Feed pelleting

There are two primary types of pelleting equipment: flat die pellet machines and ring die pellet machines. Both methods are used for feed processing, mainly depending on the moisture content of the input material and the aimed production capacity. Flat die pellets are more suitable for pelletizing single-ingredient feed such as alfalfa or fodder or a balanced feed in small-scale production as on a farm. On the contrary, ring die pellets are great to make compound feed, concentrated feed, and many other formulations that include different types of feed ingredients and large production. Wet ingredients are typically made with ring die pellet equipment. The material is compressed by rollers onto a rotating die, that is forced through the openings. Dry materials, especially ingredients with a harder granular structure, are pelleted with a flat die system, which can apply greater compression power. But the pellet mill itself cannot do the entire job, it needs complementary equipment to achieve the results.

Breaking down the costs of a feed mill or pelleting line, the pelleting process is the most expensive operation, because it has a big front investment, needs frequent maintenance and costly reparations, and consumes a large amount of energy. Pelleting equipment needs good upkeep while in operation, cleaning the surroundings of the machine frequently or at least after every batch and reusing if possible the spilled feed, cleaning the surfaces in the feeder, the conditioner, and the pellet that are in contact with meal or moisture, cleaning any dust or liquids that may be spilled. Cleaning the die and checking its state as well as adjusting the rollers are also activities that should be done on a frequent basis. This upkeep plus preventive maintenance will reduce reparation costs and prolong the life of the machine.