Grass and hay flour. Feed for farm animals

The benefits of grass feed in livestock and poultry farming

In subsidiary plots and farms, in the old fashioned way, hay, silage, grain feed, straw and twig feed, as well as root crops are prepared for the winter. Modern technologies make it possible to prepare grass feed with much greater productivity.

In cattle breeding, pig farming, rabbit farming and even poultry farming, grass feed plays a huge role. The climate of our country does not allow the use of fresh grass and free grazing all year round. For this purpose, various grass conservation systems have always been used for fattening animals in the cold season.

The simplest thing is, of course, making hay. At all times there was a period of haymaking. Mown and dried grass in the meadows was collected and stacked. In winter, the cattle were fed hay. Hay is stored well, but when dried in the sun, up to 50% of its beneficial substances are lost. Most of all, hay loses carotene, protein and vitamins; the sun's rays greatly destroy them.

Preparing feed in the form of silage significantly improves its usefulness, but it is impossible to feed only silage. Root vegetables and crushed grains are very good food, but they are also inferior to fresh grass in terms of the content of useful substances. In addition, root vegetables also need to be chopped, and they spoil quickly, which can cause intestinal disorders in animals.

Form of compressed grass: granules or bales

During granulation, vitamin-herbal flour can be compressed either into small granules or into bales - large cylindrical “sticks”. Vladimir Manuylov, director of EcoKorm LLC (Molvest Group of Companies), says that for cattle, the latter are more suitable for direct consumption.

– Granules are more universal. They can be used both as ready-made feed for cows and goats, and as a source of raw materials for feed mills. Factories take TMV in granules, crush them and mix a small percentage into feed for pigs and birds. Bales are a finished product primarily for cattle: 5-, 7- and 12-centimeter particles irritate the cow’s rumen better.

The manager claims that the production of TMV and granulated hay at the enterprise began in May 2021 and almost immediately exceeded internal needs, he noted.

Nutritional value of grass meal

Herbal meal is similar in nutritional content to fresh green grass. Even with long-term storage (8-10 months), it retains up to 95 percent of the nutrients. The content of protein, carotene, sugar, vitamins and other substances depends on the grass from which it was made.

The best herbal flour in terms of nutritional value is flour made from mowed grass during the budding period, before flowering. During this period, herbs are most rich in vitamins, carotene and all useful substances. If you are late with mowing, the content of protein and other useful substances is significantly reduced, only the fiber content increases.

The preservation of carotene in flour depends on its storage conditions. If it is stored in bulk, then up to 50 percent of the substance is lost, and if the flour is pressed into granules, then the loss of carotene will be no more than 10 percent over 10 months of storage.

Making herbal flour at home

Most livestock owners make their own grass meal. Even suitable plants are grown specifically for this purpose. Mowed and processed. This vitamin is rarely produced for sale, but you can save money by purchasing it for your animals. We'll tell you what you need for this.

Equipment for the production of

To make flour from grass you will need a drying room. It can be equipped with racks or shelves on which the grass will dry. The process is lengthy, but free. You can buy an automatic dryer, but not every person can afford it. In addition to drying the raw material, it must be crushed. Electric meat grinders are used for this purpose. But if there is a lot of raw materials, this method will not work. You will have to buy a crusher or shredder. For sifting, purchase a sieve or seeders.

Production technology

1. The plants are dried on prepared racks for a month. The room should be dry and sunny. Many people leave the grass to dry in the fields. But in case of accidental rain, it will deteriorate. It will become rotten, unsuitable for flour.

   

2. The dried grass is ground in a grinder.

   

3. The mixture is sifted through a sieve.

   

4. Packed in canvas bags and stored in a dry, ventilated place.

   

The cost of opening such a production

You will have to spend money on equipment. For home use, the crusher can be purchased second-hand. It's a little cheaper that way. If a new car costs more than 100,000 rubles, a used one can be sold for 50,000-70,000.

Dryers and sifters are usually not used in home production. Therefore, the cost of producing a vitamin mixture will be up to 70,000 rubles. Considering the cost of finished products in the markets, this is a completely worthwhile investment. Moreover, there is an unlimited amount of raw materials. By purchasing a crusher once, a farmer will provide animals with vitamins for several years.

Types of grass meal

There are several types of grass meal: from alfalfa, clover, vetch-oat mixture and forbs. Based on the content of carotene, protein and other beneficial substances, grass flour is divided into 3 classes. The lower the class, the less nutrients there are in the flour. Therefore, the best flour is 1st grade.

In terms of the content of vitamins, macro- and microelements, carotene and protein, as well as amino acids, grass flour made from alfalfa is the leader. In addition, alfalfa quickly recovers after mowing, so it can be mowed three times during the season for flour production. This significantly reduces the cost. Because one area of ​​land is used, and the crop is harvested from it 3 times.

Powdered and granulated grass meal

Herbal flour comes to the consumer in two types. It can be purchased in bulk and in granule form.

Loose flour loses nutrients faster, it absorbs more moisture from the air and can cake or mold. In addition, in this form it takes up too much space because it is very light. Therefore, storing and transporting it in this form is inconvenient and expensive.

Herbal flour in the form of granules is in great demand. Pelleted feed loses less nutrients during storage. The granules are dense, hard and shiny. If the technology is not broken, then they can be stored for a long time without crumbling, and take up much less space during storage and transportation. Granules are essentially a concentrate. For animals, granulated flour is given in portions many times smaller than powdered flour. Therefore, if you use a granulated product to fatten animals, you do not need to buy it in large quantities. This is also profitable and convenient.

Price

We have prepared a table which includes:

• products from various manufacturers with a brief description;
• links to official websites or stores of these manufacturers;
• average price per unit of product (in some cases it is impossible to indicate the price of grass meal in granules, because it depends on many factors, so it will need to be clarified with the manufacturer or seller).

Making grass meal and granules from it

The grass is mowed for vitamin flour before it blooms, but only has buds. If you miss this moment, the grass will lose carotene and protein every day. The cut, chopped grass is transported for artificial drying. The chopped grass is loaded via a conveyor into a drying drum. From there the dry mass enters the crusher. After the crusher, flour is obtained from the dry grass, fed into the cyclone, precipitated and stored in an operational bunker for temporary storage. From this bunker, if necessary, the grass flour enters the pressing chamber to make granules and reduce the volume. The pressed mass is squeezed out through the holes of the matrix and cut with a knife. The resulting granules are 2-3 cm in radius and approximately 5 cm in length. During this procedure, the granules are heated, and to avoid large losses of carotene, they are placed in a cooling chamber. There they lose excess moisture and become hard and durable. Then they are placed in a bunker for temporary storage, from where they are packaged, packaged and stored.

To reduce the cost of artificially drying grass, another harvesting system is now used - drying. With this method, the mown grass is left in windrows for several hours, and then special equipment collects the windrows and shreds the slightly wilted grass. It is loaded and delivered for further artificial drying. The evaporation of moisture from such raw materials is reduced by almost 2 times, which speeds up and reduces the cost of the entire process. With this method, a small amount of carotene is lost in the windrows in the sun, so it is not recommended to dry the grass for more than 4 hours.

Granules and flour are stored in a cool, dry, dark room. The storage facility must maintain certain microclimate parameters (temperature and humidity).

To ensure that as much carotene as possible is preserved in flour during storage, 0.5 percent sodium pyrosulfite is added to it. To maximize the preservation of nutrients in flour during long-term storage, gamma ray irradiation is used. The preservation of nutrients is affected by low temperature, darkness and the introduction of oxidants into flour (during granulation).

High-quality granules and flour have a pleasant green color and the smell of hay. The granules are hard, shiny on the sides, smooth, without signs of mold.

Grass granulation - why is it necessary?

The process of granulating grass meal makes a lot of sense, because the value of the product in the future increases many times over. Why is this happening?

Quick drying

The raw materials are dried in the shortest possible time, which (as with quick freezing) allows you to preserve the lion's share of valuable substances

Nutrient release

When crushed, the walls of grass cells are destroyed, more of their useful contents are released, which makes the raw material for granules more nutritious and easily digestible. At the same time, during the granulation process, as a result of a number of chemical processes, the nutritional value increases even more.

Flowability

The shape of the granules makes them universal, compact, and they are easily poured between bins and along feed distribution paths. The volume of mass is reduced significantly, and the loss of raw materials during transportation to the “end consumer” is reduced.

2 times more nutritious than hay

The nutritional value of 1 kg of grass pellets is 0.8 feed. units, while 1 kg of hay accounts for 0.4 feed units. At the same time, the carotene content in granules can be 20 times higher, just like vitamins and protein. With a long shelf life, the difference in the value of feed increases.

High price

The demand for herbal granules is quite high. Because of its advantages, granulated feed is valued higher than hay and flour in a free state - from 14,000 rubles per kg. Prices vary due to the composition of the mixtures.

Compound feed with grass meal

Feed for farm animals must be complete and balanced, and they must also have low cost. The low cost of feed will ensure lower prices for livestock products: meat, milk, eggs, and so on.

Any feed mill wants to produce a high-quality product with a low, competitive price. For the production of such feed, grass meal is the best ingredient. According to several recipes, it can be contained in feed in quantities of 15, 25 and 35 percent. The remaining components are grain, meal, bran, cake and mineral additives. When grass flour is added to compound feed, the product is enriched with vitamins, carotene, amino acids, fats and proteins. As a result, the composition of the feed is completely complete, balanced and inexpensive.

A feed mill may use hay flour in the recipe instead of artificially dried grass meal. But hay flour is significantly inferior to grass flour in terms of the content of nutrients. The composition of the feed with it will be less saturated with carotene and vitamins, which disappear during the natural drying of the grass. The cost of such feed may be lower, but in terms of useful components it will be less productive in livestock farming.

Converting a meat grinder into a granulator

If you have an unnecessary meat grinder, but need a feed granulator, you can simply remake the meat grinder. To achieve this goal, you will need to prepare the following elements:

• matrix;
• frame;
• Electrical engine;
• belt;
• screw;
• 2 pulleys.

Industrial electric motor prices

Industrial electric motor

You can use the old meat grinder body. But it needs to be modified a little - cut off the internal edges. A thick matrix with drilled holes is attached to the free part of the meat grinder. A screw is installed to help push the loaded raw material through the cone-shaped holes in the matrix. On one side, the auger is sawed through to accommodate the screw. And on the outside, knives are attached to the auger, the purpose of which is to further crush the granules at the outlet.

Next, 2 pulleys, an auger, a motor and a belt are attached to the meat grinder. But the latter must necessarily be without teeth. Since if the granulator is clogged in any of its sections, the belt will slip, which will help protect the self-assembled device from burnout, etc.

Drive and belt

Meat grinder

Granulator in action

Video - Auger

Always remember that only raw materials that have been dried in a specially designed dryer and crushed in a special crusher can be placed in a homemade granulator. But do not forget that the granulation process will be truly successful only when the raw material loaded into the unit has a moisture content of 10% to 12%.

Convenience of combined feeds

Combined feeds are very convenient to use. This especially applies to large farms. For example, when raising rabbits, it is enough to feed them rabbit feed and water. Complete feed completely replaces juicy root vegetables, branch roughage and hay. With this feeding, rabbits quickly gain weight, do not get sick and reproduce well.

Fattening pigs primarily involves feeding them with compound feed. Compound feed with grass meal fully meets all the pigs’ body needs. It is no secret that farms provide large quantities of freshly cut grass and vegetables to pigs. All this, together with cereals, provides for complete fattening of pigs. But it is much more convenient to use feed with grass meal and drinking water.

Feeding cows with mixed feed with grass meal increases milk yield and milk fat content. Cows gain weight even during lactation. The blood condition of animals improves, the level of hemoglobin in the blood increases. As a result, full-fledged, strong offspring are born. True, feeding cows should include in the diet, in addition to compound feed, hay and silage, as well as fodder root crops (beets). But this is only in winter. In summer, cows feed on pasture, but even then they must receive compound feed.

Surprisingly, feed with grass meal is used in the largest quantities in poultry farming. This is especially true when breeding geese, ducks and turkeys. Compound feed is in great demand on ostrich farms.

High-quality, complete feed for farm animals is the foundation for the successful functioning of any farm. Any living creature needs good nutrition, where proteins, fats, carbohydrates, microelements and vitamins are fully balanced. But the main thing in compound feed is the convenience of feeding animals and the cleanliness of the premises. They are easy to transport and store; they are a good canned concentrate.

The production of animal feed is a very profitable business. Modern technologies make it possible to automate everything. If a feed mill has its own planting and production areas, then this is a doubly profitable business. Of course, you need equipment for field work and seed material. It is necessary to purchase equipment, start production and organize advertising and logistics. As a rule, to produce mixed feed it is necessary to sow barley, corn and other grains and legumes. And for grass meal it is better to grow alfalfa.

It is much more profitable to produce animal feed than to engage in livestock farming. Fewer risks and unusual situations. Animals get sick. They require vaccination and veterinary support. How many pigs were destroyed due to plague, and birds due to bird flu! Dairy farms are suffering losses due to mad cow disease and foot-and-mouth disease. Epidemics of coccidiosis and myxomatosis occur on rabbit farms.

It is necessary to organize product processing and sales. Meat, eggs and dairy products are perishable goods. And the competition is high. There are a lot of problems; it’s hard to be a profitable farm while raising livestock.

The production of animal feed is a once-functional system for generating income. Compound feed has a long shelf life. He is always in demand. Feed mixtures are in demand by large farms and private owners. The demand for high-quality feed, grass meal and granules is only growing. But there are still not enough offers for the sale of granulated grass meal. So this niche is still little occupied and has great prospects for development.

How much does grass meal cost?

The product is mainly sold in granular form because it is cheaper and more convenient to transport. How much does grass meal cost? The price depends on which batch the buyer purchases. The minimum purchase - 1 bag (25 kg) - including VAT will cost an average of 700 rubles. Wholesale granules are supplied in bags, big bags and in bulk. Therefore, prices may vary (10,000-15,000 rubles per ton). It turns out 10-15 rubles per kilogram for wholesale buyers. A retail purchase for a private owner will cost 2 times more.

Grass pellets seem more expensive than regular feed. But it’s worth considering the comparison to understand how profitable it is to feed animals. When feeding with grass pellets, compared to conventional feed, the weight gain of young cattle and foals will be 20% greater. Pigs gain 15% more weight, and poultry 10%. All this against the backdrop of the fact that 10% less feed is required than usual. And when recalculated, it turns out that feeding animals with pellets is profitable.

Making granules from vitamin herbal flour is a great business idea. That is why this niche will be filled over time, and due to competition, the price of the product will begin to decline. Then feeding with pellets will be even more profitable.

Production of herbal meal at a large enterprise

Such a scale of activity is only possible for those who have been successfully engaged in business for a long time. Since this requires not only appropriate investments, but also knowledge of the technological process. You must be well versed in documentation and have leadership abilities. After all, a large plant will function only with the right approach. Let's talk about the nuances of this activity.

Raw materials for production

The name “grass meal” speaks for itself. This is a herbal product. Our country is rich in such resources. Therefore, the cost of purchasing raw materials is minimal. But not all grasses can be used for feed mixtures. Many contain components that can harm animals or cause poisoning. Therefore, plants are carefully selected and sorted before processing begins. Field and meadow grasses that are safe for animals are suitable for flour. These include clover, St. John's wort, wheat, tansy, alfalfa and others.

Equipment for the production of

Factories use entire lines of equipment to process herbs. This automates and simplifies the process, reducing the percentage of hired labor. Unlike small businesses, plant installations are very expensive. The price depends on the power and performance of the machines. The production line includes the following devices:

• Crusher. Needed for grinding herbal mass. Devices come in different types and crushing methods. Knife or hammer. Factories often install hammer crushers. Grinds by compressing raw materials with a heavy hammer. Such units are capable of producing up to 100 kg. mixtures per hour;

• conveyor. It can be chain or belt. The tape version for factory installations is considered more convenient. This is an automated system that moves raw materials from one device to another. Provides a non-stop process. For large volumes of processing, belt conveyors are purchased. The tape contains the entire installation;

• Dryer. A machine for removing moisture from raw materials. There are mechanical and pneumatic - according to the method of supplying raw materials. The drum dryer is popular in factories. Processes 150 kg with three drums. herbs per hour;

• sifter It can be cone-shaped, round or square. A unit equipped with filters for sifting dry, crushed mixtures;

• automatic machines for filling and packaging. Places the finished mixture into bags or bags, packs them and removes them from the conveyor.

Production technology

Raw materials for the vitamin mixture must comply with standards. It is checked in advance for all indicators: veterinary, sanitary. The processing process is as follows:

1. Raw materials are received from the warehouse and placed in a dryer located on a conveyor belt. The raw materials are kept in the dryer for 5 to 12 hours at a temperature of 30 to 40 degrees. The optimal mode for herbs is 38 degrees. During the drying process, grass loses moisture up to 15%;

   

2. After a certain time, the raw material is automatically supplied to the crusher, where it is crushed using a hammer.

   

3. The fine mass is redirected to the sifter. It separates fine flour from large, non-crushed elements.

   

4. The sifted grass is transported to the packaging machine.

   

5. The finished product is transported to warehouses for storage.

   

This technology allows you to save on hired labor. The equipment must be operated by professional operators. Their number depends on the size of the installation. Electricians and general workers must be involved in the process.

How to feed pellets to animals

Pure grass pellets or feed with grass meal can be fed dry to animals, especially rabbits and horses. In private farmsteads, 1.5 kg of granules are soaked with 6 liters of water, and then this mass is fed to cows. It is advisable for pigs to also make mash, this way the product is better absorbed. It is also better for poultry to soak the pellets.

In a private farmstead, grass meal pellets should be fed to cows and sheep only in the cold season. In summer, as a rule, they graze and feed on fresh grass.

In addition, storing pelleted feed requires very little space, unlike hay or silage. Owners from private farmsteads are very pleased that the granules are stored for a long time and are well stored; they call them herbal canned food. This is much more convenient than storing fodder or sugar beets and potatoes. Moreover, vegetables can freeze and spoil, but granules, on the contrary, retain all their beneficial qualities even better in the cold.

A little history

Herbal flour began to be produced in our country in the 70s of the last century. It was mainly used in poultry farming. It was noticed that when consumed, the bird develops quickly, has good immunity, egg production increases by 10% and high-quality breeding material is obtained.

The production of grass meal in the USSR developed at a very fast pace. For example: in 1965, 82 thousand tons of green flour were produced, in 1970 - already 820 thousand tons, and in 1975 - more than four million tons.

At the end of the last century, due to the development of new technologies, concentrated vitamin supplements appeared, and significantly less herbal flour began to be produced. But soon livestock farming returned to an environmentally friendly product - grass meal. The fact is that it contains large quantities of proteins, fats, and not just vitamins. To make it easier to use such a unique product, flour began to be produced in granulated form, and it began to quickly gain popularity.

In general, grass meal in the form of granules is a wonderful product in its pure form and as a component of grain feed. These foods are the future. The food is universal, it can be fed to all types of pets and poultry. Animals consuming grass meal and granules from it receive complete nutrition. This ensures rapid growth, good immunity and productivity. Cows produce more milk with higher fat content, and chickens lay more eggs. Feeding pellets and grass meal makes caring for the animals easier.

How to make a granulator?

With flat die

The main elements are:

• cylinder;
• matrix;
• casing;
• rollers;
• protective cover.

The body must consist of two components: external and internal. In this case, the diameter must be chosen such that the matrix in the upper part of the structure can rotate freely.

There should always be a small gap between the inner and outer housings.

Manufacturing a feed granulator does not require expensive materials and spare parts.

To make a homemade granulator you will need:

• powerful electric motor;
• rotation shaft;
• steel or tin sheets;
• corners; mounting bolts;
• welding machine;
• ruler; calipers;
• Bulgarian; spanners;
• perforator; felt-tip pen or marker.

If possible, it is better to use components made of high-quality or alloy steel.

First you need to prepare a disk twenty millimeters or more thick.

It is important to remember: thickness affects the size of the granules and performance. Therefore, as the thickness increases, you need to choose a more powerful electric motor.

Manufacturing stages:

1. Make a hole in the disk, attach the gears to the shaft and attach it with a coupling perpendicular to the body.
2. The gearbox should be secured to the bottom of the device using bearings and a coupling.
3. Then weld the ears to both parts of the body, having previously connected them with bolts.
4. Weld a frame from corners or channels. Install on the granulator itself.
5. Place the rollers and matrix into the device. Rigidly attach the product to the frame using bolts.
6. Install the electric motor.
7. After this, attach the gearbox to the output part of the rotating shaft.
8. After final assembly of the device, as a final touch, you need to apply metal paint if the case is not made of stainless steel.

The first start should be carried out only after the paint layer has completely dried.

From a meat grinder

To make a pellet granulator with your own hands from a meat grinder, drawings and other complex diagrams are not needed. It’s enough just to find an unnecessary mechanical meat grinder.

When processing solid raw materials, such a device will quickly lose its suitability and effectiveness. However, the ease of manufacture allows even a novice farmer to make such a device without much difficulty.

As mentioned above, a granulator from a meat grinder cannot process solid products. However, this disadvantage is more than compensated by the advantages.

Advantages of this type of granulator:

• cheapness;
• small amount of materials and spare parts;
• ease of manufacture and operation;
• good processing of grass and hay for making feed;
• production of small and medium-sized granules.

Most often, at home, they prefer to make granulators of this particular type, so that fewer problems arise with the manufacture of housings.

To make a granulator from a meat grinder, you need to collect everything you need in advance so as not to be distracted while working.

Materials and spare parts you will need:

• meat grinder with all parts;
• pulleys 1:2;
• steel blank;
• belt;
• welding machine;
• 220 Volt electric motor.

Granulator from a meat grinder
All operations must be performed on a workbench, using a rubber mat for safety so that the part does not slip off the table and cause damage.

Complex drawings are not required when manufacturing a device of this type. You should measure the mesh, matrix, housing and shaft dimensions.

Calculations must be carried out taking into account that the matrix must be adjacent to the worm gear, so it is necessary to provide a small recess.

If the ribs of the meat grinder body interfere with the process, they must be removed. Then you should install the press on the workbench and secure it firmly with the mounting bolts. You need to drill a hole in the legs of the meat grinder.

Drawing of a granulator from a meat grinder

Matrix

It is advisable to make the matrix using a stencil made by hand or using a graphic editor and drawing design software.

It is important to consider the size of the shaft that must be drilled into the center of the matrix disk.

Often the size of the holes depends on the diameter of the blank:

1. If the part for the planned device is 20 mm, the suitable diameter is 3 mm. With a thickness of 25, you should choose a diameter of 4 millimeters.
2. If the thickness is 40 mm, the diameter cannot be less than 6. The hole must be ground, then install the matrix on the tip of the screw shaft.

Lid

A regular meat grinder lid will not work, so you need to make one specially. There are two ways to make a new thread for the cover: by welding wire or making cuts with a grinder.

It is necessary to take into account the diameter of the wire so as not to disrupt the entire structure.

It is better to make a cover with an allowance: if you want to install a larger matrix, you will not have to make a new protective cover.

Pellet knife

It is necessary to drill a hole in the meat grinder auger for attaching the knife using a bolt from the outside of the matrix. It is very important to use quality mounting bolts.

Pulley installation

The pulleys should be attached symmetrically, very accurately, because they will perform the main action - transmitting movement to the transfer belt.

The pulleys will experience increased load, so they must be of high quality and wear-resistant. The driving pulley must be connected to the motor shaft, the driven pulley to the handle.

Belt tension, engine installation calculation

The pulleys need to be connected slowly to the engine via a belt drive. Possible slipping must be taken into account.

The wheel on which the belt will be tensioned must have no teeth, otherwise the part will overheat greatly, and the risk of the granulator breaking down will increase significantly.

Adjustment and modification

After assembling the device, you need to weld the container to the hole left from the meat grinder body. Such a funnel will serve to fill in raw materials for making feed.

It is necessary to conduct a test run of the finished mechanism in order to make sure that it works without rough raw materials and to correct possible shortcomings in a timely manner.

It is very important to monitor the position of all parts, the correctness of their operation, and evaluate the belt tension.

Screw press

This mechanism is used to produce granulated feed from grain and straw pellets, which are used as top dressing.

In just one hour of work, it is possible to process 200 kilograms of raw materials into 200 kilograms of finished feed. You can regulate the amount of product by adjusting the power and performance of the equipment.

The principle of operation is as follows: the raw material is fed into the upper part of the apparatus, which moves inside the wheel, is pressed by a screw through holes in the matrix and takes the form of granules.

Advantages of this type of granulators:

• high performance;
• simplicity of design;
• ease of making with your own hands.

If you improve the device and select more wear-resistant components, you can even recycle wood.

The materials needed are the same as for the manufacture of a granulator with a flat matrix; the differences appear precisely in the matrix itself.

For production you will need:

• screw DIN 478 M5-10;
• shaft;
• bearing DIN 625-6207;
• bearing cover;
• retaining ring DIN 471-35-1.5;
• sleeve;
• video clip.

Large equipment for manufacturing will require: a welding machine, an angle grinder, a drilling machine and a lathe.

Materials:

• motor;
• gearbox;
• bearings – 2 pcs. to the diameter of the mounting hole;
• metal blank for the matrix;
• metal rod 10 mm;
• pipes for the body.

The structure must be steel, so the components must be reliable, durable, but not harder than steel, so that the screw granulator works for a long time.

To construct a drawing, the most important parameters are the dimensions of the device itself, the diameter of the screw and the type of matrix: with the size and frequency of the cells.

Everyone chooses the dimensions independently, but the most common are:

• gearbox speed – 120-150 rpm;
• cone angle – 70°;
• case diameter – 58 millimeters;
• screw height – 52 millimeters;
• The diameter of the shaft outlet is 30 millimeters.

Most often, the parameters of parts change as productivity increases: the higher it is, the larger the dimensions required.

Ball and tapered roller bearings must be used.

Screw press drawing

Making a screw

This is the most important step in making a screw granulator with your own hands.

Screw manufacturing steps:

• shaft selection;
• making mounting holes for bearings;
• rolling and welding of rod;
• grinder processing.

The larger the thread pitch, the higher the productivity, and the lower the pressure on the die.

Matrix

There is such a pattern: the larger the matrix cross-section, the higher the efficiency. Small holes need to be widened with a drill and be sure to be sanded.

The strength of feed pellets depends on their length, which is determined by the thickness of the matrix disk.

In this case, you need to take into account: the longer the granules are planned, the thicker they should be, so you need to increase the diameter of the matrix cells and its thickness.

The matrix is ​​made of steel plate grade 45. It is advisable to use alloy or stainless steel. The thinner the matrix, the faster it wears out.

The holes in the cells can be drilled and must be sanded.

The diameter is selected depending on the thickness of the matrix disk:

• a 6 mm mesh is suitable for a 40 mm disc thickness;
• 4 mm – for 25 mm;
• 3 mm - for 20 millimeters, respectively.

The durability of the matrix depends on the following factors:

• consistency of raw materials (presence of abrasive components, lack of oils);
• changing the feed rate of the source material;
• corrosion due to aggressive organic compounds - oils, fats, bran.

The power of the matrix depends on the thickness, so the diameter of the cells should be approximately 8-10 times less than the thickness.

Body of two or three sleeves

To make the casing, you will need a pipe equipped with a replaceable sleeve, which must be welded to the edges of the housing. The loading hole is made from a piece of small diameter pipe.

The ends are equipped with flanges. The bushing can be replaced. Its thickness should be six millimeters. It is necessary to leave a mounting socket to attach the matrix to the inside of the case.

Five plates must be welded onto the bushing to distribute the load when feeding raw materials.