A home-made granulator allows you to provide yourself with sawdust pellets for heating a private house if your boiler runs on solid fuel. Do-it-yourself pellets are not only an environmentally friendly fuel, but also a great way to provide yourself with heat almost free of charge. The ability to create pellets at home, provided that there is a sawmill nearby, is a great way to dispose of waste during production, and, accordingly, save you on firewood.
The principle of operation of the granulator
The production of granules is a process used in many industries, in particular for the processing of polymers. IN large-scale production an extruder is used, which makes it possible to create, for example, pipes from polymers.
With the help of such a device, the production of granules is automated and quite easy. However, due to the high cost of this device, many people prefer to build it themselves. The principle of operation of a do-it-yourself granulator is not much different from the factory version - special rollers push the crushed raw materials through the holes of the matrix.
The granulator consists of the following elements:
- Support and body;
- Matrix with conical holes;
- Toothed rollers or auger;
- Tin sheets;
- Reservoir for raw materials;
- Electric motor;
- Reducer;
It is most convenient to buy the matrix, rollers and auger separately, since their manufacture, as a rule, requires special machines and skills in handling them. These items are sold at low prices. Including, you can use the bulletin boards.
Do-it-yourself feed granulators: assembly steps
The main thing in creating a household feed granulator is to draw up drawings correctly. When you have everything you need at hand, you can start assembling. In creating this mechanism, the channel will help you: "The Barber of Lame Josip", where you will find great tips on homemade production various devices.
We break it down into the following steps:
- We weld the base for the granulator. It must be strong enough to withstand all vibrations of the apparatus. Many attach wheels to it for ease of movement. And if you want, you can leave it motionless.
- From the corners, you can weld a frame that will fasten the housing and the electric motor.
- The body of the granulator is made of tin pipes or buckets. The body is divided into two parts. In the upper part, the raw material is fed to the screw (according to the meat grinder principle) or to a flat die. And in the lower part there are already granules.
- A chute is installed in the lower part of the body for the output of granules.
- A gearbox is installed under the body, which can be removed from the rear axle of the old Lada.
- An electric motor is attached to the gearbox.
The diameter of the housing pipe should be such that the matrix can rotate freely, but the gap between them is minimal.
There is also a cylindrical matrix that resembles a drum washing machine, but the flat one is more popular due to its reliability and ease of use. To prevent rust, the outside of the granulator is treated with metal paint.
Sawdust pellets: production steps
A problem in the manufacture of pellets from sawdust at home may be the need for additional equipment. You can build a great pelletizer with your own hands, but it is important to keep in mind the additional steps involved in producing pellets.
Scheme of the stages through which sawdust passes before granulation:
- Large crushing. Sawdust and chips can be large and damp, that is, unsuitable for the manufacture of pellets. Therefore, the first step will be crushing. Outlet dimensions wood waste must not exceed 1.25 centimeters cubed.
- The second stage is drying. Sawdust that lay, for example, in the open air could be exposed to water. But even if the sawdust was stored in special bins, the humidity level for pellet production should not exceed 8-13%.
- The next stage is fine crushing. Typically crushers are used hammer type. At the output, the sizes of sawdust do not exceed 1.5 mm and 4 mm - for low-grade production pellets.
- Next comes the granulation itself. For better bonding, sawdust is moistened. For soft woods, water is used, for hard woods, hot steam is used. Rocks with a high resin content stick together best.
- The fifth stage is the pressing of sawdust. At this stage, the granulation itself takes place.
- Now the sawdust needs to be cooled, because after the granulation process, due to pressure, their temperature can reach 80 degrees. At this temperature, they crumble easily.
- Sawdust that has not been compressed is sifted out, and, for convenience, the granules are packaged.
Given the passage of all these stages, we can conclude that the process of making pellets at home is a rather laborious process.
However, when using sawdust that meets moisture and size standards, only a pellet mill can be used.
Screw granulator from a meat grinder: components
If an old mechanical meat grinder is lying around idle in your house, then an excellent home-made screw granulator can be made on its basis. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for processing solid raw materials, but it is perfect for processing grass and hay.
To create a granulator from a meat grinder, you will need:
- Mechanical meat grinder;
- Matrix made separately. The dimensions of the granules correspond to the dimensions of the matrix;
- Knife for cutting granules;
- Wheel for screw rotation;
- A belt connecting the engine and the wheel that rotates the auger;
- Two pulleys to reduce / increase the speed of rotation of the auger;
- Electric motor.
The wheel that rotates the auger should not have teeth, since if the mechanism is difficult to work, the belt should slip.
Of course, the meat grinder granulator does not have enough power to create pellets, but it is quite suitable for making soft food pellets. A meat grinder in conjunction with an electric motor will be an excellent helper for processing grass and hay into granules. This, in turn, will allow better conservation of forage, as well as more efficient feeding of small livestock and birds.
What can be granulated
When the granulator is already ready to work, it is appropriate to ask the question: what can be granulated? At large factories and recycling stations, plastic has long been processed into granules. At home, we are far from these experiments.
With the help of do-it-yourself granulators, you can process the following materials for feed and heating:
- Mixtures of complementary foods for fish;
- A mixture of crushed cereals for livestock;
- Grass;
- Hay;
- Straw for heating;
- sawdust and chips;
- Sunflower buckwheat husk and rice.
The production of pellets from the husks and straw of grain crops allows agricultural enterprises to dispose of waste and produce environmentally friendly fuel. Farmers will be attracted to the idea of compressing grass pellets for livestock. The possibility of recycling sawdust is useful for woodworking enterprises.
Do-it-yourself meat grinder granulator (video)
Creating a granulator at home will save on the purchase of a factory version of the device. You will be able to use sustainable fuel to heat your home without spending anything but electricity to create sawdust pellets. Since sustainable fuel and livestock feed are in demand in the market, it is worth considering opening own production. If you are a farmer, the pellet mill will help feed your entire livestock, and the surplus feed can be stockpiled or sold.
Extrusion is a popular method of getting semi-finished products or goods made from polymers of any length, so a DIY extruder can save you money in some cases. This process is used in the food industry or in the production of animal feed. The process is as follows: the polymer melt is extruded by means of an extruder head into a molding head with the required profile. This method of production, along with injection molding of plastic materials, is now one of the most popular. Almost all polymers can be extruded: thermoplastics, elastomers and other materials.
Extruder technology has been in use for over sixty years. Over this long period, a sufficiently large number of machines have appeared that are made specifically for the use of this technology. If you look at the extruder in detail, you can understand what it is. The extrusion process is quite complex, it is based on physical and chemical laws. The process takes place directly under the influence of mechanical actions when exposed to high temperatures and the presence of moisture. Due to the fact that mechanical energy is converted into heat, which is released due to internal friction, the material is heated during processing.
When processing with extrusion technology, there are several interchangeable characteristics: the composition of the raw materials provided, the percentage of its moisture content and nature. Pressure, temperature, etc. may change during production.
Application:
- feed processing;
- production of plastic and polyethylene;
- pipe manufacturing;
- food production.
A bit of history
The extruder began to be used back in the distant nineteenth century. And the mass production of this equipment began in the twenties of the last century. Now extruders are significantly different from those that were before.
In modern industry, extruders are very popular, and you can choose from a wide variety of types. Buying a new extruder is enough expensive pleasure. But there are extruders that you can do yourself.
The most simple to manufacture are extruders for clay and fodder. To make other types of this equipment yourself, you need to have at least some basic engineering knowledge. And these extruders do not take much time to manufacture, and the materials are inexpensive.
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Extruder parts
- extruder head. It consists of a body that is heated and a shaping tool with a hole. The housing is attached to the extruder. The tool hole can be tapered towards the center or in the form of a round channel. There must be a distributor in the form of a spiral.
- Crown or activator improves adhesion of material surfaces. Activators are different, they differ in power, width, they are with one-sided and two-sided fixation, or with a changing width of surface processing.
- Hot knife. The hot knife is quite simply arranged, but it must be correctly directed relative to the sleeve that moves. This element almost doubles the yield. The hot knife is used economically.
- The auger may or may not be included in the equipment. It is designed to have high productivity and good homogenization of the melt of the processed polymer material.
- Embossing unit. It is needed to give the film special rigidity and a beautiful presentation.
- A node that provides rotation of the head. The rotation of the extruder head accommodates the constant unevenness of the film, thus making the quality of the roll better, but the quality of the film is not improved.
- Folding device equipment.
- Pulling device of the extruder.
- Equipment winder.
- Extruder blower ring.
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Do-it-yourself extruders for clay
To make a simple clay extruder, you need a simple plastic bottle any form.
Such extruders are called sculpting extruders. With their help, you can work with a variety of clays and plasticine. These extruders allow you to make various parts and shapes. For example, you can make human hair or clearly draw grass.
The basis for this extruder is a simple transparent plastic bottle. It must be washed and dried well, and the lid too.
From the lid inside you need to remove the plate. This can be done with a needle or pin. Next, it is necessary to make a hole in it, from which clay will be squeezed out. Its diameter should be the same as the thickness of the desired lines. This is done using sharp knife. The edges of the hole are smooth.
Next, you need to take a metal disk, to which you need to attach a handle in the shape of the letter "T". The resulting extruder should look like a syringe. The plate must be made of durable material so that during operation it does not change its shape under pressure.
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A little about the extruder for welding
Thanks to the manual welding extruder, you can do many kinds of different work with polypropylene and polyethylene.
At first it may seem that these materials are not very common and are rarely used anywhere.
But in reality they are used in many areas. From such materials, using this type of manual extruder, systems for water purification are made, various types containers, etc. Mostly these materials will go as auxiliary, but in any case you can’t do without them.
Welding hand extruder has a number of advantages. Any model of extrusion welding extruder you choose will be much better than others.
The main advantage of such equipment is ease of use.
Such an extruder can work absolutely in any room and under various conditions. Simply put, there is no need to prepare a specially equipped space or work shop for work.
The manual extruder for welding can make seams on a variety of shapes and designs. This is quite convenient, because at the same time you can independently control all the work. It often happens that in one area the seam needs to be made thin, and a little further - thicker. No device can do this automatically.
In addition to all of the above, it is worth considering that this device is not too expensive. Its price will be acceptable for almost any person. A welding extruder is optional during production. Quite often it is used at home. Further care and maintenance won't take a lot of money. This extruder can do its job for many years, and it always remains relevant and necessary fixture.
Manual welding extruders are of the following types:
- screwless;
- screw;
- combined.
Combined extruders are appropriate to use when processing composite goods. In these devices, both the disk zone and the screw part are used. This equipment also called worm-disk. In addition, this type of extruder has an excellent mixing feature.
Extruders that do not have screws are used to produce a solution of polymers having high quality elements.
Usually, when purchasing this product, the buyer receives several special nozzles and stands in the kit, but the manufacturers are different, so the equipment is also different. Welding hand extruder can operate at temperatures from 180 to 260°C. To put the device into operation, you must connect it to electrical network. It is advisable to connect it to a voltage of 220 V.
Extrusion welding is a rather complicated process, therefore, in order to make an extruder with your own hands, you need to have certain knowledge and skills. It would be wiser to purchase equipment from a reliable manufacturer.
An extruder is a tool that allows you to process large volumes of cereals, fruits and vegetables, which turn into a complete feed. In a farm, such a device is indispensable, especially when it needs feed for normal growth. But the problem is high prices.
Not all farmers can afford to buy such a tool. As a solution, you can make your own feed extruder.
1 How does a feed extruder work?
Before you make an extruder with your own hands, you need to understand the principle of its operation. The principle of operation of the extruder includes the following steps:
- cereals, vegetables and fruits are loaded into the tank of the device;
- here they enter the compartment, where high pressure acts on the raw materials (about 60 atmospheres);
- then the feed is processed with high temperature (in most extruders it reaches 1.5 thousand degrees);
- the resulting composition is compacted and comes out in the form of a long rod with a thickness of 3 cm;
- the rod is cut into smaller pieces, after which it is completely ready for use.
The main advantage of the feed processed by such a device is that it is very quickly and fully absorbed by the animal. Under the influence of high temperatures and strong pressure, the structure of the original components breaks down into simpler components, which are individually absorbed much better. By this principle.
1.1 What is a feed extruder made of?
The structure of this device is quite simple. It is based on a frame that connects all units and ensures the stability of their work. A bunker is installed on the frame, into which everything enters, and a mechanism drive.
Then there are the dosing auger and the blowing auger, through which small portions of cereals are fed into the receiving chamber. The whole process is organized by an engine with a gearbox. When leaving the device, the finished feed rods are automatically cut off with a special knife or manually.
2 What is a homemade feed extruder made of?
The main snag when assembling a device at home is the need to purchase most of the parts, since the design here is quite complicated. First of all, you need an accurate drawing.
You can either download it from the Internet (here you can find all imaginable models) or use the ready-made instructions from the factory model. The drawing should convey the dimensions of the components as accurately as possible and the entire necessary material. After the drawing is ready and everything important points thought out, you can proceed to the collection of materials.
2.1 Assembling a homemade extruder
First of all, we begin to make a screw for the device. It consists of a cylinder and a body. To make the cylinder, gears from the tractor transmission are used. They are tightly welded together. If standard gears were used, then the diameter of the resulting part should be somewhere around 62 mm.
Next we work with the body. The basis for it will be, prepared earlier, the rod from the hydraulic cylinder. A wire is wound around the stem in the form of a spiral (if there is a sufficiently long spring corresponding to the diameter, you can use it). The wire on the rod must be placed so that the distance between the turns of the spiral gradually decreases towards the end of the part. The initial clearance is 25 mm, after which there is a gradual decrease to 20 mm.
Once the wire (spring) is properly fixed, grab it welding machine. Welding must be very strong, as the part will succumb to severe stress. Next, the auger is carefully inspected for irregularities and extra protrusions.
All identified marriage is erased with a file or grinder. The screw can also be turned on lathe, if there is one. The part will be of better quality, and the work will be much less. In addition, the channels will be much deeper, which will simplify the supply of grain.
How to make an auger case? As part of this any will do a piece of pipe, suitable in diameter. Inside it fits the screw cylinder. It must be connected to the extruder head and the gearbox that drives the screw. To do this, we grind two bushings on a lathe. After we connect all the parts. At the junction between the gearbox and the screw shaft, it is necessary to additionally install a bearing.
First of all, you need to make a solid frame on which the device will be installed. There are no specific instructions here. Its design depends on the features. The main requirements for the frame are stability, stability and strength. The first two points can be achieved by making a wider base, which, after assembly, is screwed to the floor with bolts with a large diameter. You can assemble the frame from corners welded together.
We install an engine and a gearbox with an auger and a head welded to it on the frame. The transmission of torque to the gearbox will be carried out by a belt. It connects the starting mechanism, gearbox and electric motor.
We fix the grain hopper on the installed auger. Any metal container with a hole in the bottom can act as this part. In the absence of such, an ordinary iron bucket will do. The hopper is fixed so that the grain easily passes into the auger, where it is pushed and pressed. The peak reaches in the drawer, which gives out ready-made feed. The thickness of the resulting compound feed rod will depend on the diameter of the die.
We install the frame in the selected part of the room, after which we weld all parts of the device. The do-it-yourself extruder is ready.
2.2 Last checks and first run
The resulting extruder is quite powerful electrical device, which before direct work needs a thorough check of all components and assemblies. For security purposes, the following verification plan must be followed:
- The first item is re-checking the reliability of all seams and connections. If individual components are connected with bolts, tighten them as much as possible.
- Next comes checking the evenness of the surface on which the device is installed.
- The next step is start the mechanism. For some time, the mechanism should idle. This will warm it up before work. To check if the extruder has warmed up enough, you can run flour into it. You can determine the readiness of the device for operation by the form of processed raw materials.
- If all preparatory processes went well, you can proceed to check with grain. Cereals must be fed into the bunker gradually and steadily. Feed interruptions lead to negative idle, which damages the machine. But, and an excess of raw materials will lead to work "through force", which can damage the mechanisms.
- The finished product should be constantly twisted. This will remove the gaps in the die and increase the density.
- In no case should you abruptly stop the device after active work. If right amount grain has already been processed, add flour or waste from sunflower seeds to the hopper again. During processing, such material collects cereal oils and unprocessed residues released during processing, which contaminate the mechanisms.
- The speed of the machine is gradually reduced until it cools down. After stopping, it takes some more time for the machine to cool down, otherwise there is a risk of getting burned by the hot extruder mechanisms.
2.3 The work of a homemade grain extruder (video)
Extruded feeds have appeared on the market relatively recently. However, among livestock breeders, they immediately gained recognition and began to enjoy wide popularity.
The thing is that during the extrusion of conventional feed, some non-digestible grain enzymes (for example, starch) are split into those that are completely absorbed by both animals and birds (sugar and simple carbohydrates). Such food is not only more useful, but also, due to the increase in palatability, it is much better eaten.
Almost all breeders know about the advantages of extruded feed. But not everyone can afford to buy the grain extruder itself because of its very high cost. To help those who “want but cannot”, we offer do-it-yourself extruder manufacturing options.
1 What is an extruder?
An extruder is a device that allows you to turn ordinary feed into extruded feed. In other words, at the entrance to the unit, a grain mixture is poured, and at the exit, a kind of granular feed is obtained.
Depending on the device of the unit, sausages with a diameter of up to 3 cm come out of it.
Any, even slightly spoiled grain, can be processed in an extruder. This device processes feed under high pressure up to 60 atmospheres and at high temperatures up to 180 degrees.
With such a physical impact, the breakdown of enzymes occurs. They release sugar and carbohydrates. In addition, the finished food is not only sweet, but also acquires the aroma of freshly baked bread, which significantly improves both digestibility (from 60% to 90%) and palatability.
Extruded feeds significantly reduce the energy consumption of animals for their consumption. Thanks to this, with less feed consumption, the farmer receives a much greater gain. muscle mass in the economy. In addition, such food completely protects birds and animals from gastrointestinal diseases and bacteria entering the intestines.
Grain extruder can be of different power. Everyone chooses what he needs, based on personal requirements and the size of the farm. For example, the KESH grain extruder has a capacity of up to 20 kg of finished feed per hour, while the EKZ 20 grain extruder produces 1.5-2 times less product in the same time.
1.1 Functions of the extruder
This unit is needed not only for the transformation of simple grain into granular feed. Its tasks include:
1.2 What is the unit made of?
This unit, despite the complexity of the process being performed, has a rather uncomplicated package:
- frame base, which is the base of the unit. All other components are fixed on it;
- a drive that drives the mechanism;
- bunker. It is loaded with raw materials that will be processed (grain, meal, etc.);
- the dosing screw delivers raw materials at a certain speed and in certain quantities;
- auger blower;
- cylinder - a body in which the processing of raw materials takes place;
- receiving chamber;
- cutting knife;
- die;
- engine;
- reducer;
- belt and cuff.
1.3 How does it work?
All manipulations to turn grain into extruded feed take place in. I.e all the work is done by the blowing auger, closed by a cylindrical body. The blowing screw, in turn, consists of 3 parts (inlet, outlet and middle) and a heating washer.
Above the inlet part of the screw in the housing there is an opening through which the raw material enters. On the body inside there are longitudinal ribs that help mix the grain to create a homogeneous mass. Due to the constant rotation of the auger, a high pressure arises in the housing, which breaks the grain. After high-temperature processing, the finished product in the form of a sausage comes out through the die.
The extruder heats up gradually. Grain can be loaded only after the mechanism is completely warmed up, otherwise it will not break. When starting, you can load flour or meal into the bunker.
2 How to make an extruder with your own hands
Making a grain extruder with your own hands is not an easy task. But difficult does not mean impossible.
In addition, many elements of the unit will still have to be bought. But, given the cost of the factory device, it will cost much less.
And so, in order to make the unit with your own hands, you will need:
- an engine with a power of at least 2.2 kW with a rotation speed of 3000 rpm and above;
- springs or rod, with a diameter of 10-12 mm for the manufacture of a sleeve;
- a rod, for example, from a hydraulic cylinder with a diameter of at least 50 mm;
- wire, diameter 8 mm or conical spring;
- welding machine and lathe.
2.1 Making a granulator
After making sure that all the necessary elements are available, we proceed to assemble the unit.
2.2 Assembling the extruder
2.3 Launching
You need to start a do-it-yourself extruder gradually. After starting the engine, let it idle for 2-3 minutes. Then, we begin to gradually fill in fine raw materials (flour, cake, meal), so that the unit warms up, the matrix fills up and the necessary pressure is created.
When the finished feed begins to exit through the spinneret in granular form, you can fill the hopper with whole grains.
Making an extruder with your own hands is a long, costly and laborious process, but it's worth it. Now you can prepare a complete balanced food at home.
2.4 Making and launching a grain extruder (video)
