1T/H Sinking Fish Feed Plant in Thailand

Raw material selection and formula characteristics

The customer mainly uses the following raw materials that are easily available in Thailand:

• Main protein source: fish meal from the Gulf of Thailand (protein content 60%), imported soybean meal (protein content 48%);
• Carbohydrates: local cassava flour (accounting for 20-25%), broken rice (accounting for 10-15%);
• Additives: fish oil (to improve palatability), vitamin premix (standard formula of the Thai Fisheries Department);
• Binder: wheat gluten powder (addition amount 3-5%, to ensure stability in water).

The selection of these raw materials fully considers the local resource endowment of Thailand - cassava and broken rice are Thailand's advantageous agricultural products, and the price is 20-30% lower than corn; and the selection of fish meal from the Gulf of Thailand instead of imported Peruvian fish meal reduces the raw material cost by 15% while ensuring quality.

It is particularly worth mentioning that the customer innovatively added 5% fermented coconut meal (a by-product of Thai coconut processing), which not only reduces the formula cost, but also the probiotics it contains significantly improve the intestinal health of fish.

core technology of the sinking fish feed plant in Thailand

This sinking fish feed plant in Thailand adopts the advanced technology of "three-stage conditioning + ring die granulation". The specific process is as follows:

Raw material pretreatment section

All raw materials are first screened through a 3mm sieve. Animal protein raw materials such as fish meal must first be dried at 60℃ (to prevent protein denaturation), and carbohydrates such as cassava flour must be tested for starch content (required to be >70%).

The unique raw material grading system will automatically separate different components according to specific gravity to ensure that the subsequent ratio accuracy reaches 99%.

Mixing and conditioning section

The batching system adopts a multi-bin combination design and can process 8 kinds of raw materials at the same time. The mixed powder enters the core three-layer conditioner:

• First layer: low-pressure steam (0.1MPa) preheated to 65℃, preliminary gelatinization of starch
• Second layer: high-pressure steam (0.3MPa) heated to 85℃, activated adhesive
• Third layer: heat preservation and maturation (maintaining 80℃ for 90 seconds) to fully form the protein network

This step-by-step conditioning process makes the final granules stable in water for more than 6 hours (only 3-4 hours for ordinary production lines).

Pelletizing and post-processing section

A Φ6mm sinking feed special ring die (compression ratio 1:9) is used, and the die hole is specially mirror-polished to reduce the nutritional loss caused by friction heat.

The high-temperature granules after fish feed pellet making machine granulation immediately enter the double-layer countercurrent cooler, which reduces the temperature from 90℃ to room temperature within 15 minutes while avoiding sudden cooling and cracking. The final screening section is equipped with a photoelectric sorter, which can automatically remove unqualified products with a diameter error of >0.2mm.

Multifunctional expansion of the sinking fish feed mill

In addition to sinking fish feed, the sinking fish feed plant in Thailand can produce the following by simply replacing the ring die and adjusting the process parameters:

• Floating fish and shrimp feed (compression ratio adjusted to 1:6, adding extrusion process)
• Aquatic seedling microgranules (Φ0.8-1.5mm micropore ring die)
• Special functional feed (functional granules with added drugs or hormones)
• Pet aquatic snacks (high meat content formula, low temperature granulation)

Customers particularly value this flexible production capacity, which enables them to flexibly switch product types according to seasonal needs - for example, during the peak shrimp farming season in Thailand from November to February of the following year, they can quickly switch to high-protein shrimp seedling feed.

equipment list for sinking fish feed plant in Thailand

The $79,000 aqua feed machines used in this fish feed pellet plant project includes the following key equipment:

• Double-shaft paddle mixer: batch mixing volume 1.5 tons, mixing uniformity CV ≤ 3%
• Three-layer conditioner system: steam automatic adjustment accuracy ± 1 ° C
• SWFD-560 ring die pelletizer: main motor power 110kW, standard intelligent lubrication system
• Double-layer countercurrent cooler: moisture ≤ 10.5% after cooling, crack-free particle rate ≥ 98%
• Fully automatic packaging machine: weighing accuracy ± 20g, supports 5-25kg multiple packaging specifications

Especially noteworthy is its energy recovery design - the 90 ° C waste heat generated during the pelleting process is recycled for raw material pre-drying, reducing the energy consumption of the entire sinking fish feed plant in Thailand by 18%, which is particularly important in the context of Thailand's high electricity prices (about US $ 0.15 / kWh).

Thailand market prospect analysis

The successful implementation of this sinking fish feed plant in Thailand project highlights three major trends in Thailand's aquatic feed industry:

• The demand for industrial upgrading is urgent: 70% of the more than 600 feed mills in Thailand still use old equipment and have low production efficiency. Compared with traditional equipment, the new production line can reduce the production cost of feed by about US$35 per ton, and the investment recovery period is only 22 months.
• There is a large gap in special feed: With the expansion of high-value species such as grouper and lobster, the price of functional feed (such as enhanced disease resistance) can reach 3 times that of ordinary feed. This sinking fish feed pellet production line is fully capable of upgrading production.
• Export potential release: Relying on Thailand's position as an ASEAN logistics hub, high-quality feed can radiate emerging aquaculture markets such as Myanmar and Cambodia. Customers have planned to apply for EU FAMI-QS certification to open up the European market.

According to customer feedback, the sinking fish feed plant in Thailand took only half a year from consultation in March 2023 to production in September. The current average daily output is 18 tons, mainly supplied to large farms in Chonburi and Rayong.

The 2mm tilapia feed it produces is stable in water for 6.5 hours, which is 40% higher than similar products on the market. It has helped cooperative farms reduce the feed coefficient from 1.6 to 1.3.

In the future, as the Thai government promotes the intensive development of aquaculture, this type of intelligent fish feed mill project will become the industry standard, and the market demand is expected to maintain an annual growth rate of more than 25% in the next five years.

Highlights of innovative applications

The customer developed two special applications in operation:

Using Thailand's abundant tropical fruit resources, the trial added 5% pineapple residue powder as a natural attractant to increase the feeding rate by 15% li>Cooperated with local universities to develop "anti-stress feed" and added moringa leaf extract to help fish cope with water quality changes in the rainy season;

These localized innovations have made the production line not only realize the value of the equipment, but also become an important fulcrum for promoting the upgrading of Thailand's aquaculture technology.

The high cost-effectiveness of the entire sinking fish feed plant in Thailand (the price of European equipment with the same configuration is about 120,000 US dollars) and the design adapted to the tropical climate (enhanced cooling system) provide a benchmark solution for the modernization of small and medium-sized fish feed mills in Southeast Asia. If you want to invest in a sinking fish feed plant in Thailand project, feel free to contact RICHI MACHINERY to obtain information such as the whole plant design, equipment layout, civil engineering, production line 3D design, equipment quotation, and delivery plan.