Free Biomass Designs for Fuel Briquette Molds, Briquette  Presses, Chopper, Grinder & more. Parts List, Notes, & Drawings. Most designs are in both English and metric dimensions.

We provide designs on this web site as "open source" but we do ask that credit to EWB Cincinnati and a link be provided back to this site. Thank you

Micro Compound Lever Biomass Briquette Press
Two versions, Brace or Notch, this small press is suggested for single-family use, classroom demonstrations, or a small village  where a small footprint and easy to build press using hand tools are required.

North American lumber standard  1½" x 3½" (38mm x 89mm)

Micro Compound Lever Press
North American lumber standard 1½" x 3½" (38mm x 89mm)
2 Meg, PDF, English & Metric

See the Spanish translated version here and the introduction here by Miguel Bajatet

Video describing the three Biomass Briquette Presses

Get the Biomass Briquette Mold Drawings and Assembly Compendium
Easy BioMold  ̶  Your Choice

Adaptable as a Cheese Press as described by this thread on the CheeseForum.org

Students from Pinelands Eco Scienteers in Little Egg Harbor, NJ have used our presses to demonstrate the importance of using biomass fuel briquettes to help alleviate global deforestation.

Adaptable as a Compressed Earth Block/Brick Press (CEB) as described by Amedean Messan in this thread on Permies.com

Additional organizations that have built the presses: Genereight   Financiaurul Joshua Guinto from Philippines Pix 2   ATN Rwanda   Instructables   Jed Guinto and Coastal Core Sorsogon   Permies.com    Haiti Reconstruction  University of Nottingham uses Press and Grinder for Kenya project

Biomass Molds Compendium
Biomass Briquette Mold Drawings and Assembly Compendium English & Metric, PDF  3.5 Meg
 
This document is about “Choices”. Briquetting for any operation requires a biomass mold of one type or another, whether it’s a small village, single family, or classroom operation. You have “choices” and there are no wrong or right, best or worst, good or bad molds for making biomass briquettes.

A variety of molds will work equally well and one type may be best suited for you depending on the availability of construction materials, tools, cost, skill level, and briquetting requirements. This document provides choices to consider when selecting a biomass mold design.

Molds for shaping biomass into round, square, sticks, cubes & chunks. Drilled, slotted, and split PVC molds along with slotted wood as an alternate to PVC. Two caulking gun presses, split plunger pistons and more.

 Dry Biomass Grinder Thrasher
Easy BioGrind, Measured Drawing & Instructions   2.5 Meg PDF

Video describing the Easy BioGrind Dry Biomass Grinder Thrasher

University of Nottingham uses the press and grinder for Kenya project; See http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/etc/news-SIFEKenya.php

The Easy BioGrind© biomass grinder was designed to grind dry biomass and to accomplish a number of goals. The objectives were the flexibility to grind a wide variety of dry biomasses, low-cost, easy to build using mostly hand tools, easy to operate, easy to maintain and require no welding.

The grinding process is accomplished by rotating a concrete grinding head with its aggregate exposed against a matching concrete grinding cup with its aggregate exposed, and introducing biomass in between the two surfaces. The grinding cup is supported with two degrees of freedom in order to absorb the movement from an out-of-round grinding head or the accidental introduction of small stones or stick into the grinding space. The grinding head is easily rotated using a hand crank at a slow speed (under 90 rpm). The unit can be powered from a bicycle, a foot powered treadle, a gasoline motor or an electric motor. Grinding pressure is easily adjusted by the weight of a few rocks in a pail.

Wet-Dry Biomass Chopper / Cutter
Easy BioChop Measured Drawings & Instructions 600K PDF

Video describing the Easy BioChop Wet-Dry Biomass Chopper Cutter

The Easy BioChop© biomass chopper / cutter was designed to cut both wet and dry biomass and to accomplish a number of goals. The objectives were low-cost, easy to build using mostly hand tools, easy to operate, easy to maintain and require no welding. The unit runs efficiently at a low crank speed and can be easily operated by women or children.

 Large Compound-Lever Biomass Briquette Press
Measured Drawing English Inches  340K PDF

This is the traditional large compound lever press used all over the world, and works with molds diameters from 3 inch to 6 inch.Mold designs have greatly improved since the original design of this press and we suggest downloading:

Easy BioMold  ̶  Your Choice We now have a better method for making a square briquette using a wood mold.

Small Single Lever Biomass Briquette Press (Square Mold)
If PVC is not available or expensive in your area then the 3 inch square wood mold could be an alternate.

Measured Drawing English  570K PDF

Mold designs have greatly improved since the original design of this press and we suggest downloading: Easy BioMold  ̶  Your Choice We now have a better method for making a square briquette using a wood mold.

Small Single-Lever Biomass Briquette Press
Suggested for use as a classroom demonstration briquetting  press or where construction resources are limited

Measured Drawing English  880K  PDF

Mold designs have greatly improved since the original design of this press and we suggest downloading: Easy BioMold  ̶  Your Choice

Large Single-Lever Biomass Briquette Press

If the large compound lever press is inappropriate for your needs then a large single lever press might work in your area. Includes removal jig.

Measured Drawing English  400K PDF

Mold designs have greatly improved since the original design of this press and we suggest downloading: Easy BioMold  ̶  Your Choice
 

  Caulk Gun Briquette Experiment  by: Dr. Zan Smith
Good for classroom demonstrations, formulation testing or small production runs.

See the updated version for this press in: Easy BioMold  ̶  Your Choice

Feasibility of Biomass Fuel Briquettes from Banana Plant Waste  2.7 Meg, PDF

By Lee Hite & Dr. Zan Smith. Fibers from the banana plant could be a new binder for sawdust other than paper pulp. Biomass from banana plant waste is usable in a fuel briquette under limited conditions and this paper reviews those limitations.

New to Biomass Briquetting?
  
If you have not read the briquetting instructions available at the Legacy foundation, I highly recommend reading them thoroughly prior to starting a briquetting operation. They also have several biomass briquette presses made from metal.  See them HERE

 
The Legacy Foundation provides training, technology and media services for biomass fuel briquette production, environmental conservation and income generation throughout the world. They have a number of excellent manuals on briquetting. Visit them HERE  

If you have access to metal working see the

New Ratchet Press from the Legacy Foundation
 

^Top^

Briquetting Video by The Legacy Foundation

Briquette Ratchet Press by The Legacy Foundation

Part 1 of 2 EWB Cincinnati YouTube Video

Part 2 of 2 EWB Cincinnati YouTube Video

Split-Mold Testing for Biomass Briquettes YouTube Video

EWB Cincinnati by Sister Patricia, Rwanda, Africa, YouTube