Member Lina Paola Pardo Quevedo
MemberForum Replies Created
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The most important pelleting process — the one that has the greatest impact on pellet quality, energy efficiency and production capacity is Conditioning (Steam Conditioning of the Mash)
Conditioning is the step where steam is added to the mash before it enters the pellet mill die. It significantly affects:
Pellet durability
Throughput capacity
Die and roller wear
Energy consumption
Nutrient retention (especially in feed)
Without proper conditioning, even the best mill setup will produce poor quality pellets, cause excessive die wear, and waste more energy.
Goals of Good Conditioning:
1. Increase mash temperature (typically 75–85°C for animal feed)
2. Add moisture (usually 2–6%) to plasticize and soften mash
3. Promote starch gelatinization and protein denaturation (improves binding)
4. Ensure uniform mash texture and moisture distribution.
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1. Understand the Problem:
High humidity affects cooling efficiency because:
Moist air holds less heat—reducing temperature gradient and slowing heat transfer.
Moisture is harder to remove from product—leading to higher final moisture content.
Potential for product spoilage, mold, or clumping increases.
2. Optimize Airflow and Ventilation:
a. Increase Air Volume or Velocity:
Ensure fans and ducting are clean and operating at design capacity.
Consider installing variable speed drives (VFDs) on fans to adjust airflow dynamically.
b. Use Conditioned Air Intake:
If possible, draw cooling air from a controlled environment or pre-treat it:
Dehumidifiers or air dryers to reduce moisture in intake air.
Desiccant wheels or chillers for critical applications.
c. Improve Exhaust Systems:
Efficient exhaust or air outlets are crucial to remove humid air and prevent recirculation.
Use chimneys or vent stacks to enhance natural convection and prevent air stagnation.
3. Adjust Bed Depth and Retention Time:
a. Shallow Bed Depth:
In high humidity, reduce the product bed depth on the cooler grid to improve airflow per unit of material.
This increases the surface area-to-volume ratio, enhancing heat and moisture removal.
b. Increase Retention Time:
Slightly increase the residence time of material in the cooler to allow more drying and cooling.
Adjust discharge gate speed to optimize time without bottlenecking downstream.
4. Improve Cooler Design or Configuration:
a. Install Counter-Flow Coolers:
Counter-flow design is more efficient in humid conditions as hot product meets cooler, drier air—maximizing the drying gradient.
b. Use Cyclone Separators or Bag Filters:
To remove fine particles and reduce dust load in humid air which may block airflow or damage filters.
c. Consider Air Distribution Plates:
These help distribute air evenly through the product bed, minimizing hot spots and areas of insufficient cooling.
5. Monitor and Automate:
a. Install Sensors:
Temperature and humidity sensors at air intake and exhaust points.
Moisture sensors on cooled product to check for proper drying.
b. Use Automated Controls:
Integrate PLC or SCADA systems to adjust:
Fan speed
Discharge gate
Air dampers based on real-time humidity and temperature data.
6. Pre-Cooling Adjustments:
Ensure the product enters the cooler at a consistent and appropriate temperature from upstream processes like the pellet mill or hammer mill.
If product temperature is too high, cooling becomes less efficient under humid conditions.
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Phytochemicals in animal feed can have both beneficial and negative effects. On the positive side, they can act as antioxidants and antimicrobials, improve gut health, and enhance immune function. They may also improve nutrient digestion, reduce methane emissions in ruminants, and serve as natural alternatives to synthetic additives. However, some phytochemicals can be toxic or have “anti-nutritional” effects, such as reducing the absorption of nutrients, especially when consumed in high concentrations. The overall effect depends on the specific phytochemical, its dosage, and the animal species.Phytochemicals in animal feed can have both beneficial and negative effects. On the positive side, they can act as antioxidants and antimicrobials, improve gut health, and enhance immune function. They may also improve nutrient digestion, reduce methane emissions in ruminants, and serve as natural alternatives to synthetic additives.
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Thanks
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Improving the energy and performance efficiency of a hammer mill involves optimizing both mechanical and process variables.
Mechanical Improvements:
1. Upgrade or Maintain Hammer Design:
Use appropriate hammer shape and size for the material type. High-wear materials need hardened hammers.
Install adjustable or reversible hammers to extend lifespan and reduce energy loss.
Ensure uniform hammer wear – imbalanced wear increases vibration and energy consumption.
2. Optimize Screen Configuration:
Use larger perforations (if acceptable for product specs) to reduce resistance and energy use.
Maintain or upgrade screen cleanliness and integrity – blocked or damaged screens increase load.
Adjust open screen area: more open area can reduce recirculation and improve throughput.
3. Rotor Design and Speed:
Balance the rotor properly – unbalanced rotors waste energy.
Adjust rotor speed to match material properties (higher speeds give finer grind but use more energy).
Consider variable frequency drives (VFDs) to dynamically adjust motor speed based on load.
4. Air Assist System:
Integrate an air assist system or pneumatic discharge to reduce material buildup, friction, and motor load.
Proper airflow helps transport material faster, reducing power demand.
Operational Efficiency:
1. Optimize Feed Rate:
Steady and uniform feed ensures the mill works within ideal operating range.
Use automated feeders or vibratory feeders for consistent delivery.
2. Prevent Overloading:
Overloading leads to motor strain, overheating, and premature wear.
Monitor load and implement sensors or overload protection.
3. Regular Maintenance:
Keep bearings, motors, and belts in top condition.
Lubricate moving parts regularly and replace worn components proactively.
Material Handling and Pre-processing:
1. Pre-size Raw Material:
Use pre-shredders or crushers to reduce size before entering the hammer mill.
Smaller input size leads to less energy per ton processed.
2. Dry the Material:
Moisture increases energy demand and reduces grinding efficiency.
Pre-dry material to ideal moisture levels (8–15%), if feasible.
3. Avoid Contaminants:
Remove metal or non-grindable contaminants before milling – they cause downtime and damage.
Monitoring and Automation:
1. Install Energy Meters:
Monitor kWh/ton of material processed to measure real improvements.
2. Use SCADA or PLC Systems:
Automate process controls and track performance metrics like:
Throughput
Temperature
Vibration
Power usage
3. Benchmark and Optimize:
Compare with industry benchmarks.
Use simulation tools (like DEM or CFD) to model mill behavior and optimize configuration.
4. Retrofit or Replace When Necessary:
Older hammer mills may be inherently inefficient.
Consider upgrading to newer, high-efficiency models with better motor design, tighter tolerances, and optimized airflow.
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Great
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1. Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS):
Metabolic Disorder
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Stress Triggers
Overfeeding
Dietary Factors2. Other Contributing Factors
Nutritional Imbalances
Environmental Stress
Respiratory Issues
Genetic Predisposition
to genetic factors
Fatty Liver Syndrome -
thanks very much for the knowledge sharing.
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What causes the sudden death in Broilers apart from heat stress?
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The inability to restrict visitors to the farm, inadequate health management and poor sanitation
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Very good. I will look at it.
Thanks for sharing Sir.
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What are the effects of Phytochemicals in feed?
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This is educative
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Thanks
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Good try and very elaborate explanation.
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Appreciate if your responses are brief and if the points aren’t repeated
–Dr Malathi
