Tag: fertilizer production machine

For small and medium-sized fertilizer companies using flat die granulators, poor granulation results and frequent malfunctions are often not due to equipment issues, but rather to inadequate raw material pretreatment. Flat die granulators are more sensitive to raw material conditions than other granulation equipment. Proper pretreatment not only improves pellet formation efficiency but also reduces equipment wear and tear.

1. Precise Control of Particle Size

The die holes of flat dies typically have a diameter of 2-5mm. If there are still lumps larger than 1mm in the raw material, they can easily become stuck in the die holes, causing blockage and interrupting discharge. It is recommended to add a “fine screening” step before feeding to ensure uniform raw material particle size. This not only reduces the risk of die blockage, but also ensures more complete compression of the raw material within the die holes, resulting in more stable pellet hardness.

2. Dynamic Control of Moisture Content

The flat die granulator is optimally suited for raw material moisture contents of 18%-22%. However, in actual production, the moisture content of fermented organic fertilizers often fluctuates seasonally. If the moisture content is too high, the raw material will easily stick to the flat die surface, requiring frequent machine stops for cleaning. If the moisture content is too low, the pellets will be loose and fragile. During the pretreatment stage, the moisture content can be monitored in real time. If it is high, hot air drying can be used; if it is low, a small amount of spraying can be used to replenish moisture to ensure the stability of the raw material.

3. Targeted Optimization of the Conditioning Stage

Adding conditioning agents tailored to the specific characteristics of the raw material can significantly improve pelletizing results. For example, when processing pure straw fiber raw material, adding 3%-5% bentonite as a binder can enhance the raw material’s viscosity. When producing organic-inorganic compound fertilizers, adding 1%-2% humic acid can improve moldability and increase the added value of the fertilizer.

For fertilizer companies, the commercial quality of granular fertilizers directly impacts their market competitiveness. Uniform particle size, a full appearance, and stable hardness make products more attractive on shelves and reduce breakage and loss during transportation. The ring die granulator, with its targeted design, is a key piece of equipment for improving the commercial quality of fertilizers.
First, precise control of particle size uniformity is crucial. The ring die of the ring die granulator utilizes a precision drilling process, ensuring that all die holes have a diameter tolerance within ±0.1mm. This results in highly consistent granule diameters after extrusion. Furthermore, the precise matching of the machine’s blade pitch and die speed ensures uniform granule length, fundamentally eliminating the problem of “mixed large and small granules.”

Second, optimization of granule appearance and gloss is crucial. Ring die granulators precisely control the amount of steam added (or ambient temperature binder) to achieve a “wet and sticky” state before extrusion. This results in a smoother pellet surface after extrusion. Some equipment also briefly polishes the pellets, giving them a fuller, glossier appearance and significantly improving market quality.
Finally, the ring die granulator ensures consistent pellet hardness. The ring die granulator’s adjustable roller pressure design allows for adjustments in extrusion force based on fertilizer type. Combined with the appropriate ring die compression ratio, pellet hardness tolerance is controlled within ±10%, meeting transportation requirements while ensuring optimal disintegration during application.

As the core power equipment of a fertilizer production line, a horizontal crusher requires adequate daily maintenance, which directly impacts its operating efficiency and service life.

1. Regular Inspection of Core Components

Stop the horizontal crusher weekly to inspect the condition of the impellers. If the wear-resistant teeth at the end of the impellers are worn more than 1mm or cracked, they should be replaced promptly. Check the main shaft bearings monthly by touching the bearing seat. If the temperature exceeds 60°C or there is any abnormal noise, disassemble and clean the bearings and refill with high-temperature resistant grease. Check the grinding chamber liner quarterly. If the liner is severely worn or dented, replace it to ensure a tight seal.

2. Thorough Cleaning

After each production run, the pulverizing chamber must be cleaned of any residual material (especially after handling high-moisture materials). Compressed air or a special scraper can be used to prevent material agglomeration and corrosion of the chamber walls and impellers. The horizontal crusher casing and motor cooling holes should be cleaned monthly to prevent dust accumulation that could affect motor heat dissipation and cause overload and burnout. Quarterly, the seals at the feed and discharge ports should be inspected. If any seals are aged or deformed, they should be replaced promptly to minimize dust leakage.

3. Standardized Operations to Reduce Losses

Adjust the feed rate strictly according to the characteristics of the raw materials to avoid overloading. If the raw materials to be pulverized need to be changed (for example, from fibrous to hard materials), the residual material in the chamber must be cleared before adjusting the impeller speed and screen. Spare parts should be kept on hand to avoid prolonged downtime due to a shortage of parts in the event of a malfunction.

For fertilizer manufacturers, choosing the right chain crusher not only reduces production costs but also ensures stable production line operation. Many companies often make the mistake of focusing solely on throughput when selecting a grinder.
First, consider compatibility with the raw material characteristics. If primarily processing lightweight fiber materials like straw and rice stalks, focus on the density and toughness of the equipment chain to prevent fiber entanglement. If crushing hard, cake-like materials like soybean meal and cottonseed meal, emphasize chain material strength to ensure impact resistance.
Second, consider whether the processing capacity matches the production line. Calculate the equipment’s hourly throughput based on your daily production capacity, allowing for a 10%-15% margin to prevent overload due to feed rate fluctuations.

Finally, consider controllable crushing particle size. Different fertilizer products have different particle size requirements. For example, granular fertilizers require crushing to 2-5mm, while powdered fertilizers require finer particles. When selecting a chain crusher, confirm whether the equipment can adjust the particle size by adjusting the screen aperture and drum speed.
Finally, consider energy consumption and environmental protection. Prioritize equipment that matches motor power and processing capacity to avoid energy waste caused by a “big horse pulling a small cart.” Also, focus on the chain crusher sealing performance to minimize dust spillage during the crushing process and meet environmental protection requirements in the fertilizer industry.

During the rainy season, humidity is high, and organic fertilizer raw materials easily absorb moisture and clump together. This can lead to production line blockages and slow fermentation if not carefully considered. In fact, smooth production can be achieved by making three moisture-proof adjustments to the organic fertilizer production line.
Include a moisture control step in the pretreatment process. Install a small drying device before the pulverizer to reduce the moisture content of raw materials such as straw and manure from over 65% to 55%-60%, preventing wet materials from sticking to the pulverizer blades.
Add a moisture detector to the mixer outlet. If the raw materials are too wet, it will automatically prompt the addition of dry sawdust, eliminating the need for empirical judgment and reducing the risk of subsequent granulation blockages.

The fermentation process requires both rain protection and ventilation. Build a simple canopy over the fermentation pile to prevent rain from directly falling on it. After each turning, place a layer of dry straw on the surface of the pile. This absorbs moisture and allows for ventilation inside the pile, preventing stagnation. If the humidity in your workshop exceeds 80%, install several industrial fans in the fermentation area to improve air circulation and prevent the fermentation cycle from being extended during the rainy season.
The pelletizing process requires timely cleaning. During the rainy season, raw materials are prone to sticking to the pelletizer’s ring die. Every two hours of production, stop the fertilizer granulator and use a special scraper to clean the sticky material from the die holes. Don’t wait until it accumulates.
The conveyor belt at the discharge port can be covered with an anti-stick mat to prevent pellets from sticking, reducing cleaning time. With these adjustments, your organic fertilizer production line can operate as efficiently as normal during the rainy season, eliminating the need to worry about wet raw materials and slow fermentation.

Organic fertilizer plants now have to meet environmental standards, and dust and noise are prone to complaints. New type organic fertilizer granulators offer more comprehensive dust and noise reduction measures than traditional models, eliminating the need for extensive additional environmental protection equipment.
Let’s first discuss dust reduction. Both the feed and discharge ports feature dust-proof designs. The feed port features a soft dust cover that fits over the conveyor belt outlet, preventing dust from escaping as the material falls. The discharge port incorporates a “deflector + atomizing nozzle” system. As the granules emerge, the deflector guides them in a direction, while the atomizing nozzle sprays a small amount of water (just enough to wet the dust without affecting the particles) to suppress any raised fines. This reduces dust concentration in the workshop by over 60%, eliminating the need for separate, large-scale dust removal equipment.

Next, consider noise reduction. The new type organic fertilizer granulator features a soundproofing pad between the motor and the granulation chamber, resulting in a 10-15 decibel reduction in operating noise compared to traditional machines. For example, while traditional machines typically make a tractor-like sound, the new type organic fertilizer granulator’s operation resembles a washing machine spinning, allowing for normal conversation in the workshop without earplugs. Furthermore, its rollers and ring die work together more smoothly, eliminating the sharp noises caused by friction and preventing disturbance to nearby residents.

Many people use windrow compost turners, thinking that “just turning it is enough.” In reality, they fail to pay attention to details, which can easily lead to spoiled compost (turning it black, smelling, or not fermenting thoroughly).
First, adjust the frequency of turning based on the compost temperature. If the compost temperature is below 45°C, microbial activity is low, so turning it every two days is sufficient. Avoid frequent turning. If the compost temperature exceeds 65°C, turn it once a day. Use a windrow compost turner to move the hot material to the surface to dissipate heat and prevent beneficial bacteria from being killed. This will keep the compost temperature stable at 50-60°C, ensuring optimal fermentation.

Second, check the moisture content of the compost when turning it. If the turned material sticks to the blades and cannot be shaken off, it is too wet. Sprinkle a layer of dry straw on the compost before turning it again. The compost turner will automatically mix it during turning. If the material breaks down and becomes dusty when turned, it is too dry. Spray water on it while turning it, and control the moisture content so that it can be clumped when held in the hand but falls apart when released.
Third, don’t forget to turn the “edge piles.” Many people only turn the large pile in the center, neglecting the smaller piles on the sides, which can cause them to under-ferment. A windrow compost turner can move in a “U-shaped” pattern, turning the center first, then moving around to the edges, bringing the material toward the center, ensuring every pile is turned.

When adding functional ingredients such as slow-release agents, biological agents, and trace elements to BB fertilizer, the BB fertilizer blender requires special adjustments to prevent the additive effects from being lost or unevenly distributed during the blending process.
Biological agents (such as Bacillus subtilis) are sensitive to high temperatures and easily inactivated. Therefore, two key controls must be implemented during blending: first, the blending temperature. By installing a cooling jacket on the BB fertilizer blender barrel, the chamber temperature can be kept below 35°C to prevent frictional heating from the blades, which could reduce the activity of the agent. Second, the mixing order: pre-mix the agent with 10 times the amount of carrier (such as humus powder) to form a “mother powder.” This should then be added after the blender has been running for 5 minutes. This minimizes direct friction between the agent and other ingredients and ensures a viable bacterial count retention rate exceeding 90%.

If adding a slow-release agent, to avoid damaging the coating during mixing, use a “low-shear” impeller (with blunted blade edges), reduce the speed to 15-18 rpm, and control the mixing time to ≤8 minutes. This prevents the slow-release agent particles from excessively colliding and causing the coating to crack, thereby losing its slow-release effect.
For trace elements, they should first be crushed to a size of 100 mesh or larger, pre-diluted with five times the amount of powdered fertilizer (such as monoammonium phosphate powder), and then added to the BB fertilizer blender using a “multi-point feeding” method to ensure even distribution of the trace elements and avoid localized high concentrations that could cause fertilizer damage to the crop.

The granulation performance of a ring die granulator isn’t solely determined by the equipment itself. Linkage optimization with the front-end crushing, mixing, and conditioning processes can significantly improve production efficiency and pellet quality.
During the crushing process, the raw material particle size must be matched to the ring die aperture. For an 8mm ring die aperture, the raw material particle size should be controlled below 2mm, with a particle size deviation of no more than 0.5mm, to prevent large particles from clogging the die aperture. A grading screen can be installed at the pulverizer outlet, with the screen aperture set to 1/4 the ring die aperture, to ensure uniform particle size and reduce the frequency of granulator downtime for cleaning. If the raw material contains a high amount of coarse fiber (such as straw powder), the pulverizer should use a hammer-type mechanism to enhance crushing efficiency.

The mixing process must ensure uniformity among the raw materials, binders, and nutrients. Uneven mixing can result in insufficient nutrients or insufficient strength in some pellets. A typical requirement for uniformity is a coefficient of variation of ≤7%. This can be achieved by adjusting the mixer speed (30-40 rpm) and mixing time (5-8 minutes). Sampling points should be set up at the fertilizer mixer outlet for hourly testing.
During the conditioning process, the steam supply should be adjusted according to the production speed of the ring die granulator. For example, if the pelletizer processes 5 tons of raw materials per hour, the steam supply should be maintained at a stable 0.3-0.4 tons/hour, monitored in real time by a flow meter. If the pelletizer speed is increased to 6 tons/hour, the steam supply should be increased to 0.45-0.5 tons/hour to prevent the raw materials from being too dry or too wet.
By coordinating the speed and flow of the front-end and pelletizer, production efficiency can be increased by 10%-15%, reducing downtime caused by process disconnects.

Fertilizer pellets are prone to clumping during storage and transportation. Through scientific design, coating machines address this issue at its root, focusing on the following key aspects.
First, uniform film coating and protection. The coating machine uses vibrating feeders, combined with guide plates, to evenly distribute pellets. Even pellets of varying sizes are diverted by the guide plates, ensuring that every pellet contacts the film. The symmetrical film guide mechanism wraps the pellets from all sides, creating a complete seal that blocks moisture from reaching the pellets and prevents moisture absorption and clumping. Furthermore, the film tension is precisely controlled, with an error within ±2N. This prevents over-tightening of the pellets, keeping them loose and facilitating even spreading during subsequent fertilization.

Second, precise temperature control is crucial. During the heat-sealing stage, the coating machine uses an intelligent thermostat to maintain a stable temperature of 100-150°C and monitors temperature fluctuations in real time, with fluctuations within ±5°C. This ensures that the film adheres tightly to the pellets, forming a strong protective layer. It also prevents high temperatures from damaging anti-caking components in the fertilizer (such as the coating agents in some slow-release fertilizers), preserving the pellets’ inherent anti-caking properties. The hot air circulation design also ensures a uniform temperature throughout the packaging, preventing uneven shrinkage of the film and damaging the protective layer. Even the slightest movement of the pellets within the package prevents the film from rupturing.