Willmes Replacement Fruit Press Bladders

The Josef Willmes Company in Bensheim, Germany made a series of Pneumatic Fruit Pressers that were quite revolutionary for the extraction of juices from fruit, i.e. grapes. This presser came into vogue in the 1950s. This Willmes Presser has been replaced by other mechanical methods of juice extraction but the Pneumatic Willmes Presser is still in operation in many wineries throughout the world. Replacement bladders are regularly required for these older presses as they wear out over time.

The Willmes Presser utilizes a rubber bladder pressing against a hollow perforated stainless steel cylinder to extract the juice. The unfermented grapes are put inside the cylinder (between the bladder and cylinder); the bladder is inflated, pressing the grapes against the cylinder. The juice passes through the perforations and is collected in a pan below. The seeds and skins (pomace) are retained inside the cylinder and when removed are used as fertilizer for next years crop.

There are 4 different size bladders available:

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so we can include a SHIPPING ESTIMATE as well

WP500 / 65	14" diameter opening  x 75" long
WP1000 / 75	16" diameter opening  x 100" long
WP1500 / 90	18" diameter opening  x 117" long
WP2300 / 100	20" diameter opening x 139" long

The rubber bladder is made from FDA approved ingredients/concentrations and is black. The bladder ends have a series of grommets molded to the rubber to enable the bladder to be laced inside the cylinder as well as a wide rubber bead that fits into a channel on the cylinder keeping it in place during operation. The bladder is made on a metal mandrel and turned inside/out prior to shipping so that the rubber bead is on the inside to engage the cylinder. The bead height is 1.25 to 1.5” wide and around ½” Tall. The height of the bead may be able to be modified, if desired you must specify during the quoting process.

We periodically have a WP1000, WP1500 and WP 2300 especially during the late summer and fall months (pressing season) but most orders are built to order and will require a ten week lead time from the date of order to fulfill. It is best to order your bladders in advance and during the off-season months.

Bladders should be stored in a cool, dark areas away from direct sunlight. Ideally bladders should be stored flat, not rolled. Some customers have stated rubbing glycerol on the bladder when in storage has helped keep the rubber supple when not in use however, we have no evidence that this helpful and provide no recommendations to use this procedure.

Over our 40 years of selling these bladders we have seen longevity averaging 5 to 9 years though based on use and storage, bladders can fail sooner and we have seen some customers have bladders close to 20 years before replacing!

We do not offer a warranty on the bladders as we have no control of installation and use. Each bladder is inspected thoroughly upon shipment. We recommend you inspect your bladder upon arrival for any damage that may have occurred during transit and compare the length and rubber bead width and thickness to your existing bladder upon arrival, especially if you are not planning on installing bladder right away. Please contact us immediately if you find any issues with your bladder upon receipt or within 10 business days of receipt.

Bladders are shipped LTL freight in a box, strapped to a skid. We insure each shipment for the value of the bladder. A shipping quote will be provided with each quote or bladders can be picked up at our plant in Macedon, NY.

If it's made from rubber, contact us!