirements – for instance, an olive mill that also wants to experiment with enzyme dosing, or a facility that processes both olives and other fruits might opt for TecnoTEM for its configurability. In practice, a TecnoTEM installation might look similar to a Forma (with horizontal malaxers) but with additional bells and whistles or integration into a larger production line. The design priorities include the same fundamentals: minimise oxygen, minimise heat, maximise extraction efficiency. The TecnoTEM malaxers are closed (though not necessarily vacuum) and temperature-controlled. Each malaxer has an automatic valve-fed inlet and an elliptical piston pump on the outlet to send paste forward, ensuring consistent flow to the decanter. Full opening lids allow thorough cleaning just as in other series. The decanter uses the two-phase system with the special auger design, yielding a clean oil without added water and with no temperature rise during separation. Essentially, TecnoTEM takes the Forma concept and opens it up to client-specific configurations - whether that’s integrating multiple crushing lines, adding intermediate storage/malaxer buffering, or hooking up to an external clarifier or filtering system as part of a continuous pipeline. It’s often chosen by contract milling operations or large enterprises that require a robust, continuous mill that can run 24/7 in peak season and handle different processing modes (continuous for large batches, but perhaps also able to do discontinuous for specialty lots). The emphasis on “third-party manufacturing” suggests these systems are also built with reliability and standardisation in mind - a custom mill can be assembled from proven MORI-TEM components to meet the exact needs of the producer. For example, an Australian regional olive press centre that processes olives for dozens of growers might use a TecnoTEM line to accommodate varying daily volumes and ensure each client’s olives are processed optimally. Despite the scale and bespoke nature, Mori-TEM underscores that even TecnoTEM equipment “allows extraction of a great product” when operated with their guidance. In other words, technical customisation does not come at the expense of oil quality - all the core design choices (hygiene, controlled mixing, rapid processing) remain oriented toward producing high-grade EVOO. 

Comparing Modern Systems to Traditional Presses and Older Mills 

It is instructive to contrast the above Oliomio technologies with the outdated systems they have superseded - namely, the classic hydraulic press and early-generation farm mills (older “monoblocchi” units). Traditional olive presses involved grinding olives (often with stone mills) into paste, spreading that paste onto fibre mats, stacking them, and then applying tons of pressure in a press to squeeze out the oil/water mixture. This method, while romantic, had numerous drawbacks: it was labour-intensive and slow, exposed the olive paste to air for prolonged times, and was hard to keep clean. The mats and press equipment could harbour yeasts or moulds and were difficult to sanitise thoroughly. It was not uncommon for olives to begin fermenting in the interim between harvest and pressing - indeed, historical accounts describe farmers bringing sacks of olives to the mill that were “often already fermenting” by the time they were pressed. The result was oil of inconsistent quality and stability. Continuous centrifuge systems like Oliomio eliminated these problems by moving to an enclosed, stainless-steel process where olives are milled almost immediately after picking, drastically cutting the chance for fermentation or oxidation. The greater hygiene and speed of continuous extraction have improved average oil quality and made defects from processing (such as fusty or musty flavours from fermentation) much rarer in modern operations. As a report on introducing Oliomio technology in Australia noted, “centrifugal extraction…replaced older, labour-intensive systems with continuous-flow designs”, offering better hygiene, efficiency, and capacity - effectively rendering the old press method obsolete in quality-oriented production. 

Early small-scale continuous mills (from the 1990s-2000s) were a huge step up from presses, but they lacked some refinements of today’s Oliomio models. For example, many older farm mills did not have automated temperature control for malaxation, nor continuous malaxer flow. The very first “Oliomio” monoblock (created by Tuscan innovator Giorgio Mori) was revolutionary for being compact and continuous, but subsequent generations have added further improvements. A comparison of features illustrates this evolution: the older Spremoliva 30 could only malax in batch mode (no simultaneous crushing while decanting) and had no heating system or temperature display on the malaxer. By contrast, an Oliomio 80 or Gold today has fully continuous malaxing with automated temperature control and readout. Earlier mills often used fixed-speed motors and one-size-fits-all settings, whereas new systems employ inverter drives and adjustable nozzles to accommodate different olive conditions (small, watery olives vs. large, fleshy ones, etc.). Another big leap is in automation: tasks like pomace removal and equipment washing, once manual, are now handled by integrated pumps and wash cycles in machines like the Gold and Profy. This not only reduces labour but also ensures more consistent cleanliness batch after batch. In terms of energy and water usage, modern two-phase decanters are also more sustainable - they eliminate the need for large volumes of dilution water required by traditional three-phase decanters (saving water and the energy to heat it) and produce a simpler waste stream (wet pomace) that can be repurposed or composted more easily than press liquor or black water from old systems.

Crucially, oil quality has improved with each technical advance. Traditional pressing often left higher sediment and water in the oil, necessitating longer settling or filtration and risking quicker oxidation. Continuous centrifugation yields cleaner oil immediately, and the lack of air contact preserves freshness. Chemical measures like peroxide value and UV stability are typically superior in oil produced by a modern continuous mill versus an old press, when starting with the same fruit. The ability to crush and extract within hours of harvest, at controlled temperatures, means free fatty acid levels stay extremely low and the positive flavour notes are maximised. Australian producers who have adopted the latest Oliomio systems consistently report better quality and consistency in their oils, even when processing smaller batches. As an example, Spring Gully Olives in Queensland upgraded to a two-phase Oliomio (150 kg/hr) and found it ideal: it allowed them to process their own crop and offer custom processing to neighbouring groves, all while producing oil that needed no further refining - “the 150 kg per hour Oliomio is an ideal capacity which allows small growers to have their own oil processed…and it leaves the oil in its natural state”. This kind of feedback underlines how modern machinery empowers even small-scale growers to achieve high extraction efficiency and premium quality that rivals the big producers.

In summary, the latest Mori-TEM Oliomio systems represent a convergence of advanced engineering and practical on-farm olive oil production. They enable professional, hygienic, and quality-focused extraction at scales from a few dozen kilograms up to several tonnes per hour. By carefully controlling each step - from fruit cleaning and crushing with minimal oxidation, to malaxation under controlled atmosphere, to efficient two-phase centrifuge separation - these machines ensure that the oil produced reflects the true potential of the olives. Australian growers using Oliomio equipment benefit not only from improved oil quality and shelf life, but also from greater independence and flexibility: they can harvest at optimal times and process immediately, rather than rushing to a distant community mill or risking fruit spoilage. The result is fresher, more flavorful extra virgin olive oil that meets the high standards of a sophisticated global market. And with the range of Oliomio models and configurations now available, producers can choose a setup tailored to their grove’s size and business model - whether it’s a one-person boutique press or a regional processing hub servicing multiple farms. The technology has truly opened a new chapter for the industry, one where tradition and innovation blend to produce the finest EVOO. Each bottle of oil pressed with these modern systems tells the story of careful harvest timing, immediate processing, and gentle extraction - a story that resonates strongly with Australia’s drive for quality and the world’s appreciation of premium extra virgin olive oil.