It has been just under two years since rosin was introduced to the cannabis concentrate market.
How rosin press canada Tech Works
To produce rosin, three components are required: heat, pressure, and time. The technique in rosin production rests within the ability to balance these three components together to create a superior product in flavor and effect.

When extracting rosin, heat must be controlled in order to preserve terpenes and cannabinoids. High temperatures have the ability to rapidly degrade these molecules, creating a bland and inferior final product. This is why producing rosin at the lowest temperature possible is paramount. Limiting the time exposed to high heat can retain some terpenes; however, reducing heat is the only way to ensure the least degradation possible.

Modified Hat Press
Another popular early rosin pressing solution was the modified hat press. Typically, hat presses operate by heating the top plate only, as no heat would be needed for the bottom plate to transfer substances such as vinyl. By modifying a hat press to provide heat to both the bottom and top plates, these units can actually make for a relatively efficient rosin press.

Hat press modifications were among the first to reach the public market, making their way into the homes of rosin enthusiasts by mid-2015. Earlier press models proved to work very well in processing varieties of rosin from hash and flower in small quantities.

Where modified hat presses fail is both in their ability to provide enough pressure to bring temperatures down enough to preserve terpenes, as well as in their lack of efficiency. At best, these presses are optimal for personal use and have no business in a commercial operation.

Hydraulic rosin press machine
When 2000 psi isn’t enough pressure, the hydraulic rosin press is the answer. Otherwise known as an H-frame press, this unit derives its pressure from a hydraulic cylinder. Modified hydraulic rosin presses can reach pressures exceeding 20,000 pounds, allowing for press temperatures to drop into the 100’s. Furthermore, often hydraulic presses offer a greater surface area for pressing, allowing for more product to be produced at once.

Another upside to hydraulic presses is that they can be easy and inexpensive to assemble with just a few simple to acquire parts. Twelve-ton shop presses, for example, cost just over $100 USD, and can be modified into a rosin press with less than $75 USD in additional parts and no extensive experience necessary. Just about everything required can be purchased online.

The market for rosin presses is still relatively young, and developing rapidly every day. Companies are competing for real estate in both the consumer and industrial wholesale marketplace and this competition will only lead to more innovation. Modified hat presses, pneumatic presses, and hydraulic presses are all available today for purchase by a handful of manufacturers with varying reputations for pure pressure rosin press quality.