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Pellet mills: Scaling up to boost operational efficiency
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by Famsun, China
amsun recently rolled out a 70t/hr pellet mill to help feed producers tackle sustainability challenges. To feed the anticipated human population of 9.8 billion by 2050, we need to promote sustainable consumption and responsible production patterns in the global food production system. As a solution-focused processing partner from farm to table, Famsun strives to be forward-thinking and is always considering how to improve production systems through better utilisation of natural resources, for example, by reducing raw material waste and energy losses. Due to proven animal growth and feed efficiency results, the pelleting process has been a very popular processing solution in the feed industry for many decades. However, improving the pelleting line’s yield efficiency is an essential design objective to help feed factories operate more sustainably. The new Famsun K70 Pellet Mill is such a machine using this design principle. The gear driven K70 design boosts capacity while also improving energy efficiency and operational reliability, which seeks to minimise line interruptions that can create substantial raw material waste. This giant machine is a new member of the Famsun K-Series pellet mill family, which includes the K15, K15X, K20, K25, K35, and K50. Since the initial introduction of the first K-Series model
72 | August 2020 - Milling and Grain
in 2014, over 350 units of this gear-driven pellet mill are now in operation around the world. The popularity of this line of pellet mills is a result of its excellent reputation to perform reliably, its ability to control product quality, and for its ease of maintenance. The K70 Pellet Mill (See Table 1) was developed not only by scaling-up the machine’s size from its existing models but also by incorporating the latest innovations and design considerations. By introducing this new unit, the Famsun company can help feed producers become more sustainable and allow them to continue leading the market well into the future.
Geardrive to maximise power utilisation
The gearbox is more compact, efficient, and has a long service life. Famsun gear drive pellet mills are equipped with either a German SEW or an American Rexnord gearbox, ensuring efficient power transmission. The design of the large gearbox ensures stable and trouble-free running with minimal vibration and noise (< 95 decibels). Also, the gears and bearings are designed for a service life of one million hours or more to ensure a long and stable running performance, considerably reducing downtime, maintenance, and operational costs.
Optimised design to boost capacity up to 70 t/h
The K70 drive motor can be as large as 500kW and it uses a ring die of 1,070mm in diameter. The feeding and compression structure were also optimised in this new pellet mill.