Do you need a pellet cooler in the pelletizing line?

The company "Artmash" always tries to provide the client with the most suitable equipment, so we collect granulation lines on order. Sometimes we are asked to reduce the cost of the line as much as possible and even refuse a cooling column.

However, we recommend using a pellet cooling system. Why? We will understand in detail.

Pellet Cooler Functions

The complex is necessary to:

• provide a long shelf life of finished products. Granules with a temperature below 24 ° C are best preserved. They exit the granulator with a temperature of up to 90 ° and even after a vibrating table do not reduce the temperature to the desired degree. After getting into the bag, the cooling rate due to natural convection decreases even more. And given that most manufacturers pack pellets in big bags for 1.5 tons, we can say that their shelf life is reduced to a minimum;
• prevent deformation of the granules due to high humidity. For normal storage, the moisture content of the granules should not exceed 14%. But the formation of granules is possible with a moisture content of 15-17%, often it is necessary to moisten the raw materials additionally. Therefore, without a cooler, the granules will be too wet and begin to crumble. The cooling complex removes excess moisture and retains a dense outer crust on the granules. Therefore, properly cooled moisture granules are no longer afraid;
• reduce the likelihood of an accidental fire in the production of fuel pellets. When granulating sawdust, solid fuel dryers are often used. If there are a lot of hot pellets near them, the probability of fire becomes very high. The cooler makes the pellets not so flammable and allows you to immediately direct them to the packaging and storage.

At the Artmash plant we produce two models of coolers. Their main difference is the material of the hopper. The newer model is made of stainless steel, so it is not afraid of corrosion from high humidity.

When the cooler is not needed

There are cases when the production can do without a cooler.

For example:

1. The finished product is not stored, but used throughout the day. Pellets are often made for use in their own production and are used immediately after manufacture: they are sent to animal feed troughs and transported to a solid fuel boiler.
2. The owners of the line have small needs for pellet / pellet volumes and it is possible to cool them by sprinkling them on a horizontal surface. In such cases, the granules lower the temperature naturally, but additional efforts have to be spent on scattering and collection. The products do not go through the screening stage, and the crumbs remaining on the surface can not always be allowed for re-granulation, because garbage gets into them.

In all other cases, we recommend immediately completing the granulation line with a cooling column. It allows you to ensure maximum performance and ensures that you do not incur losses due to damage to the granules.

What do you think of pellet coolers? We will be happy to discuss this issue in our Facebook group.