how-to-choose-pellet-die-for-pellet-machine

Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Pellet Die for Pellet Mill

Are you planning to purchase a pellet machine? Give special attention to pellet die. Most novices do not realize, but a pellet die is one of the crucial parts of a pellet-making machine. Remember that it might have a big impact on the quality of your pellets and total productivity.

pellet-machine-pellet-press-die

This post discusses various aspects you should keep in mind when choosing a Pellet die. Let us take a quick look at what a pellet mill die is before we go any further in this article.

What is a Pellet Die?

A pellet press die is an essential part of the pellet machine made out of metal. Depending on the machine the die could be flat or ring shaped.

The pellet mill drives the die through the main motor. The die forms pellets out of powdered raw material. The powdery raw material passes through several holes available at one end. The size of pellets depends on the size and thickness of holes on the die.

pellet-die-holes

Pellet dies are available in two types: flat die and ring die. Flat die is compact, easy to maintain, and affordable. It is, nevertheless, used to make tiny pellets. Pellet Ring die, on the other hand, is large, durable, and heavy in weight. Furthermore, it has a large capacity as well.

flat pellet machine die

Aspects to Consider When Choosing a Pellet Machine Die

Material Quality of Pellet Die

Needless to say that the quality of material used for making pellet die can make a huge difference. Therefore, you should choose a die that uses premium-quality metal.

Companies generally use alloy and stainless steel metal to make pellet dies. If you want to pelletize a feedstock, an alloy pellet can give you satisfactory results. Nevertheless, if the raw material contains corrosive matter, go for a die made of stainless steel. This type of die is more corrosion resistant.

Tcpel pellet machine uses high-quality stainless steel die with a 1000 to 1500-hour service life.

stainless steel pellet die

A Mor-ton die is a good option if you want something between alloy and steel dies. It can be used on materials that are mildly caustic. You can choose whatever die you like according to your budget and requirements.

Thickness of Die

It is another vital aspect to consider when selecting a pellet die for a pellet mill. In general, you must consider the die’s effective thickness as well as its total thickness.

The total thickness of a die refers to its overall thickness, whereas the effective thickness relates to the die’s working thickness when processing pellets.

A pellet mill die size ranges from ¼ inch to 11/4 inches. The thickness of the die impacts the flow of raw material passing through the die.

Make sure the pellet die you choose does not block easily. Furthermore, it must provide enough compression to form excellent pellets. Therefore, pick a pellet die that is appropriate as per the material you want to process.

Coordination between Pellet Die and Roller

Another thing you need to take care of is coordination between the Pellet mill die and roller. The appropriate twinning of the two results in better granulation and longer life of the machine. Moreover, the perfect matching between pellet mill die and roller prevents unnecessary use of pressure roller.

pellet machine roller shell

Relief Depth

You also need to check the relief depth of the die. For those who do not know, it is the depth between total thickness and the effective thickness of a pellet die. A proper depth between the total thickness and effective thickness ensures the die’s strength and feedstock flow rate.

The Number and Shape of Holes in Die

Check out how many holes are there in the die. While the die with more holes will give you more pellets, it might have low strength. Such dies may not work for a long time. As a result, you need to choose something that does not compromise pellet quality as well as work life.

Take note of the shape of die holes as well. In the market, you get dies in a variety of shapes. For example, you can choose straight-type holes, outer cone holes, stepped holes, and inner cone holes.

Stepped and straight holes are ideal for processing mixed feed pellets. Dies with outside cone holes, on the other hand, allow you to manufacture pellets from a high-fiber feed.

Compression Ratio of the Die

Pellet die manufacturers make pellet making dies with different ratios. The ratio varies as per the raw materials’ nature. It could be between 8-15.

pellet-die-compression-ratio

For instance, the compression ratio for wood shaving raw material should be 1:5, while for corn straw, it is 1:8.

As per your requirement, you can choose any compression ratio. If you choose a low compression ratio, it will minimize energy consumption. Besides this, the wearing of the pellet die will be low. Nevertheless, it might affect the quality of the pellets.

The Die Roughness

Whether you buy a ring die pellet mill or flat die pellet-making machine, make sure the die inside is not too rough. Otherwise, it can affect the quality of pellets.

Quick Tips for the Maintenance of a Pellet Die

Now you know how to choose an appropriate pellet mill. Now let us learn some ways to maintain them. Until you take care of the pellet mill die and roller properly, you would not get quality pellets.

  • Every time you use the pellet mill die, provide it with an oil mixture. Apart from this, fill every new die with oil. It not only prevents corrosion of the die, but also ensures smooth pellets.
  • Clean the pellet die regularly to avoid it becoming blocked. You can try oil soaking for this purpose. For general cleaning of the die, you can use gasoline or diesel.
  • Do not keep your spare pellet mill roller and die in a moist place.

Conclusion

So these are a few factors to consider when choosing a pellet mill die. If you want to buy a pellet-making machine or a complete pellet production line, feel free to contact Tcpel.

Also Read:

Ring Die Pellet Machine or Flat Die Pellet Machine, Which one to Choose? 

Type of Pellet Machines and Their Pros and Cons

What Makes a Good Pellet Making Machine? 

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