Category: organic fertilizer equipment

As a major agricultural producer, my country generates nearly 1 billion tons of straw annually, making its resource utilization a crucial issue. Driven by national environmental protection policies, straw burning has been effectively curbed, and transforming this agricultural waste into valuable products has become a new development direction. Using straw as a raw material for organic fertilizer production not only aligns with the concept of a circular economy but also provides high-quality fertilizer for agricultural production, achieving a dual improvement in environmental and economic benefits.

Innovation in Straw Pretreatment Technology

The primary step in converting straw into organic fertilizer raw materials lies in scientific pretreatment. Traditional simple crushing often fails to achieve ideal results. Huaqiang Heavy Industry’s straw pretreatment system employs a multi-stage crushing process. First, a chain crusher coarsely crushes the straw, controlling the length to within the 5-10 mm range; this stage focuses on addressing the straw’s fiber structure. Subsequently, it enters a semi-wet material crusher for fine crushing, ensuring the material reaches a fineness of 80 mesh or higher.

This refined crushing process significantly increases the surface area of ​​the straw, creating favorable conditions for thorough mixing with subsequent raw materials such as livestock and poultry manure. The automated control system in the pretreatment process automatically adjusts crushing parameters according to different straw types, ensuring stable processing efficiency and quality. The entire pretreatment system can process 3-5 tons of straw per hour, meeting the needs of large-scale production.

Scientific Proportioning and Fermentation Process Optimization Straw itself has a high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 80:1, making direct fermentation difficult to achieve ideal results. Scientifically proportioning it with livestock and poultry manure to adjust the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to the optimal range of 25:1-30:1 is a key technical step in ensuring fermentation quality. Typically, straw and chicken manure are mixed in a 3:1 ratio, utilizing the abundant carbon source of straw while supplementing the nitrogen source of livestock and poultry manure, forming a nutritionally balanced fermentation raw material.

The fermentation process uses a hydraulic turning machine for dynamic fermentation management. This equipment, driven by a high-power hydraulic system, can penetrate deep into the material pile for thorough turning, ensuring uniform mixing of straw and livestock and poultry manure. Adding a specialized cellulose-decomposing agent during fermentation significantly accelerates the decomposition and conversion of straw cellulose, shortening the traditional fermentation cycle of over 30 days to 15-20 days, increasing efficiency by over 30%.

Pelletizing Technology Breakthrough and Application Practice: Due to its unique fiber structure and poor binding properties, straw raw material presents significant technical challenges in pelletizing. The application of a new type of stirring tooth pelletizer has successfully solved this problem. This equipment uses high-strength alloy stirring teeth, which, through powerful stirring, fully combine the straw fibers with the binder, achieving a pelletizing rate of over 80%, and ensuring that the pellet strength meets national standards.

A successful case study from a straw processing center in Anhui Province fully validates the practical effectiveness of this technology. The center uses a 3-ton/hour production line customized by Huaqiang Heavy Industry, processing 20 tons of straw and 10 tons of chicken manure daily, producing 10,800 tons of high-quality organic fertilizer annually. Since the production line began operation, it has not only effectively solved the local straw processing problem but also generated 8.64 million yuan in economic benefits for the processing center annually. More notably, the project received a 2 million yuan environmental subsidy from the local government, becoming a model project for straw resource utilization.

Environmental Value and Social Benefits

The promotion and application of the straw organic fertilizer production line has brought significant environmental benefits. Processing 1 ton of straw is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1.5 tons, while avoiding the large amounts of harmful gases and dust pollution produced by traditional burning. The produced organic fertilizer is rich in humus and trace elements, effectively improving soil structure, enhancing soil water and fertilizer retention capacity, and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.

From a social benefit perspective, straw resource utilization provides farmers with new sources of income. Straw that previously required costly disposal can now be transformed into valuable resources, while the production and sale of organic fertilizer create new jobs. This model promotes the recycling of agricultural waste and provides new industrial support for rural revitalization.

Technological Development Trends and Policy Support

With technological advancements and improved policies, straw resource utilization is developing towards greater efficiency and intelligence. In the future, the production line will place greater emphasis on comprehensive energy utilization, further reducing production costs through technologies such as waste heat recovery. Intelligent control systems will enable precise monitoring and optimized adjustment of the production process, improving product quality stability.

National-level environmental protection policies provide strong support for the resource utilization of straw. Local governments have introduced subsidy policies to encourage enterprises and farmers to participate in the comprehensive utilization of straw. With the development of the carbon trading market, straw resource utilization projects are expected to obtain additional revenue through carbon emission reduction trading, further enhancing the economic feasibility of the projects.

The transformation of straw from field waste to high-quality organic fertilizer not only solves environmental problems but also opens up a new path for agricultural circular economy. With the continuous maturation of technology and sustained policy support, this model will undoubtedly be promoted and applied on a wider scale, making a greater contribution to achieving sustainable agricultural development.

System Diversification: From Organic to Compound Fertilizer Lines

Building upon the successful straw-based bio organic fertilizer production line, producers can diversify their product portfolio and increase value by integrating technologies for compound fertilizers. The fermented and processed straw organic material serves as an excellent organic base. To produce blended or granulated compound fertilizers, this material can be introduced into an npk fertilizer production line. For bulk blends, an npk bulk blending machine or a more advanced npk blending machine precisely mixes the organic base with powdered N, P, and K sources. For granulated products, two main paths exist. The first utilizes an organic fertilizer disc granulation production line, where the core disc granulator agglomerates the mixture into spherical granules. The second employs a double roller press granulator for a dry compaction process, ideal for moisture-sensitive formulations and producing irregularly shaped pellets. The complete fertilizer raw material processing machinery and equipment set thus expands to include crushers, mixers, granulators, dryers, and coaters. Upstream, for large-scale composting of initial straw-manure mixtures, a windrow composting machine or a more intensive double screws compost turning machine ensures efficient aerobic decomposition. This flexibility allows a single facility to operate a dedicated disc granulation production line for pure organic fertilizer and a complementary npk fertilizer line for compound products, maximizing market responsiveness and resource utilization.

Fertilizer technology and production systems are the core support for agricultural modernization, encompassing scientific methods, industrial processes, and biotechnology for transforming raw materials into highly efficient soil fertility products. They are crucial for improving crop productivity and also bear the important mission of ecological protection, providing key guarantees for sustainable agricultural development.

Fertilizer technology focuses on innovation, aiming to improve nutrient utilization efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Modern technological breakthroughs are concentrated in the research and development of “smart fertilizers.” Slow-release and controlled-release fertilizers can gradually release nutrients according to crop growth needs. Combined with precision equipment such as variable-rate fertilizer applicators and digital data interpretation technology, dynamic optimization of nutrient application is achieved. Its core objective is to overcome nutrient absorption barriers caused by factors such as soil pH and temperature, while slowing the loss of volatile nutrients such as nitrogen, ensuring crop nutrient supply while reducing environmental pollution.

Fertilizer production systems construct an end-to-end industrial framework from raw materials to usable nutrients, and are divided into multiple systems based on differences in raw materials and processes. The chemical synthesis system, centered on the Haber-Bosch process, synthesizes ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen and natural gas hydrogen, laying the foundation for nitrogen fertilizer production. The mineral-based system mines phosphate rock and potash, treating them with acids such as sulfuric acid to produce phosphate or potassium salts, meeting crop requirements for phosphorus and potassium.

The industrial production line follows standardized mechanical processes: the batching and crushing stage precisely weighs raw materials and grinds them into fine powder less than 1 mm; the granulation stage uses equipment such as rotary drums and high towers to form granules from the mixture; the drying and cooling steps remove moisture to ensure stability and prevent agglomeration; finally, coating and packaging complete the product’s distribution preparation.

Bio-fertilizer technology, as a high-tech specialized process, is divided into two main stages: bacterial preparation production and fertilizer manufacturing. Inoculum preparation and fermentation require screening beneficial strains such as rhizobia and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, culturing them in fermenters with strictly controlled temperature, pH, and oxygen levels; the carrier stabilization stage mixes the microbial culture solution with sterile carriers such as peat and charcoal to ensure the survival and colonization of microorganisms in the soil.

The formulation methods are divided into two categories: liquid fermentation and solid composting. The former utilizes a stainless steel bioreactor to rapidly cultivate microorganisms in a sterile liquid culture medium, with a cycle of only 24-72 hours; the latter transforms organic waste into bio-organic fertilizer through aerobic or anaerobic fermentation. Key equipment such as autoclaves, fermentation tanks, and low-temperature dryers provide support for microbial activity and product quality, promoting bio-fertilizers as an important direction in ecological agriculture.

Integration of NPK Granulation Technology in Modern Fertilizer Systems

Within the standardized industrial production line, the NPK fertilizer granulator machine serves as the pivotal equipment that transforms precisely batched and crushed raw materials into uniform, market-ready granules. The choice of npk granulation machine technology—whether rotary drum, pan, or high-speed mixer-granulator—directly influences particle size distribution, hardness, and nutrient homogeneity. This core segment of npk fertilizer production technology often works in tandem with a npk bulk blending machine for flexible production of custom NPK blends without chemical reaction, catering to specific regional soil and crop requirements. A complete npk fertilizer granulator machine equipment line integrates pre-mixers, granulators, dryers, coolers, screens, and coating drums, forming a continuous, automated system. The overall NPK compound fertilizer production capacity is thus determined by the efficiency and scale of this integrated granulation and finishing line, with modern plants capable of outputs ranging from 50 to over 200 tons per hour. Advanced process control systems continuously monitor and adjust parameters like moisture, temperature, and feed rate, ensuring optimal granule quality while maximizing throughput and energy efficiency, thereby fulfilling the dual mandate of high crop productivity and ecological sustainability.

In modern pellet production, the choice of pelletizer directly affects production efficiency and product quality. Flat die pelletizers and ring die pelletizers, as two mainstream technologies, each have unique design features and applicable ranges. Understanding their differences is crucial for companies to choose pelletizing equipment suitable for their needs.

Fundamental Differences in Design Principles: Flat die pelletizers use a horizontally arranged disc-shaped die. When the pressure rollers rotate on the die surface, the material naturally falls into the pressing area under gravity. This design is relatively simple; the die is placed horizontally, and the pressure rollers rotate above the die, forcing the material through the die holes using vertical pressure. A small biomass fuel plant in Jiangsu uses this design; their equipment occupies only 5 square meters, making it ideal for workshops with limited space.

Ring die pelletizers, on the other hand, use a vertically rotating ring die design. The die is cylindrical and vertically installed, with an internal pressure roller system. During operation, the die rotates at high speed, and the material is fed into the pressing zone through a forced feeding system, where it forms pellets under the combined action of centrifugal force and pressure rollers. A large feed company in Henan uses a ring die pellet mill with a die diameter of 800 mm, capable of producing 10 tons of high-density feed pellets per hour.

Production Capacity and Scale Adaptability: Flat die pellet mills demonstrate unique advantages in small- to medium-scale production. For example, a family farm in Shandong uses a flat die pellet mill that can produce 300 kg of organic fertilizer pellets per hour, fully meeting the fertilizer needs of its 50-mu (approximately 3.3 hectares) orchard. The capacity of this type of equipment typically ranges from 80 to 1000 kg per hour, making it particularly suitable for small processing plants, farms, or research institutions.

Ring die pellet mills are the preferred choice for large-scale industrial production. A biomass pellet fuel plant in Guangdong with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons is equipped with multiple ring die pellet mills, each with an hourly output of 8 tons. The capacity of this type of equipment can range from 800 kg to 20 tons per hour, meeting the needs of continuous, large-scale production. Actual operational data shows that, under the same energy consumption, the unit output of ring die pellet mills is typically 30%-50% higher than that of flat die pellet mills.

Pellet Quality and Raw Material Adaptability

The pellets produced by the two types of equipment differ significantly in physical properties. Flat die pellet mills produce pellets with relatively lower density and softer texture. A mushroom cultivation cooperative in Yunnan uses flat die equipment to produce mushroom substrate filler, producing pellets with moderate density, ensuring both air permeability and sufficient water retention. This characteristic makes flat die pellet mills particularly suitable for processing raw materials with high coarse fiber content.

Ring die pellet mills, on the other hand, can produce high-density, high-hardness, high-quality pellets. Test data from a feed company in Hebei shows that the feed pellets they produce using ring die pellet mills have a durability index of 97%, far exceeding the industry standard requirement of 95%. These high-quality pellets have an extremely low breakage rate during transportation and storage, making them particularly suitable for the production of commercial products. However, it should be noted that ring die equipment has stricter requirements for parameters such as particle size and moisture content of the raw materials.

Operating Costs and Maintenance Needs

From an investment and operational perspective, both types of equipment have their advantages. Flat die pellet mills have lower initial investment; a standard unit with a capacity of 500 kg/hour typically costs between 50,000 and 80,000 yuan. A startup in Zhejiang chose flat die pellet mills, which not only reduced initial investment pressure but also allowed existing maintenance workers to perform routine maintenance due to their simple mechanical structure.

While ring die pellet mills have higher initial investment, they offer advantages in long-term operating costs. A large-scale livestock farm in Hunan calculated that although the investment in ring die equipment is three times that of flat die, the die life is twice as long, and unit energy consumption is reduced by 25%, resulting in a lower total cost over three years. The company’s equipment manager stated that after professional training, their technical team is now able to independently complete most maintenance tasks.

Maintenance Convenience and Service Life

Flat die pellet mills have significant advantages in maintenance. Replacing the die and pressure rollers typically takes only 2-3 hours and requires no special tools. Maintenance records from an organic fertilizer plant in Jiangxi Province show that they perform routine maintenance monthly, each session taking only half a day with minimal production loss. This ease of maintenance is particularly suitable for small businesses lacking specialized maintenance teams.

Ring die pellet mills are relatively more complex to maintain, but have a longer lifespan. Equipment records from a large feed mill in Jilin Province show that their ring die has an average lifespan of 2000 hours, 2-3 times that of flat die pellets. Although each replacement requires a professional technician and takes about 8 hours, the significantly reduced replacement frequency makes the overall maintenance cost more economical.

Practical Application Case Analysis: In a small wood processing plant in the mountainous region of Sichuan, the owner chose a flat die pellet mill to process wood processing waste. The equipment is installed in a simple 30-square-meter workshop, operated by two workers working 8 hours a day, producing 2 tons of biomass pellets. Besides supplying their own drying equipment, the surplus pellets are sold to surrounding farmers, forming a successful small-scale circular economy model.

In contrast, a new energy company in Guangdong Province chose a ring die pellet mill system. They invested in and built a fully automated production line, automating everything from raw material feeding, crushing, drying to granulation and packaging. The entire line requires only six operators and has a daily output of 120 tons, primarily exported to Japan and South Korea. This highly efficient production model fully demonstrates the advantages of ring die pellet mills in industrial production.

Technological Development Trends

With technological advancements, both types of equipment are constantly being innovated and upgraded. The new generation of flat die pellet mills has significantly improved service life through optimized transmission systems and die materials. Ring die pellet mills have achieved breakthroughs in intelligent control, using sensors to monitor operating parameters in real time and automatically adjust feeding speed and pressing pressure, resulting in more stable product quality.

When choosing pelleting equipment in the future, companies should comprehensively consider factors such as production scale, raw material characteristics, investment budget, and technical conditions. For startups and small-scale producers, flat die pellet mills may be a more suitable choice; while for companies pursuing economies of scale and product quality stability, ring die pellet mills offer better long-term value. Regardless of the type of equipment chosen, operator training and technical support should be emphasized to ensure the equipment performs at its best.

Comparing Pelletizing Technologies Across Industries

The analysis of flat die versus ring die pellet mills for biomass and feed illustrates a broader principle of mechanical densification that is central to fertilizer production as well. In fertilizer fertilizer raw material processing machinery and equipment portfolios, extrusion-based shaping is a key technology. A flat die pelleting machine operates on a similar principle to a biomass flat die mill, producing cylindrical pellets from organic or blended materials. A more heavy-duty option for dry powders is the double roller press granulator, which is the core of a roller press granulator production line used in both npk fertilizer production line and organic systems for dry compaction.

This contrasts with other primary granulation methods. In organic fertilizer production, a common approach is the organic fertilizer disc granulation production line, which uses a disc granulator (a disc granulator for shaping) for gentle, spherical pellet formation via a tumbling action. The upstream feedstock for such a line often comes from a windrow composting machine (or windrow machine) like a double screws compost turning machine. For NPK production, the process typically starts with precise powder blending using a npk bulk blending machine before granulation. The choice between a disc granulator machine for wet agglomeration, a roller press for dry compaction, or a flat die for extrusion is a strategic decision based on raw material properties, desired capacity, and product specifications in both organic fertilizer production line and bio organic fertilizer production line setups.

Therefore, understanding the fundamental mechanics and trade-offs of different pelletizing technologies—whether for biomass, feed, or fertilizer—enables producers to select the most efficient and cost-effective shaping solution for their specific raw material and market needs.