When selecting biomass pellet machine equipment, it is essential to consider multiple dimensions. The following analysis takes into account key factors such as equipment performance, production requirements, and costs. You can compare and see if it meets your actual needs:
1. Clarify raw material characteristics and pellet usage
Raw material type and physical properties
Raw material types: Different raw materials (such as straw, wood chips, rice husks, peanut shells, etc.) have significant differences in hardness, moisture content, and fiber structure. For example, wood chip raw materials have higher hardness, so equipment with wear-resistant components (such as alloy press rollers, molds) should be selected; straw raw materials have looser fibers, so attention should be paid to the equipment's extrusion forming capacity.
Moisture content requirements: Most pellet machines require the raw material moisture content to be between 10% and 15%. If the raw material moisture content is too high (such as fresh straw), a drying device should be combined; otherwise, the pellets may become loose and the equipment may get clogged; if the moisture content is too low, it may affect the forming density and increase equipment wear.
Pellet usage and specifications
Usage orientation: If used for fuel (such as heating, boiler combustion), the pellet density should be ≥ 0.8g/cm³, and the combustion efficiency should be high; if used for feed, it should meet animal consumption safety standards, with uniform pellet sizes (such as 3-8mm), and no dust pollution.
Specification requirements: Determine the pellet diameter (commonly 2-12mm) and length (usually 1-3 times the diameter), and the equipment should support mold replacement to adapt to different specifications.
2. Core performance indicators and equipment structure
Pellet production efficiency and capacity
Capacity matching: Select the equipment model based on the production scale. Medium-sized commercial equipment has a capacity of 1-5t/h, and large production lines can reach 10t/h or more. Pay attention to whether the marked capacity of the equipment matches the raw material characteristics (such as the capacity of straw raw materials is usually lower than that of wood chip raw materials).
Motor power and energy consumption: The higher the production capacity, the larger the motor power, but attention should be paid to the energy consumption ratio (unit production energy consumption). Energy-saving equipment can reduce long-term operating costs.
Forming rate and pellet quality
Forming rate: High-quality equipment should have a forming rate of ≥ 95%, with smooth surface, no cracks, and moderate hardness (fuel pellets should be resistant to dropping, and feed pellets should be easy to crush).
Mold and roller design:
Mold material: Use high-hardness alloys (such as chromium-molybdenum alloys), with long wear-resistant life (usually can produce 500-1000 tons of raw materials);
Roller and mold gap: It should be adjustable (generally 0.1-0.3mm), too small a gap may cause wear, and too large a gap may result in poor forming, and high-quality equipment is equipped with an automatic adjustment device.
Equipment structure and durability
Replacement cost of wear parts: The replacement frequency and cost of components such as rollers, molds, and bearings need to be considered. Some manufacturers provide customized wear-resistant parts, although the initial cost is high, it is more economical in the long run.
3. Production support and automation level
Auxiliary equipment support
Raw material pre-treatment: Need to be equipped with a grinder (to reduce the particle size of the raw materials to 3-5mm or below), a screening machine (to remove impurities), and a dryer (to control moisture content), some manufacturers can provide an "grinding - drying - pelletizing" integrated production line to reduce equipment connection problems.
Cooling and transportation: After pellet formation, the temperature is relatively high (about 60-80℃), need to be equipped with a cooling machine (to reduce the temperature to room temperature + 5℃) and a conveyor (to avoid manual handling loss).
Automation and intelligence
Control system: High-end equipment is equipped with PLC intelligent control, which can monitor parameters such as temperature, pressure, and motor current in real time, automatically adjust the operating state, and reduce manual intervention;
Safety protection: Need to have overload protection, bearing temperature alarm, and automatic lubrication system, to reduce the risk of equipment failure.
4. Cost and after-sales service
Initial investment and cost performance
Equipment price: Need to compare the configuration of equipment with the same production capacity (such as motor brand, mold material), avoid frequent maintenance due to poor quality of low-price equipment. Energy consumption and labor costs: Although energy-saving equipment (such as variable-frequency motors) is expensive, it can save electricity costs over the long term; highly automated equipment can reduce the need for manual labor (for example, a 5t/h production line only requires 2-3 people to operate).
After-sales service and technical support
Manufacturer qualifications: Choose manufacturers with research and development capabilities and industry experience (such as those established for more than 5 years and with case sites for on-site inspection), to avoid unreliable after-sales services for small-scale equipment;
Warranty and spare parts supply: Require at least 1-year whole machine warranty, sufficient inventory of spare parts, and the manufacturer should provide installation and commissioning, operation training, and regular maintenance guidance.
5.Environmental protection and policy compliance
Dust and noise control
During the granulation process, dust and noise will be generated. The equipment must be equipped with dust removal devices (such as bag-type dust collectors), in compliance with environmental protection standards.
If you have considered the above dimensions and they meet the actual production requirements, then the logic is reasonable. If there are specific scenarios (such as for household use, commercial use, or types of raw materials), further detailed analysis can be conducted!