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The main aspects of the pelleting process influencing the quality of feed

The factors that influence pellet quality are: formulation, grinding, conditioning, type of machinery and cooling, but it’s generally agreed that the formulation is by far the most important element affecting the process.
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The factors that influence pellet quality are: formulation, grinding, conditioning, type of machinery and cooling, but it’s generally agreed that the formulation is by far the most important element affecting the process.
For example, the cereal grain used and its percentage can have great influence and the inclusion of fats or oils (above 1%) can dramatically reduce pellet quality. But the fineness of grind can also have a great deal of influence on pellet: usually the finer the grind the better the quality, though you have to consider that an excessively fine grinding creates problems in the digestive system of chickens.
Particle size affects both the extent of conditioning and the way in which particle bonding occurs in the pellet itself.

 

In terms of pellet mill operations, the conditioning process has a great influence on pellet quality (between 15% and 20%), but most feed producers try to solve pellet quality issues using a thicker die instead of optimizing the conditioning process.
This apparently solves the problem, but at the same time causes an unacceptable drop in production.
Contrariwise, an efficient conditioning increase the throughput capacity and consequently the production rate.

If excluding the formulation, the conditioning affects 30% of the pelleting process. During this phase a great deal of attention must be paid to steam quantity and control, moisture content, retention time and mixing action within the conditioner.