ᐉ DIY feed granulator: 2 options + drawings

Introduction

More and more people understand that granulated herbal mixtures are much healthier for animals, and granulated wood provides several times more heat than ordinary firewood.

Buying a granulator is not always possible, and then craftsmen have the opportunity to train their brains and make a home masterpiece, from which the soul will rejoice for a very long time.

If, after reading this, you decide that it is more profitable for you to buy a press, then contact me at “SUPPORT”. Today there are lines or separate presses both for home use and for small-scale production.

If you contact me, I will tell you which press is best for you to choose, we will select the productivity and even you will be able to visit a real pellet plant for FREE. More details about my services can be found in the “SERVICES” section. I also have an interesting, inexpensive book, which you can find out about in the “MY BOOKS” section.

Advantages

Making this device yourself has many advantages.

The most significant include:

the opportunity to save big without buying a mass-produced granulator;
the ability to independently choose the size of the granules, the performance of the device, the power of its electric motor and other important characteristics;
beneficial properties of granulated food compared to other types.

You can prepare a combined food containing all the necessary vitamins, micro- and macroelements, proteins, fats and carbohydrates in certain, predetermined proportions.

Why are drawings needed?

Before each event, you need to make a work plan and draw up some guidelines. Also with us, before creating your press, you need to outline everything. I will now give you general drawings, but you will need to forge them for yourself.

Why is that? Yes, because everyone has their own materials at hand, and perhaps if I give strict instructions, then you will not find some material from it, but you have analogues at hand. Therefore, everyone customizes everything for themselves.

What you need to create any granulator:

Mechanical skills, experience with a welding machine and ability to operate a lathe;
Welding machine;
A lathe or a familiar lathe;
Drilling machine;
Electric motor.

These are the general requirements for creating abs. Now we will look at several types of presses and add some missing materials.

Drawings of a granulator from a meat grinder

I wrote about this press quite recently here. This press is useful for very small volumes of granulation, for example for creating food for pets, and if there are not very many of these animals. For harder wood you will need a completely different device.

To make such a press you will need:

Meat grinder;
Matrix;
Electric motor from a washing machine or vacuum cleaner.

You can read more about how to do it at the link above.

Screw granulator

This press is already more productive. It can already be used not just for one or two pets, but, for example, for preparing food for the winter for animals. In an hour it can dispense up to 200 kilograms of feed or wood pellets. Everything will depend on the size it will have.

I described its production in detail on this page. Its advantage is simplicity of design and performance.

This design can be made at home and it will be quite productive. In addition, in addition to feed, wood can also be pelletized.

To make such a press you need:

Metal blank for making a matrix;
Metal rod 1 cm;
The body or, more precisely, the pipe for it;

Flat Die Press

It’s much more difficult to make it here, but it can be done, read in detail about its manufacture here. The productivity of such a machine will be even greater than that of a screw machine. But it will also be more difficult to do. I have a very good article about the structure of the press here.

Flat matrix, how to make it, read here;
Rollers or punch, read about their production at the link above;
Shaft transmitting rotation from the worm to the punch;
coupling;
Worm mechanism;
Electric motor;
Loading opening;
Unloading window;
Bearings with a seal (so that screenings and pellets do not pass below);
Legs of the press;
Frame.

There is no need to take these drawings literally, I’m just throwing them out as an example.

Here we additionally need:

Large diameter pipe for making a body;
Sheet metal for making a matrix;
Worm gear, it’s better not to invent anything and buy it or find it somewhere;
Most likely the network for connecting 380 Volts;
Additional metal (pipe, angle, channel).

Introductory part

Today, home craftsmen are constructing various household appliances that make it easier to take care of the household. For example, you can attach a motor from an old washing machine to a lathe. You can build a granulator from a meat grinder. Due to heavy loads, a homemade device will not be able to compress complex objects. A household motor may not be able to withstand it or the rod may break off. Therefore, this design is recommended to be used for:

Mixing green food and medicinal herbs for rabbits;
Creation of feed for other pets.

conclusions

We looked at the drawings of the three simplest granulators that are suitable for home use. As I said, they go in order of increasing productivity from smallest to largest.

It is more preferable to make household granulators with your own hands for the production of compound feed; it is still recommended to buy them for wood. But I don’t mind that in some cases homemade ones are stronger than store-bought ones.

If you still want to make a sawdust press, then you need to make sure that all its elements have increased strength.

In addition, do not forget that for high-quality granulation, the raw material must have a moisture content of 10 - 12%.

In most cases, this is not possible without drying. Why am I saying this, so that it doesn’t turn out that you’ve been doing a press for a couple of months, but it doesn’t press sawdust? You can read how to dry sawdust in the article at this link.

But let me just say briefly that there are several ways to dry raw materials for pellets.

The first is tumble drying. The advantages of this process are:

Small footprint;
Process stability;
Good performance.

The photo shows an industrial dryer.

The second method is drying the crushed wood in a dryer pipe, its advantages are the simplicity of the design, it is much easier to do if you have the materials and welding skills. The disadvantages include the large occupied area.

Where is laminate not installed?

Most often, laminate is not placed in the place where a bulky cabinet is planned or has already been installed. It is enough to attach the future cabinet to the screed, thanks to this there will be no deformation of the floor under the cabinet. If the room already has a built-in wardrobe, then the laminate can be laid around it, not forgetting about the small gap that can be covered with a baseboard.

By the way, if you have to replace the baseboard, you need to make calculations. First, we measure the length and width of the room, making it easy to calculate the area of the room. We subtract the length of the doorway from the obtained value, since the baseboard is not installed in this place. All that remains is to find out the dimensions of the baseboard itself and divide one by the other. Don't forget about the margin of 5% and that the plinth needs to be attached to the wall and not to the floor.

For example, let’s take a room whose area is 20 square meters. m. The sides are 4 and 5 sq. m., respectively. m. Let's assume that the length of the doorway is 1.5 m, and the plinth is 2.5 m. The perimeter of the room minus the opening will be equal to 20 - 1.5 = 18.5 square meters. We add a five percent compensation margin - this is 18.5 * 0.05 = 19.425 m. All that remains is to divide the result by the length of the plinth -19.425 / 2.5 = 8 pieces.

Low class laminate - 21, 22, 23 - should not be installed in rooms with high humidity. These areas include kitchens, bathrooms and swimming pools.

Do-it-yourself household feed granulator drawings

Do-it-yourself household feed granulator, drawings of equipment with an electric drive, V-belt drive and flat matrix.

Before we begin designing the equipment, we will make a simple calculation.

The maximum gear ratio of the V-belt drive is no more than 6.
wrap angle on the small pulley – at least 120°

From the standard range according to GOST 17383-73, we select pulley diameters

Drive pulley (D1), diameter 56 (mm) Driven pulley (D2), diameter 315 (mm)

Calculate the length of the belt

according to the formula: L = 2a + l1 + l2

l – circumference, determined by the formula: l = πDα/360

α1 = 136.57° α2 = 223.43° a = 325.16 (mm)

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Adjusting the auger speed, why and when to use it?

#1 Post by vitalik_f » 23 Oct 2014, 20:36

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#20 Post by Polli_mer » Oct 28, 2014, 4:49 pm

A household feed granulator consists of the following elements

V-belt transmission housing (base).
Granulator matrix drive.
Granulator rollers.
Loading hopper.
Electric motor AIR 100L8.
Movable plate for mounting the electric motor.
Belt tension device.
V-belt transmission.

Frame.
Shaft.
Spatula.
Matrix.
Washer.
Hexagon socket screw DIN 4762 - M8 x 20.
Spring lock washer DIN 128 - A8.
Prismatic key DIN 6885 - A8 x 7 x 22.
Nut DIN 44232 - M8.
Hexagon socket screw DIN 912 - M8x1 x 30.
Single row angular contact bearing DIN 625 - 6307 with protective washers or 66307 according to GOST 831-75 (35 x 80 x 21).
Lock washer DIN 6731 - 32.
Special nut DIN 1804 – M32x1.5.
Prismatic key DIN 6885 - A8 x 7 x 50.

In addition, let's watch a two-part video showing the assembly procedure for a household feed granulator with a flat matrix.

Source

The moment characterizing the granulation procedure

When the granulator is first started, the toothed press rollers begin to rotate relative to the matrix. The raw material passes between the rollers through dies under high pressure. Heating during pelletizing of pressed raw materials is provided by electric heating or dry steam. Or the materials used are heated due to friction.

The acquired characteristics of pellets after running in the granulator are influenced by:

Compression options;

Composition of components;

Dimensional data of the dies;

Pressure value;

Granulator drawings with dimensions

We have already written on our website about solid fuel boilers for home heating, how to choose them, and their advantages and disadvantages. Few people know that modern and environmentally friendly solid fuel is not only firewood, but also pellets. For owners who heat their houses with wood, the issue of fuel procurement is always relevant. A modern solution to this problem is the use of compressed granules (pellets) obtained from wood processing products. This fuel has increased efficiency and produces virtually no soot or soot.

Making pellets will help you save money, since wood waste, sawdust and shavings from other industries will be used for production.

Pellets can be ordered from manufacturers. But, if the need for them is constant and significant, and you have access to wood waste or other suitable raw materials (branches, bark, straw), it is more profitable to purchase a granulator for the production of pellets, or make one yourself.

Assembling a granulator at home cannot be called a simple task. But a person who understands the properties of metals, their processing and has design skills is able to cope with it. For those wishing to try to make this useful device on their own, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the principle of its operation, its varieties and assembly instructions.

Order a hay pelleting line from ALB Group

ALB Group is one of the leading suppliers of equipment for granulating organic raw materials in Russia. Our company has extensive experience in organizing feed mill projects.

Check out our projects:

From our company you can order either a whole hay granulation line or separate equipment, for example, an OGM granulator press.

Reasons to order from us:

Equipment that is not inferior in quality to European analogues;

Short production time: 1 month from signing the contract until the line is fully ready;

Full guarantee of bringing the plant to the required capacity;

Spare parts and consumables are constantly in stock;

Maximum attention to the specifics of your production, support, staff training;

Delivery throughout the Russian Federation, CIS, as well as to other countries.

Granules produced on ALB Group equipment

Ask questions about hay pelletizing equipment in the contact form

or by phone+7

Our managers will select equipment according to your needs, send a price list, as well as an individual commercial offer.

2017

Russian manufacturer and supplier of equipment for the production of pellets and mixed feed

603141, Nizhny Novgorod, st. Larina, 12, office 318

115191, Russia, Moscow, Dukhovskoy lane, 17, office 12A

Operating principle and granule production technology

Pellets are made from various materials - sawdust, wood shavings, bark, peat, wicker and the like. In this case, the raw materials must meet certain requirements:

contain resins or other adhesives;
be thoroughly sifted, free from debris and foreign impurities;
contain 11-13% moisture.

Preparing granules at home requires the use of auxiliary equipment (dryer and grinder) and proceeds as follows:

The purified fuel is poured into a crusher, where it is crushed.
The raw materials are poured into a drum dryer (can be made from a metal barrel), bringing it to the desired humidity.
Re-grinding is carried out.
The prepared raw materials are poured into a granulator, where it is pressed.
The resulting pellets are dried, after which they are ready for use.

Making pellets
The advantages of using a granulator are obvious - in its processed form, fuel takes up much less space, and it becomes possible to dispose of waste. In addition, this mechanism can be used to produce feed pellets, which is convenient for farming.

Small granulator for all types of raw materials [7.5 kW]: how and why

Recently, the catalog was replenished with a third granulator model with a 7.5 kW motor. Previously, we offered only pellet and feed versions, but now we also produce a universal version - for all types of raw materials.

Let us recall that previously only granulators with two-speed motors: 13-17 kW and 22-33 kW were universal (that is, capable of processing both feed and sawdust with maximum productivity). How did we achieve versatility from a small granulator? The problem was solved by installing a frequency converter.

It helps not only to switch the granulator from feed mode to pellet mode, but to carry out smooth adjustments. This method of speed adjustment is used in modern CNC machines.

Why adjust the speed?

As our practice confirms, the effectiveness of granulation depends on:

composition of raw materials;
granulator matrix parameters;
engine speed, which directly affects the rotation speed of the rollers.

With the right recipe and the right die, the user can experience reduced performance due to inappropriate motor speeds. This is why if you decide to pelletize feed on a pellet model, the productivity will be lower than on a feed pellet mill with a weaker motor.

Table: Comparison of 7.5 kW granulators

(for all types of raw materials)

Motor power, kW

Standard engine speed, rpm

Granule diameter, mm

Matrix diameter, mm

As can be seen from the table, the performance of the universal granulator on feed corresponds to the feed model, and on sawdust – to the pellet model. This means that the user of such equipment will receive a maximum of granules from each type of raw material.

Who needs a universal 7.5 kW granulator?

The main advantage of a granulator for all types of raw materials is its ability to process various materials. Therefore, for anyone who wants to focus on pelletizing one product, it is better to choose a feed/pellet model.

Universal equipment will be useful:

farmers who want to dispose of various waste from their own plot. For example, in the spring, make food with vitamin supplements; in summer, make pellets from branches left after spring pruning of the garden; in the fall, process grain waste and straw;
feed institutes and research stations. These organizations are often involved in the development of new feeds, methods of recycling waste from food, woodworking and other enterprises;
large farming enterprises with their own experimental base. Many of them already own large pelleting lines, but it is inconvenient to develop new feed recipes on such a scale. And it is necessary to improve recipes, because for each period of an animal’s life it is necessary to select the ratio of nutrients, minerals and vitamins that will ensure its maximum performance, maintain health and prevent diseases. Therefore, large enterprises equip an experimental pelleting line to test new recipes, evaluate the quality of the resulting pellets and feed control groups of animals.

If you have your opinion about the 7.5 kW granulator for all types of raw materials and its application in other areas, be sure to tell us about it in our Facebook group. It will be very interesting for us.

Device design

To assemble the mechanism yourself, you need to understand the structure of the granulator. The unit consists of:

grounds;
electric motor (power from 15 kW);
matrices;
gearbox;
shaft;
containers for raw materials and finished products.

The matrix is the main part on which the speed and efficiency of the device depends. It comes in two main types – cylindrical (ring) and flat. The first is a drum with holes and rotating rollers. Under pressure, the raw material passes through the holes and is cut off with special knives at the exit.

The matrix of the second type (flat) consists of a hard disk fixed on the shaft. The principle of its operation is no different from the cylindrical one. Such devices are more modern and suitable for processing solid wood waste, which is not possible for devices with a ring matrix. In terms of operating speed, the second type of mechanism is also the leader.

Working principle of flat die granulator

There is another type of granulator, in which the raw material is pressed through a matrix using a rotating screw, similar to a meat grinder. They are suitable only for processing fine-grained, pre-ground materials, and because of this feature they are rarely used for wood waste.

It is recommended to purchase the matrix ready-made. Factory-made parts are sold as components for branded devices. In addition, their production can be ordered from private craftsmen.

Operating principle

The process of forming granules occurs by giving shape to crushed raw materials while passing through holes in the matrix. This complex cycle, previously common only in the chemical industry for the production of plastics, began to be used in animal husbandry relatively recently.

Device

The granulator requires a small number of components and spare parts.

In general, it consists of the following elements:

electric motor with a power of at least 15 kW;

containers for raw materials and finished product.

The main part is the matrix; the shape and size of the feed granules depends on its quality.

There are several types of granulators.

The most common include:

With a homemade matrix. This type is the most affordable and budget-friendly and does not require a large amount of material and spare parts. This type of device is highly reliable.

From a meat grinder. Manufacturing the product requires almost no resources, but the quality of the produced food will be an order of magnitude lower than in the previous version.

Which type of granulator to choose - everyone must determine for themselves, based on the needs of their farm.

Instructions for making a granulator

Let's look at how to make a granulator using a ready-made matrix, and what is required for this. In addition to the matrix itself, you should purchase a rotation shaft, a motor of the required power, sheet metal, a corner, fasteners (nuts, bolts) and prepare tools. The tool set includes a welding machine, an angle grinder, a drill, wrenches, a marker and a ruler.

Matrix inside the case

The first step is to make a frame (the stationary part of the unit) from a channel. The frame must be rigid and able to withstand vibration and dynamic loads during operation.

The base of the granulator - a box - is installed on the frame. The material for it is sheet metal of sufficient strength, which is cut into strips and welded in the desired shape. A piece of wide metal pipe can also be used as a housing for the mechanism. On the top of the box, markings are applied with a marker corresponding to the diameter of the matrix and a hole is cut along the line for loading raw materials.

A strip 10 cm wide is cut out of metal and is of such length that it can be used to form a side for the hole, and weld it to the box. At the bottom of the frame, another hole is made for the matrix rotation shaft. Also, a square slot is located on one of the side faces. A small metal tray is attached under it.

Another part that is better to be foreseen and manufactured right away is a funnel-shaped loading bell, which is placed on top of the body. It will simplify the supply of raw materials during operation of the device. You can make it from a tin bucket with a cut bottom or weld it from sheet metal.

What can be granulated

Recipes for granulated food
The following are granulated:

feed, hay, straw;
sawdust, coal (in pressed form they are used for heating premises, and when they are granulated, the process of removing waste from lumber is simplified);
peat, animal manure, bird droppings (used in briquettes as fertilizer);
chalk, lime;
polymer shavings (in the free state they are characterized by increased volatility).

Granulator with homemade matrix

If you decide to make both the matrix and the granulator with your own hands, the drawings and recommendations given below will help you cope with this task.

Matrix manufacturing

It’s easier to make a flat matrix at home. To do this, you will need to purchase a blank disk or cut it out of metal more than 2 cm thick. The diameter depends on what performance you are counting on. A granulator with a matrix with a diameter of 50 cm is capable of processing up to 300 kg of fuel or feed per hour. But keep in mind that such a device requires a powerful motor - at least 25 kW.

A hole with a groove is drilled exactly in the center of the workpiece to fix the matrix on the rotating shaft. Holes for pressing pellets are made on the disk in several rows using a special cutter; the optimal diameter for them is 8-10 mm. They must be cone-shaped, tapering towards the bottom.

Flat die pressing holes

Selection of rollers for rollers

Also, to make the granulator efficient, you should take care of powerful toothed rollers. Their width should be equal to the working surface of the matrix disk. Suitable rollers are mounted on a vertical shaft through bearings and pressed against the matrix, tightening a large diameter nut on top.

Cylindrical body

The body for the device is a piece of pipe with a diameter corresponding to the matrix or sheet metal welded to form a cylinder. For ease of maintenance, it is recommended to make it dismountable, with bolt fastenings on the sides. In the lower part there is a gearbox and a square window for pellet output, and in the upper part there is a matrix with rollers and a hole for loading raw materials.

Sectional view of the case

The matrix should fit freely into the body, but the gap between it and the walls is kept minimal. To securely connect the two parts of the cylinder, ears are welded to the sides, into which bolts are screwed. Finally, the granulator is fixed to the frame and connected to the engine. The finished structure is checked and, making sure that everything is functioning, the body is painted with metal paint. The manufacture of the homemade device is completed.

By making a pellet granulator with your own hands, you will solve the problem of recycling unnecessary wood waste and subsequent compact storage of fuel for a fireplace, sauna or heating boiler. In addition, such a mechanism will make life much easier for farmers by simplifying the processing of animal feed. Whether to make the granulator yourself “from start to finish” or assemble it from ready-made parts is up to you, but before starting work you should soberly assess your strengths and draw up a drawing of the future device. Good luck!

Granular feed is considered more nutritious and is better absorbed by the animal’s body than other types of feed. A feed granulator helps create a unique composition. With its help, you can process not only grain crops, but also obtain granules from grass.

You can assemble the device in accordance with the required performance and dimensions with your own hands from scrap materials or purchased spare parts. But in each individual case, you need to determine what type of feed the animals consume and its volume, and then choose a suitable design.

This device is used for the production of straw pellets used as bedding for animals, granulated grain feed for 1-2 animals and its reserve for the winter. Within an hour, using a screw granulator you can make about 200 kg of feed. Moreover, the yield of the final product depends on the size and power of the equipment.

Raw materials are supplied through the upper part of the granulator, which moves inside the housing, is pressed by a screw through the holes of the matrix and comes out in the form of granules.

Feed granulator: diagram

high performance;
simplicity of design.

The structure can be assembled with your own hands and produces not only feed pellets, but also wood.

Pebbles and stones can get into the press; to prevent this, you need to put a sieve at the loading stage.

For manufacturing you will need a welding machine, grinder, drilling and lathe. It is not recommended to use a drill, as the holes are crooked.

motor;
gearbox;
bearings – 2 pcs. to the diameter of the mounting hole;
metal blank for the matrix;
metal rod 10 mm;
pipes for the body.

The first step is to determine the dimensions of the device, the diameter of the screw and the type of matrix.

Screw granulator: diagram

In each individual case, the parameters may vary depending on the characteristics of the harvested material. Ball and tapered roller bearings are used (load relief during operation).

This is an important element and increased demands are placed on its quality, on which the performance of the device depends.

1. Shaft selection.
2. Grooving mounting holes for bearings.
3. Rolling and welding of the rod.
4. Processing with a grinder.

If the step is larger, then the pressure on the matrix is less, but productivity is higher. And, conversely, the smaller the step, the lower the performance and the higher the pressure.

Auger for granulator: drawing

The live cross-section of the matrix has a great influence on the productivity of the press: the smaller it is, the lower the efficiency. Therefore, small holes are widened to facilitate the entry of raw materials and ground. There is a relationship between the length of the holes and the length of the granules at which the required strength of the finished product is obtained. To obtain granules with a larger diameter, the thickness of the matrix must be higher.

To make the matrix, a blank made of 45 steel or stainless steel with high wear resistance is used. A small matrix made of iron will last from 3 to 5 years.

The die dies of the matrix are marked on a lathe or paper markings are applied, cored and through holes are drilled on the machine, and ground on top with a cone cutter (16-17 degrees) to a depth of 5 mm.

Table: Dependence of matrix thickness on hole diameter:

Hole diameter, mm	Matrix thickness, mm
6	40
4	25
3	20

The thickness of the matrix determines its power and should, at best, be 10 times the diameter of the holes.

Matrix for granulator: drawing

The durability of matrices depends on the parameters:

incorrect consistency of the feed (presence of abrasive particles, lack of natural oils);
change in the speed of passage of raw materials;
corrosion (aggressive mixture of products: oat flour, rice bran, animal fats, gluten).

Advice from professionals

Gearbox manufacturing

To make a granulator, you can use a homemade gearbox. One of the common manufacturing options: rear axle from heavy Ural or Dnepr motorcycles. The subordinate ratio of this element is 4.62, it is compact, so it can be placed vertically.

You can connect the engine to the gearbox using a cardan or an elastic coupling from the same motorcycles. The drive gear has a splined shank onto which a cardan or elastic coupling can be mounted.

A household feed granulator consists of the following elements

V-belt transmission housing (base).
Granulator matrix drive.
Granulator rollers.
Loading hopper.
Electric motor AIR 100L8.
Movable plate for mounting the electric motor.
Belt tension device.
V-belt transmission.

Frame.
Shaft.
Spatula.
Matrix.
Washer.
Hexagon socket screw DIN 4762 – M8 x 20.
Spring lock washer DIN 128 – A8.
Prismatic key DIN 6885 – A8 x 7 x 22.
Nut DIN 44232 – M8.
Hexagon socket screw DIN 912 – M8x1 x 30.
Single row angular contact bearing DIN 625 – 6307 with protective washers or 66307 according to GOST 831-75 (35 x 80 x 21).
Lock washer DIN 6731 – 32.
Special nut DIN 1804 – M32x1.5.
Prismatic key DIN 6885 – A8 x 7 x 50.

In addition, let's watch a two-part video showing the assembly procedure for a household feed granulator with a flat matrix.

Source

Screw press

Description and benefits

This mechanism is used to produce granulated feed from grain and straw pellets, which are used as top dressing. In just one hour of work, it is possible to process 200 kilograms of raw materials into 200 kilograms of finished feed. You can regulate the amount of product by adjusting the power and performance of the equipment.

The principle of operation is as follows: the raw material is fed into the upper part of the apparatus, which moves inside the wheel, is pressed by a screw through holes in the matrix and takes the form of granules.

Advantages of this type of granulators:

ease of making with your own hands.

If you improve the device and select more wear-resistant components, you can even recycle wood.

Necessary materials

The materials needed are the same as for the manufacture of a granulator with a flat matrix; the differences appear precisely in the matrix itself.

For production you will need:

screw DIN 478 M5-10;

bearing DIN 625-6207;

retaining ring DIN 471-35-1.5;

Large equipment for manufacturing will require: a welding machine, an angle grinder, a drilling machine and a lathe.

bearings – 2 pcs. to the diameter of the mounting hole;

metal blank for the matrix;

metal rod 10 mm;

pipes for the body.

The structure must be steel, so the components must be reliable, durable, but not harder than steel, so that the screw granulator works for a long time.

Drawing up a drawing

To construct a drawing, the most important parameters are the dimensions of the device itself, the diameter of the screw and the type of matrix: with the size and frequency of the cells.

Everyone chooses the dimensions independently, but the most common are:

gearbox speed – 120-150 rpm;

cone angle – 70°;

case diameter – 58 millimeters;

screw height – 52 millimeters;

The diameter of the shaft outlet is 30 millimeters.

Most often, the parameters of parts change as productivity increases: the higher it is, the larger the dimensions required. Ball and tapered roller bearings must be used.

Making a screw

This is the most important step in making a screw granulator with your own hands.

Screw manufacturing steps:

making mounting holes for bearings;

rolling and welding of rod;

The larger the thread pitch, the higher the productivity, and the lower the pressure on the die.

Matrix

There is such a pattern: the larger the matrix cross-section, the higher the efficiency. Small holes need to be widened with a drill and be sure to be sanded. The strength of feed pellets depends on their length, which is determined by the thickness of the matrix disk. In this case, you need to take into account: the longer the granules are planned, the thicker they should be, so you need to increase the diameter of the matrix cells and its thickness.

The matrix is made of steel plate grade 45. It is advisable to use alloy or stainless steel. The thinner the matrix, the faster it wears out. The holes in the cells can be drilled and must be sanded.

The diameter is selected depending on the thickness of the matrix disk: a 6 mm mesh is suitable for a 40 mm disk thickness; 4 mm – for 25 mm; 3 mm - for 20 millimeters, respectively.

The durability of the matrix depends on the following factors:

consistency of raw materials (presence of abrasive components, lack of oils);

changing the feed rate of the source material;

corrosion due to aggressive organic compounds - oils, fats, bran.

The power of the matrix depends on the thickness, so the diameter of the cells should be approximately 8-10 times less than the thickness.

Body of two or three sleeves

To make the casing, you will need a pipe equipped with a replaceable sleeve, which must be welded to the edges of the housing. The loading hole is made from a piece of small diameter pipe. The ends are equipped with flanges.

The bushing can be replaced. Its thickness should be six millimeters. It is necessary to leave a mounting socket to attach the matrix to the inside of the case. Five plates must be welded onto the bushing to distribute the load when feeding raw materials.

How the device works

To make your own feed granulator, a drawing is necessary as well as knowledge of the operating principle. The device works like this: raw materials are poured on top and fall into the matrix. Then the raw material is pressed by rollers into a special hole. The granules come out through a special hole in the body.

To prepare a small volume of feed, a design based on a meat grinder is used. Instead of rollers, it uses a screw to press the raw materials. The disadvantage of this type is that for falling asleep it is necessary to use only very fine raw materials, grass.

Additional features

If a large amount of wood waste accumulates on your site, you can also put it to good use using a self-made granulator. Accumulated wood chips must first be dried and then passed through a granulator. As a result, you will receive wood pellets, which can be easily and profitably used during the heating season, of course, if you have stove or steam heating installed in your house.

Wood pellets take longer to smolder, and therefore emit a significant amount of heat much longer than chopped firewood. Using this type of fuel will help you save significantly on the purchase of coal and firewood.

Table. Comparison of heating costs

Build process

To avoid any difficulties during assembly, it is recommended to make drawings first. You can assemble a feed granulator with your own hands using them in a matter of hours. Assembly begins with installing the gearbox into the housing. Its function is to transmit torque from the engine to the shaft. During this process, the roller and die rotate.

A matrix and a roller are mounted in the upper part, which are fixed to the shaft. The rollers themselves are connected by bearings. The bearing is also first placed on the axis of rotation, and then the roller. The structure is pressed to the matrix with a nut. The finished unit is installed in the housing. In this case, the size of the rollers should cover the entire matrix in width.

The engine is installed near the body. The gearbox is connected to it via a belt or chain. A container is mounted on top of the body into which the raw materials will be placed.