There is a moment, on every project, when years of engineering finally meet the first rose petals — and steam begins to carry away the scent. This season, our team delivered exactly that: a complete Rosa damascena distillation facility, designed, manufactured and commissioned by Dünder Makine.
For us, this was more than the delivery of equipment. It was the continuation of a story that began in Isparta in 1980 — and another chance to put decades of rose-processing know-how to work in a brand-new facility.
A turnkey facility, built around the flower
The system was engineered as a complete processing line, not a single machine. At its heart are eight HI-500 steam distillation units, each with a 3,500-litre capacity, supported by two cohobation units. From the moment fresh petals arrive from the field, the plant is designed to handle them gently and efficiently, protecting the delicate aroma that makes Damask rose so valuable.
The HI-500 units work on the principle of steam-based water distillation: an external steam generator raises the water temperature in a controlled flow, gently releasing rose oil and rose water in their purest form. Each still itself is made of copper — a material long preferred in traditional distillation because it distributes heat evenly and helps preserve the purity of the essential oil. The components downstream of the still — the tubular/serpentine condenser and the Florentine flask where the oil is separated — are built from AISI 304 / 316 stainless steel.
Refining the result: cohobation
The two cohobation units take the process a step further. Here, the hydrosol obtained at the end of distillation is redistilled to recover the volatile compounds it still carries. The result is a higher essential-oil yield and a finer-quality rose water — a detail that makes a real difference in the value of the final product.
Adding value where the flowers grow
Interest in high-value aromatic plants keeps growing, and Rosa damascena sits at the heart of that movement. Reliable, purpose-built distillation capacity means growers can turn their harvest into rose oil and hydrosol on site — adding value where the flowers are grown, rather than exporting raw material.
This is exactly the kind of project Dünder Makine was built for: helping producers develop their own rose-processing capability with equipment proven in the field.
The Dünder difference: from the field to the still
What sets our work apart is simple — we do not only build the equipment, we live the process. Through SD Essential Oils, our family grows Rosa damascena on its own fields in Isparta and produces rose oil, concrete, absolute and hydrosol using machines we manufacture ourselves.
That means when we design a distillation plant, we design it as people who run one. Every detail — petal loading, steam distribution, cohobation, cooling, oil separation — reflects decades of real harvest seasons, not only drawings.
On site, until the first distillation
Our engineers did not simply ship a facility and leave. The team was present through assembly, commissioning and the first distillation run, working alongside the operators and supporting their training so the plant could be handed over running and ready.
Seeing the first batch of Damask rose run through equipment built in Isparta was a proud moment for everyone involved — and the beginning of a partnership we look forward to growing.
Looking ahead
This project is one more step in Dünder Makine’s journey from a single workshop in Isparta to distillation and extraction systems running far beyond it. Wherever Rosa damascena grows, we are ready to help turn it into oil.
If you are planning a rose, lavender or aromatic-plant distillation project, we would be glad to talk.
