Luna expects the new biomass packer to reduce end-to-end processing time by 60 percent.
Portland, Oregon – (October 27, 2020) — Luna Technologies, a Portland-based hydrocarbon extraction equipment manufacturer, has expanded its product line with the new 1.2-ton Biomass Packer, designed for use with the company's IO Extractor.
The biomass packer is designed to safely and consistently compress frozen or dry cannabis flower into an eight-inch puck, prepared to fit the IO Extractor's 25-micron filter bag. The new feature streamlines one of the most physically draining and time-consuming steps to preparing cannabis flower for the hydrocarbon extraction process. BDSA, the leading provider of cannabis industry market research, together with its partner Arcview Market Research reports that sales growth for cannabis extracts in U.S. retail is outpacing traditional flower, and is projected to top $8 billion, or 35.9 percent of the total market, by 2022.
Luna's packer has a hopper that can take up to ten pounds of loose biomass at a time. Then, a foot switch causes the machine to pneumatically compress biomass safely, consistently, and up to 60 percent more effectively than by hand. With safety features and mufflers to control noise output in place, the packer uses up to 2,385 pounds of force to compress the biomass into pucks. As a result, the packer helps to reduce stored volume by up to 85 percent. When compared to hand packing, the 1.2-ton Biomass Packer possesses a far greater ability to control packing pressure, which provides a consistent starting point for hydrocarbon extraction and produces the highest quality oil possible.
"Something as simple as compressing plant matter into a tube has been a pain point for cannabis extractors for a decade," said Jack Naito, President of Luna Technologies. "It's contributed to manufacturing bottlenecks, inconsistent product, and workplace injuries. This packer moves us forward on our goal of setting the industry standard in our three areas of focus: safety, quality, and ease of use. On top of that, when we can help our grower and extractor clients increase the value of their storage, their ingredients, and their labor through one piece of equipment, we are doing the job we set out to accomplish with Luna.
