The core competitiveness of NPK compound fertilizers lies in the precise proportioning and uniform distribution of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients. This advantage is achieved through the synergistic operation of the fertilizer mixer and NPK fertilizer granulator in the NPK fertilizer production line. These two pieces of equipment respectively undertake the core tasks of uniform nutrient mixing and precise shaping and solidification, jointly ensuring the efficacy and quality of the finished fertilizer.
The fertilizer mixer machine is the “first line of defense” for nutrient balance. The pre-treated nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium raw materials, fillers, and enhancers must first be efficiently mixed to break down particle aggregation, ensuring full nutrient integration and controllable nutrient deviation in the mixed materials.
The NPK fertilizer granulator undertakes the critical mission of “nutrient solidification and shaping.” After the uniformly mixed materials are fed into the NPK fertilizer granulator, the equipment transforms the loose materials into granular form through wet rolling or dry extrusion. Based on the characteristics of the NPK raw materials, the granulator can precisely control the particle size and strength, firmly locking the nutrients inside the granules and preventing nutrient stratification and loss during transportation and storage.
In the NPK fertilizer production line, the synergistic connection between the fertilizer mixer and the NPK fertilizer granulator forms the core link of “precise mixing – stable shaping.” The former ensures nutrient uniformity, and the latter ensures product stability. Together, they enable NPK compound fertilizers to meet the nutrient needs of different crops and adapt to the efficient application requirements of large-scale agricultural production.
In August 2024, four flat die pelleting production lines, custom-designed for a Qingdao client by Zhengzhou Huaqiang Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd., completed full-process installation and commissioning, successfully entering the large-scale production stage. This production line focuses on the high-efficiency granulation needs of organic fertilizers and compound fertilizers, integrating core processes such as crushing, mixing, granulation, drying, coating, and screening. With multi-equipment collaboration, highly automated configuration, and stable operating performance, it has become a benchmark project for high-end flat die pelleting machine equipment applications in China, providing local fertilizer production enterprises with a one-stop mass production solution.
Production Line Full-Process Configuration and Process Analysis
The entire production line follows a closed-loop design of “raw material pretreatment – precision granulation – post-processing and finishing – finished product output.” The equipment layout is scientific, the connections are smooth, and the functions of each unit are complementary, fully ensuring production efficiency and product quality.
Raw Material Pretreatment Unit: Laying the Foundation for Uniform Granulation
Raw Material Feeding and Crushing: The production line starts with a loader-loaded hopper, adapting to the rapid feeding requirements of bulk raw materials. The feed inlet features a spill-proof design to reduce raw material loss. Raw materials are conveyed via a 7-meter belt conveyor to a 60×50 type double-stage crusher. This equipment adopts a “coarse crushing + fine crushing” double-stage crushing structure. The cutter disc is made of high-strength alloy material, which can crush large raw materials (particle size ≤100mm) into uniform particles ≤3mm, with a crushing efficiency of 5 tons/hour, meeting the stringent requirements for raw material fineness in subsequent granulation.
Precision Mixing Process: The crushed raw materials are transferred via a 7-meter belt conveyor to a 50 type twin-shaft mixer. The equipment adopts an anti-rotating blade design with a wear-resistant coating on the blade surface. During the mixing process, the material forms strong convection and shearing action, ensuring uniform mixing of main raw materials such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium with trace elements, with a mixing uniformity error ≤2%. The mixer is equipped with a variable frequency speed control system, which can adjust the mixing speed (15-30 r/min) according to the characteristics of the raw materials. It also supports automatic feeding and unloading control to ensure continuous production.
Core Granulation Unit: 4 Main Units Operating in Parallel for Enhanced Efficiency
The mixed material is conveyed via a 12-meter belt conveyor to a 2200-type disc feeder. This feeder uses variable frequency speed control and automatic material level control technology to precisely regulate the feed rate, ensuring uniform feeding of the four 50-type flat die pelleting machines and avoiding fluctuations in granulation quality due to uneven feeding.
The parallel operation of the four flat die pelleting machines is the core highlight of the entire production line. Each unit has an hourly output of 1.5 tons, and the combined operation achieves the designed total capacity of 6 tons/hour. The granulator adopts a high-strength flat die design, with die hole diameters customizable according to customer needs (3-8mm). The pressure rollers are made of wear-resistant rubber and metal composite material, and the pressure is precisely controlled (8-12MPa) through a hydraulic pressurization system, ensuring a stable material forming rate of over 90% and a particle strength of 2.5MPa, making it less prone to pulverization. The equipment operates at a noise level below 75dB and is equipped with an automatic die cleaning device, effectively reducing die hole clogging and extending continuous operating time.
Post-processing and finishing unit: Improving product quality and stability
Drying and cooling stage: The wet granules after granulation are transferred to a 1.5x15m dryer via 4m and 12m belt conveyors. The equipment adopts a hot air circulation heating design, with a No. 26 hot air furnace providing a stable heat source. The drying temperature can be precisely controlled within the range of 60-120℃, reducing the particle moisture content from 30% to below 12%, with a drying efficiency of 8 tons/hour. After drying, the granules are conveyed via 5-meter and 6-meter belt conveyors to a 1.2×12-meter cooler. A counter-current cooling process is used, with the cooling time controlled within 15 minutes, rapidly reducing the granule temperature to room temperature (±5℃), effectively improving granule hardness and storage stability.
Coating and Sieving Optimization: The cooled granules are then conveyed via a 5.5-meter bucket elevator to a 130-type spiral duster. After pre-treatment to prevent moisture absorption and agglomeration, they enter a 1.2×6.0-meter coating machine. The coating machine uses a roller design and atomized spraying technology to evenly adhere the coating agent to the granule surface, forming a dense protective film, improving the slow-release effect of fertilizer nutrients and extending shelf life. The coated granules are transferred by bucket elevator to a 1.5×6.0 meter drum screen for grading and screening. Qualified granules (3-8mm in diameter) enter the finished product silo, while unqualified granules are returned to the crusher for reprocessing via 7-meter and 6-meter return conveyors, achieving a material utilization rate of 98%.
Environmental Protection and Finished Product Output Unit: Green Production + High-Efficiency Shipping
Environmental Protection System Configuration: The production line is equipped with dust collection chambers for the dryer and cooler, combined with 6C and 5C induced draft fans to form a negative pressure dust collection system. This system centrally collects and treats dust generated during production, achieving a dust emission concentration ≤10mg/m³, meeting national environmental standards. The chimney and water tank are linked for water washing and purification of the hot air furnace exhaust gas, reducing pollutant emissions and achieving green production.
Finished Product Packaging and Storage: After qualified finished products are stored in the finished product warehouse, they are quantitatively packaged by an automatic packaging scale. The equipment supports switching between multiple specifications such as 25kg and 50kg, with a measurement error of ≤±0.2kg and a packaging speed of up to 100 bags/hour, meeting the needs of large-scale shipments. The packaged finished products are directly transferred to the stacking area via conveyor belt, with fully automated operation reducing manual intervention.
Core Advantages and Adaptability of the Production Line
High-Efficiency Mass Production Capacity: Four flat die pelleting machines operate in parallel + a fully automated design, significantly improving production efficiency. The capacity is three times higher than a traditional single-unit granulation production line, meeting the customer’s daily production demand of 120 tons.
Stable, Reliable, and Durable: Key equipment (crusher, granulator, dryer) and their core components adopt standardized and wear-resistant designs. Wear parts are highly interchangeable, and the overall equipment operating rate reaches over 95%, reducing subsequent maintenance costs.
Highly adaptable: Supports granulation of various materials such as organic fertilizer, compound fertilizer, and bio-organic fertilizer. Die diameter, coating formula, and packaging specifications can all be flexibly adjusted to meet the personalized production needs of different customers.
The successful commissioning of four flat die pelleting machine production lines in Qingdao fully demonstrates Huaqiang Heavy Industry’s professional strength in granulation equipment R&D and production line integration design. In the future, the company will continue to focus on market demand, optimize equipment performance and process solutions, and provide more domestic and international customers with efficient, stable, and environmentally friendly customized granulation production line solutions, contributing to the high-quality development of the agricultural industry.
Integrating Granulation Options into a Complete Production Ecosystem
This Qingdao project highlights the effective application of a high-capacity flat die pelleting machine system, demonstrating its role as a key fertilizer processing machine for specific material types and production scales. It represents one successful pathway within the diverse field of fertilizer granulation technology.
The flat die pelleting production line serves a specific niche, particularly well-suited for organic materials. For producers requiring a different approach, alternative technologies are available within the broader npk manufacturing process. For instance, a roller press granulator production line utilizes a fertilizer compaction machine (or fertilizer compactor) to perform fertilizer granules compaction via dry pressure. Conversely, a rotary drum granulator employs a wet agglomeration process. These choices complement other essential equipment, such as a windrow composting machine for producing the raw organic feedstock. Each piece of equipment represents a specialized solution, allowing manufacturers to select the optimal combination of fertilizer granulation technology based on their raw material properties, desired product form, and economic considerations.Ultimately, the success of a fertilizer production operation lies in matching the right granulation technology—whether flat die, roller press, or rotary drum—to the specific characteristics of the input materials and the requirements of the target market.
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In agricultural production, organic fertilizers and chemical fertilizers are two core types of fertilizers. They differ significantly in nutrient composition, fertilizer efficiency, and impact on soil. Understanding their characteristics is crucial for their scientific and effective use.
In terms of nutrient composition, organic fertilizers originate from the decomposed remains of plants and animals. After processing through organic fertilizer production lines and shaping by organic fertilizer granulators, they retain the advantage of comprehensive and balanced nutrients, containing macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micronutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, and are also rich in organic matter. Chemical fertilizers are mostly industrially synthesized, with compound fertilizers produced by NPK fertilizer production lines being a typical example. Chemical fertilizers generally have a single, concentrated nutrient composition, usually focusing on one or a few elements, such as nitrogen fertilizers, phosphorus fertilizers, and NPK compound fertilizers, with high nutrient purity.
Regarding fertilizer efficiency, organic fertilizers have a mild and long-lasting effect, with nutrients released slowly after microbial decomposition and absorption by crops, providing long-term nutrition. Chemical fertilizers have a fast and strong effect, with nutrients easily absorbed directly by crops, quickly alleviating nutrient deficiency symptoms. However, their effect is short-lived, and excessive application can lead to nutrient loss.
In terms of application scenarios, organic fertilizers are suitable as base fertilizers, applicable to various crops such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, and are especially suitable for green and organic agricultural product cultivation. Chemical fertilizers are suitable as topdressing fertilizers, used to quickly supplement nutrients during critical growth stages to increase yield. In actual production, a reasonable combination of the two can quickly meet the nutrient needs of crops while also protecting the soil and achieving sustainable farming.
In modern organic fertilizer production, a complete production line not only needs to complete basic processing but also achieves significant value enhancement through refined processing.
After the materials have completed fermentation and mixing, the fertilizer compaction machine initiates the refined processing journey. It shapes loose powdery materials into uniformly sized granules using physical pressure. This process not only improves the physical properties of the product, making it easier to store and transport, but more importantly, it lays the morphological foundation for subsequent processing.
The extruded granules then enter the screening stage. The fertilizer screener machine, through a precise screening mechanism, strictly grades the finished product according to particle size specifications. Particles that meet the standards proceed to the next process, while products with unqualified particle sizes are returned to the previous process for reprocessing.
At the end of the entire organic fertilizer production line, the fertilizer coating machine plays a crucial role. This equipment effectively reduces clumping during storage by coating the granules with a special film material, while also enabling the slow release of nutrients. Products treated with coating not only have a brighter appearance but also significantly enhanced functionality and added value.
The coordinated operation of these specialized organic fertilizer production equipment demonstrates the high level of precision in modern fertilizer production. From the shaping process of the fertilizer compaction machine to the fine selection by the fertilizer screener machine, and then to the value-added processing by the fertilizer coating machine, each step contributes to the quality of the final product.
The superior properties of water-soluble fertilizers stem from meticulous processing, with the core focus on ensuring nutrient purity, solubility, and uniformity. Compared to traditional fertilizers, their processing demands higher standards for raw materials, formulation, and manufacturing processes. The rational use of key equipment such as fertilizer screener machines, fertilizer mixers, and fertilizer packing machines is crucial for efficient processing and quality assurance.
Raw material selection is the first line of defense. High-purity, easily soluble raw materials must be selected to prevent impurities from affecting quality. Fertilizer screener machines are used to remove impurities and large particles, while simultaneous drying and impurity removal processes reduce moisture content, preventing moisture absorption and caking, thus laying the foundation for subsequent processing.
Precise formulation and uniform mixing are core aspects. After accurately weighing the raw materials according to crop needs, they are fed into a fertilizer mixer for thorough mixing to prevent uneven nutrient distribution; powdered water-soluble fertilizers can be further refined using a fertilizer screening machine to improve dissolution speed; liquid water-soluble fertilizers require controlled mixing parameters to ensure complete nutrient dissolution.
Finished product testing and packaging are the final stages. After passing quality control, the product is packaged using a fertilizer packaging machine. Moisture-proof and sealed packaging materials are used to protect quality and prevent moisture absorption and deterioration during transportation and storage. Key information such as nutrient ratios and usage instructions are also included to provide guidance for subsequent use.
NPK fertilizers are prone to caking during storage and transportation, which not only affects ease of application and leads to uneven nutrient distribution, but also interferes with subsequent operations on the NPK fertilizer production line, increasing the burden of secondary processing on core equipment such as NPK fertilizer granulators and fertilizer mixer machines. The core causes are moisture absorption and deliquescence on the particle surface, crystal bridging, and inter-particle pressure. Anti-caking agents can block the caking pathway through scientific mechanisms, ensuring the loose state and stable quality of the fertilizer.
Anti-caking agents mainly work through three mechanisms: firstly, physical isolation, where inert powders or hydrophobic substances uniformly coat the particle surface to form a protective film, isolating water and oxygen and preventing particle adhesion; secondly, moisture control, where some anti-caking agents preferentially adsorb environmental moisture, reducing the water content of the particles and inhibiting crystal bridge formation at the source; and thirdly, improving particle characteristics, increasing surface smoothness, reducing inter-particle friction and adhesion, and alleviating extrusion and adhesion under stacking pressure.
The application of anti-caking agents needs to be integrated into the core process of the NPK fertilizer production line, considering both compatibility and dosage. It is recommended to add them simultaneously during the mixing and conditioning stage in the fertilizer mixer to ensure uniform blending with the particles; at the same time, the parameters of the NPK fertilizer granulator machine should be considered, and the type should be selected according to the characteristics of the granulated particles, such as hydrophobic types for monoammonium phosphate-based fertilizers, and composite types for high-nitrogen fertilizers.
In large-scale organic fertilizer production, rotary drum granulators, as the core type of organic fertilizer granulator, have become the “central equipment” of rotary drum granulation production lines due to their excellent adaptability and production capacity advantages.
The core advantages of rotary drum granulators are “wide adaptability and high production capacity.” Compared with other organic fertilizer granulators, they have a higher tolerance for raw material moisture and viscosity, and can process diverse materials such as composted livestock and poultry manure and straw fermentation materials with a moisture content of 20%-30%, without the need for excessive fine pre-treatment. The equipment’s molding rate is stably above 90%, and the hourly production capacity of a single unit can reach several tons to tens of tons, perfectly meeting the needs of large-scale production.
The efficient operation of the rotary drum granulation production line relies on the precise coordination of the rotary drum granulator with other equipment. The pre-treated raw materials are uniformly mixed by the batching and mixing system and then directly fed into the rotary drum granulator, while water or binders are precisely added through a spraying device; after granulation, the granular materials directly enter subsequent equipment such as dryers, coolers, and screening machines, forming a complete closed-loop process of “batching – granulation – post-processing.”
Whether producing pure organic fertilizer or organic-inorganic compound fertilizer, the rotary drum granulation production line can achieve diversified output with the flexible adaptability of the rotary drum granulator. It not only lowers the operational threshold for large-scale organic fertilizer production but also ensures the stability of finished product quality.
“A crop’s growth depends entirely on fertilizer,” goes the saying. Fertilizer is the “nutritional meal” for crops, and fertilizer machinery is the “precise dispenser” and “efficient deliveryman” of this meal. From traditional manual fertilization to today’s intelligent fertilizer blending and precision fertilization, the iterative upgrades of fertilizer machinery have not only solved the long-standing problems of “difficult and uneven fertilization,” but also propelled agricultural production towards cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and green sustainability. Today, we’ll unveil the mystery of fertilizer machinery and see how these “agricultural marvels” are changing our planting methods.
To understand fertilizer machinery, we must first understand its core mission: to ensure fertilizer is used effectively. In traditional planting, farmers often rely on experience to fertilize, either “over-fertilizing for high yields,” leading to fertilizer waste and soil compaction, or “under-fertilizing for fear of reduced yields,” impacting crop growth. Fertilizer machinery, through standardized and precise operations, perfectly solves this problem. Its family of models comprises many members, each with its own specific “job responsibilities.” In the fertilizer production stage, these “transformation masters” are responsible for converting various raw materials into qualified fertilizers. Taking organic fertilizer production as an example, the compost turner is an indispensable core piece of equipment. Through rotating blades or spiral blades, it continuously turns and tosses the fermenting materials, reducing moisture, promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms, and ensuring more uniform decomposition, transforming polluting livestock manure and crop straw into loose, fertile organic fertilizer. The granulator, like a “shaping artist,” processes powdered fertilizer into granules through rotating discs and extrusion, facilitating storage and transportation, controlling nutrient release rates, and improving fertilizer efficiency.
In the field application stage, the “distribution experts” showcase their skills. The most common fertilizer spreader has long since moved beyond the extensive “spread as you go” approach. Modern solid fertilizer spreaders, through precise transmission systems and spreading mechanisms, can evenly distribute granular fertilizer in the field, with uniformity errors controlled within ±5%. For complex terrains such as mountains and hills, tracked mobile fertigation machines are particularly adept at maneuvering. They can easily navigate steep orchards and scattered plots, integrating irrigation and fertilization. The work time for 10 acres has been reduced from the traditional 3 people per day to just 2 hours, significantly lowering labor costs.
In recent years, with the development of smart agriculture, fertilizer machinery has also undergone an “intelligent upgrade,” giving rise to the “smart brain”—the intelligent fertilizer blender—that can “tailor-make” a nutritional meal for the land. At the intelligent fertilizer blending station in Hangjin Banner, Inner Mongolia, farmers only need to input the plot coordinates on the terminal to check the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of the soil. After selecting the crop variety and target yield, the system automatically generates a personalized fertilizer blending plan. The blender then precisely mixes the raw materials to produce a “custom-made” fertilizer. This model completely changes the traditional practice of “using the same fertilizer for everything.” Calculations show that using customized fertilizer can save 60-70 yuan per acre in fertilizer costs, reduce fertilizer application by 20 kg, and increase yield by about 30 kg per acre, truly achieving “supplementing what is lacking.” Beyond precision fertilizer application, variable-rate fertilization technology takes “precision” to the extreme. Intelligent fertilizer applicators equipped with BeiDou navigation and soil sensors can monitor real-time differences in soil nutrients and automatically adjust the amount of fertilizer applied while moving, ensuring every inch of the field receives the appropriate fertilizer supply. Data shows that the number of intelligent fertilizer applicators in my country has exceeded 42,000 units. In major grain-producing areas such as Heilongjiang and Henan, the coverage rate of intelligent fertilization equipment has exceeded 40%, and fertilizer utilization is 2%-3% higher than traditional fertilization.
The advancement of fertilizer machinery not only benefits farmers but also contributes to environmental protection. Problems such as groundwater pollution and soil degradation caused by excessive fertilization in the past have been effectively alleviated with the widespread adoption of precision fertilization machinery. For example, mobile fertigation machines, by precisely controlling the water-fertilizer ratio, can increase water resource utilization by 30%-60% and fertilizer utilization by 25%-40%, reducing waste and preventing soil compaction and salinization. Meanwhile, organic fertilizer production machinery promotes the resource utilization of livestock and poultry breeding waste, turning “waste” into “fertilizer” and forming an agricultural ecological cycle.
From simple mechanized operations to intelligent and precise control, the development of fertilizer machinery is a microcosm of the transformation and upgrading of modern agriculture. These “agricultural marvels” not only liberate farmers from heavy physical labor but also achieve the goals of “reducing fertilizer use and increasing efficiency, and promoting green development” through technological advancements. In the future, with continuous technological innovation, fertilizer machinery will develop towards greater intelligence, efficiency, and environmental friendliness, injecting continuous momentum into ensuring food security and promoting high-quality agricultural development.
Manufacturing Precision: From Factory to Field
The “agricultural marvels” that enable precision farming in the field—like intelligent spreaders and variable-rate applicators—are supplied by a sophisticated industrial manufacturing sector. The efficiency and precision of field application are entirely dependent on the quality and consistency of the fertilizer products themselves, which are produced in dedicated facilities using advanced professional fertilizer manufacturing equipment.
An organic fertilizer factory relies on a complete organic fertilizer production line, which begins with processing raw compost using a windrow composting machine and proceeds through granulation. Similarly, a comprehensive npk fertilizer production line encompasses the entire npk fertilizer production process. This process starts with precise formulation using an npk blending machine or npk bulk blending machine, followed by shaping the mixture using a fertilizer granulator. Granulation technology options include a disc granulation production line with a disc granulator for shaping, or a roller press granulator production line for dry compaction. The collective cost of this fertilizer manufacturing plant equipment directly influences both the organic fertilizer machinery price and the final NPK fertilizer production price. These integrated systems are what allow modern agriculture to have access to the diverse, high-quality fertilizers needed for both broad-acre and precision application.Therefore, the revolution in field application is underpinned by an equally significant revolution in manufacturing, where advanced production lines ensure a reliable supply of the tailored nutrients that smart farming equipment depends on.
In the oil palm industry’s production chain, oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB), once considered a waste product requiring disposal, have now become a valuable resource in sustainable agriculture due to their rich nutritional advantages. As an organic waste rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients, oil palm empty fruit bunches, through various methods such as composting and biochar conversion, demonstrate unique value in improving soil quality and promoting crop growth, providing an effective path for the green transformation of agriculture.
The utilization of oil palm empty fruit bunches as fertilizer has diverse applications, adapting to different agricultural production needs. Composting is the most common method, where empty fruit bunches are mixed with manure or palm oil mill effluent and fermented to produce a nutritionally balanced organic fertilizer, fully activating its nutrient potential. Pyrolysis technology can convert empty fruit bunches into porous biochar. This special material not only significantly improves soil fertility, with particularly outstanding effects on peat soils, but also promotes nutrient absorption by crops. Furthermore, potassium carbonate extracted from the ash of empty fruit bunches is a key ingredient in liquid fertilizers, enabling precise nutrient recovery; untreated empty fruit bunches can also be directly applied as mulch or mixed into the soil, continuously improving soil properties through natural decomposition.
The benefits of this organic waste to soil and plants are multifaceted. At the soil level, it effectively increases the nutrient content and organic carbon content of the soil, fundamentally improving soil structure, reducing compaction, and enhancing soil water and nutrient retention capacity. More importantly, it provides a favorable living environment for soil microorganisms and beneficial animals, activating the vitality of the soil microbial community and improving the stability of the soil ecosystem. For crops, these improvements ultimately translate into growth momentum, especially at higher application rates or in combination with other treatments, significantly promoting the growth of oil palm and other crops, improving yield and quality, while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and lowering the risk of agricultural non-point source pollution.
Of course, some precautions should be considered when using oil palm empty fruit bunches as fertilizer. Its most significant characteristic is the slow release of nutrients. While it provides long-term nutrient supply, it may not meet the rapid nutrient needs of crops at specific growth stages. At the same time, single-component empty fruit bunch fertilizer often fails to provide balanced nutrition and usually requires supplementation with inorganic fertilizers to fully meet the nutritional needs of crops. Furthermore, due to its high lignin and wax content, unprocessed empty fruit bunches are difficult to handle and require pretreatment methods such as composting and pyrolysis to improve utilization efficiency.
Overall, oil palm empty fruit bunches, with their diverse utilization methods and significant improvement effects, have become a sustainable soil amendment with both ecological and economic value. The rational development and utilization of this valuable resource can not only solve the problem of disposing of by-products from the oil palm industry but also promote the transformation of agricultural production towards a low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and efficient direction, injecting new vitality into ensuring food security and ecological balance.
Integrating OPEFB into Modern Manufacturing Systems
The uses of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) as a sustainable fertilizer resource are maximized through systematic industrial processing. To transform this raw organic waste into a consistent, market-ready product, it must be integrated into a complete organic fertilizer manufacturing system.
The process begins with efficient decomposition, often accelerated by advanced fermentation composting turning technology to produce stable compost. This processed OPEFB compost then becomes the primary feedstock for a professional organic fertilizer production line. The core stage of organic fertilizer production granulation shapes the material into uniform pellets. Manufacturers can choose specialized equipment like an organic fertilizer disc granulation machine within a dedicated disc granulation line, or opt for versatile solutions such as a new type two in one organic fertilizer granulator or a comprehensive organic fertilizer combined granulation production line. These systems are designed to handle the fibrous nature of OPEFB, efficiently converting it into a high-value, easy-to-apply fertilizer that fulfills its potential in sustainable agriculture.Therefore, the true value of OPEFB is unlocked not just at the field level but through its seamless incorporation into sophisticated production lines that ensure quality, consistency, and scalability for the global organic fertilizer market.
A dedicated extrusion granulation production line has been successfully put into operation in Colombia, enabling high-efficiency granulation through steel structures!
In May 2025, Zhengzhou Huaqiang Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd. completed the installation and commissioning of a steel-structured extrusion granulation production line tailored for a Colombian client, officially entering the stage of large-scale production. This production line, with its steel structure plant layout as its core adaptation, integrates the entire chain of processes including mixing, lifting, feeding, granulation, screening, and packaging. With its robust configuration of two 3.0-type extrusion granulators, compact and efficient space utilization, and stable and reliable operation, it has become another benchmark project for Chinese granulation equipment in the South American market, providing local fertilizer producers with a highly adaptable and cost-effective mass production solution.
Production Line Configuration and Core Equipment Analysis
The entire steel-structured extrusion granulation production line is built around a closed-loop logic of “precise pretreatment – efficient granulation – quality control – finished product output.” Equipment selection is closely matched to the load-bearing capacity and spatial layout of the steel-structured plant, with each unit seamlessly integrated. This ensures production efficiency while maximizing plant space utilization, fully meeting the large-scale production needs of Columbia’s clients.
Raw Material Pretreatment and Conveying Unit: Laying a Solid Foundation for Uniform Granulation
Efficient Mixing Process: The production line uses a 2000-type disc mixer as the core of raw material pretreatment. This equipment features a large-diameter disc design with a mixing diameter of 2.0 meters, providing ample volume for batch mixing of multi-component raw materials. The mixing blades adopt a spiral layout, coupled with a variable frequency speed control system (speed range 10-25 r/min), which can flexibly adjust the mixing intensity according to the raw material moisture and ratio, ensuring sufficient convection and shearing of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium main raw materials and trace elements. The mixing uniformity error is ≤2%, providing a uniform raw material foundation for subsequent granulation. The equipment features wear-resistant lining plates to extend its service life and is equipped with an automatic unloading device to ensure continuous production.
Stable Lifting and Feeding: The mixed raw materials are vertically conveyed to subsequent stages via a 315-type bucket elevator (10 meters). This elevator is optimized for the vertical space of steel structure plants, with a small footprint and high load-bearing capacity. It uses a plate chain drive structure, ensuring smooth and noiseless operation, with a conveying efficiency of 6 tons/hour. Its excellent sealing effectively prevents the raw materials from becoming damp, contaminated, or generating dust during lifting. The lifted raw materials then enter a 2000-type disc feeder. The feeder uses frequency conversion control and automatic material level monitoring technology to precisely regulate the feed rate, ensuring uniform feeding to the two extrusion granulators. This avoids fluctuations in granulation quality or equipment overload caused by uneven feeding, achieving precise matching between raw material supply and granulation rhythm.
The core equipment of the production line consists of two 3.0-type extrusion granulators. This model is a mature product developed by Huaqiang Heavy Industry for medium to large-scale production capacity needs. It is specifically optimized for the load-bearing standards of steel-structured plants, featuring a compact structure and reasonable weight distribution, perfectly adapting to the load-bearing limitations of the plant. The granulator adopts a high-strength double-roller extrusion design with a roll diameter of 300mm and a roll width of 250mm. The extrusion pressure (6-18MPa) is precisely controlled through a hydraulic pressurization system, adapting to the granulation needs of organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer raw materials with different moisture content (28%-35%) and different compositions.
The granulator rollers are made of high-chromium alloy, with a hardness exceeding HRC62 after quenching. This results in three times the wear resistance compared to ordinary materials, extending the service life to over 10,000 hours. The roller surface features a customized anti-slip texture design, enhancing material gripping force and effectively preventing slippage. The granulation rate remains consistently above 93%, with uniform particle size controlled at 3-5mm and a compressive strength of 2.7MPa. The granules are not prone to pulverization, fully meeting the needs of Colombian agriculture for fertilization and long-distance transportation. Two granulators can operate in parallel, each with a capacity of 2.5 tons per hour. Combined operation achieves a total capacity of 5 tons per hour and a daily capacity of 120 tons, significantly improving customer production efficiency.
Grading and Finished Product Output Unit: Strict Quality Control and Efficient Delivery
Precise Screening and Recycled Material Utilization: Granulated particles are transported via a conveyor system to a 1.2×4.0 meter drum screen. This equipment is optimized for the lateral space of steel structure plants, maximizing floor space and screening efficiency. The screen uses a single-layer high-precision screen design, with screen apertures customizable to customer needs. Grading and screening are achieved through uniform drum rotation (18 r/min). Qualified particles (3-5 mm diameter) achieve a 98% pass rate, while substandard particles (too coarse or too fine) are returned to the raw material mixing front end via a 5-meter return conveyor belt, re-entering the granulation process. Material utilization reaches 99%, effectively reducing production costs. The screen is equipped with an automatic screen cleaning device, which cleans material adhering to the screen surface in real time, preventing screen blockage and ensuring stable screening efficiency. The equipment features a sealed enclosure design, reducing dust pollution and meeting local environmental protection requirements.
Finished Product Storage and Automated Packaging: Qualified granules are conveyed to the finished product warehouse via a 7-meter belt conveyor for temporary storage. The warehouse is a custom-designed steel-structure plant with a sealed structure and a dehumidification and ventilation system to effectively prevent fertilizer from absorbing moisture and clumping, ensuring product storage stability. The warehouse capacity can meet the storage needs of 5 consecutive hours of full-load production. Material level sensors are installed inside the warehouse to provide real-time inventory feedback, facilitating customers to rationally plan their shipments. The packaging process utilizes an automatic packaging scale that supports rapid switching between various packaging sizes such as 25kg and 50kg. Employing gravity-based metering principles and high-precision sensors, the metering error is ≤±0.2kg, with a packaging speed of up to 80 bags/hour. This enables rapid, quantitative packaging of finished products, and, in conjunction with the subsequent transfer system, efficiently completes finished product warehousing and shipping.
Core Advantages of the Production Line and its Compatibility with Steel Structures
Exclusive Optimized Design for Steel Structures: All equipment in the production line is customized and optimized for the spatial dimensions, load-bearing standards, and ventilation conditions of steel structure workshops. The equipment layout is compact and rational, requiring only 450 square meters of space, saving 25% compared to traditional production lines. Simultaneously, optimized equipment maintenance access adapts to the maintenance needs of steel structure workshops, ensuring convenient and efficient operation and maintenance.
Stable, Reliable, and Highly Adaptable: Core equipment uses high-temperature, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials, adapting to the tropical climate of Colombia and effectively resisting the impact of high temperature and humidity. The 3.0-type extrusion granulator can flexibly adapt to various materials such as organic fertilizer, compound fertilizer, and bio-organic fertilizer, supporting rapid switching between different formulations to meet the diverse agricultural fertilization needs of the region.
High Efficiency, Energy Saving, and Cost-Effectiveness: The entire production line uses energy-saving motors and optimized process design, reducing energy consumption by 13% compared to conventional production lines with the same capacity. The equipment has a high degree of modularity, short installation cycle, and standardized design for key components. Wear parts are highly interchangeable. The company provides comprehensive spare parts supply and overseas technical guidance services, significantly reducing customers’ subsequent operation and maintenance costs. The successful commissioning of the Colombian steel extrusion pelletizing production line not only demonstrates Huaqiang Heavy Industry’s comprehensive strength in high-end pelletizing equipment R&D, customized steel structure design, and overseas project implementation, but also provides efficient and stable equipment support for the modernization of agriculture in South America. In the future, Huaqiang Heavy Industry will continue to focus on the production conditions and needs of different regions, optimize product performance and service solutions, and provide global customers with more competitive customized solutions, allowing “Made in China” to shine even brighter in the international market.
Expert Application of Dry Granulation Technology
This successful Colombian project showcases the practical application of a specialized extrusion granulation line, expertly engineered for a steel structure environment. It is a prime example of a specific fertilizer granulation technology being deployed to meet localized production needs efficiently.
The core of this line is the fertilizer compactor performing fertilizer granules compaction, which falls under the category of dry granulation processes. This method is one of several fertilizer granulation processes available to manufacturers. In the broader context of the npk manufacturing process, producers can choose between different types of fertilizer processing machine technologies. For dry compaction, a roller press granulator production line is typically used. For wet granulation, a rotary drum granulator would be the appropriate choice. Each technology represents a different pathway within the overall suite of fertilizer granulation technology, allowing producers to select the optimal method based on raw material properties and final product requirements. this project underscores the importance of matching the right granulation technology to the specific physical, chemical, and economic constraints of the production site, ensuring both operational efficiency and product quality.
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