The Importance of Steam Conditioning in Feed Pelletizing

The Importance of Steam Conditioning in Feed Pelletizing

Once the ingredients are mixed, the feed will flow into a feeder which moves the feed at the desired rate into the conditioning chamber, where steam is added. Steam conditioning is the most important element in achieving high quality pellets at high production rates at a low cost.

Why We Condition?
There are four basic reasons why we condition as following:
1. To gelatinize starch for nutritional value.
2. To lubricate for a faster production rete.
3. To lubricate to reduce energy costs.
4. To lubricate to extend die life.

How Much Steam You Need to Add?
Different ingredients require different steam treatment in the pelleting process. A pellet mill operator must learn that the amount of steam that can be added will vary for each run, because of formulation, moisture, temperature and so on. Due to the variables, it is hard to pre-determine the amount of steam to add for any run.

Where Do You Add Steam?
In general, there are 3 areas that must be considered in applying or adding steam, which is good steam quantity, good steam quality and adequate steam pressure. The main consideration is the distance between the boiler and the pelleting operation and the system’s ability to deliver steam in a highly gaseous state when entering the pellet mill conditioner.

In conclusion, steam conditioning plays a critical role in pelleting. With 13 years’ experience, we  devoted ourselves to the research and development of pellet mills, including flat die pellet mill and ring die pellet mill. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality and most advanced pellet mills to our customers. Any question, please feel free to contact us.