2.8–3.0 T/H Alfalfa Pellet Machine for Animal Feed in France

Why Grand Est Fits an Alfalfa Pellet Project

Eastern France has the country's strongest concentration of dehydrated alfalfa production, supported by specialized cooperatives that grow, collect, dehydrate and market alfalfa in several physical forms. This gives the project a realistic raw-material base and an established commercial market for dried forage products.

The customer purchases alfalfa through a regional grower network and processes it as a forage ingredient rather than treating the crop as a generic biomass material. Suitable alfalfa lots can remain in long-fiber or bale form, while selected dried material is directed to grinding and pelletizing according to dairy-feed demand.

This allows the processor to use one raw material in different commercial formats without forcing every tonne of harvested alfalfa through the alfalfa feed pellet mill.

CZLH520 Project Configuration

The 2.8–3.0 T/H capacity range assumes appropriately dried and ground forage. Actual production varies with alfalfa maturity, stem-to-leaf ratio, moisture, particle-size distribution, die specification and feeding stability. A coarse, stem-rich alfalfa meal can place a different load on the machine from finely prepared leafy material even when both are described simply as alfalfa.

Whole Alfalfa Bales Do Not Enter the Pelletizer Directly

The CZLH520 is the densification stage of the process rather than a bale breaker or forage crusher. Large rectangular or round alfalfa bales must first be opened so twine and foreign material can be removed. Long stems are then chopped and ground before the material reaches the pelletizing section.

The customer prepares the dried forage to approximately 3–5 mm. This removes long fibers that could interfere with feeding and provides a more consistent material for the forced feeder and ring die chamber.

If alfalfa arrives in a meal or already-ground form from the customer's dehydration system, unnecessary coarse crushing can be bypassed. Equipment selection therefore follows the actual incoming material form rather than assuming that every tonne starts as a complete bale.

Moisture Is Controlled Before Pellet Formation

Alfalfa moisture strongly influences compression behavior. Material that is excessively wet can feed poorly and form unstable pellets, while overly dry forage may generate more dust and create higher friction during compression.

For this project, the normal operating window is approximately 10–15% before pelletizing, but the final working point is established during commissioning according to motor load, feeder behavior and finished pellet condition.

The CZLH520 does not use a conventional animal-feed steam conditioner in the same way as an SZLH compound-feed pellet mill. The project relies mainly on controlled forage drying, grinding and feeding before ring die compression.

Why the Customer Standardized on 6 mm Alfalfa Pellets

The customer selected approximately 6 mm as the standard commercial pellet diameter for its dairy forage product. Standardizing around one main specification reduces unnecessary ring die changes and simplifies cooling, screening, storage and communication with livestock customers.

The machine can technically use other pellet diameters within the CZLH forage-pellet range, but the project does not manufacture separate dairy, beef and sheep products simply because several die sizes are available.

The 6 mm pellet is a physical forage format. It is not presented as automatically improving milk yield, digestibility or animal performance. Those outcomes depend on total ration formulation, forage quality, intake and farm management.

Pelletizing Changes Form Rather Than Nutritional Composition

Dried alfalfa already contains the protein, fiber, minerals and other nutrients provided by the crop and its harvest condition. Grinding and pelletizing do not create additional nutrients. The main value of densification is physical: loose alfalfa meal becomes easier to handle, meter, transport and store.

This distinction is important for dairy customers. Alfalfa pellets are incorporated as one feed ingredient in a complete ration alongside silage, forage, concentrates, minerals and other components selected by the nutritionist.

The feed processor therefore controls both laboratory composition and physical pellet quality. A dense, visually uniform pellet cannot compensate for alfalfa harvested at an unsuitable maturity or material that does not meet the required nutrient specification.

Why 2.8–3.0 T/H Fits the Project's Annual Target

The customer plans to pelletize approximately 5,000 tonnes of dried alfalfa annually. At 3.0 T/H, that volume requires approximately 1,667 effective pelletizing hours per year. At 2.8 T/H, the requirement is approximately 1,786 hours.

Across 250 production days, this equals approximately 6.7–7.1 effective pelletizing hours per day. The project can therefore operate near a normal production shift while retaining time for cleaning, maintenance, die inspection and seasonal changes in forage quality.

This operating pattern also explains why one CZLH520 is sufficient. Installing multiple pelletizers before the regional alfalfa supply and sales volume justify the additional capacity would create unnecessary capital and maintenance requirements.

Cooling and Screening Follow the CZLH520

Fresh alfalfa pellets leave the ring die warm and require cooling before long-term storage or packaging. The existing cooler receives the full approximately 2.8–3.0 T/H pellet flow and reduces product temperature toward a stable handling condition.

After cooling, screening removes loose fines generated during pellet formation and conveying. Qualified 6 mm pellets then move into finished-product storage before bulk or packaged dispatch.

The complete process for this project is alfalfa receiving → bale opening where required → drying or moisture control → grinding to approximately 3–5 mm → CZLH520 pelletizing → cooling → screening → finished alfalfa pellet storage.

Forage Quality Matters More Than a Fixed Formula

This project does not use a permanent 60% alfalfa, 20% grass and 20% straw formula. The commercial product is an alfalfa forage pellet, so the quality of the alfalfa itself is the main raw-material consideration.

Harvest maturity, leaf retention, crude protein, fiber, moisture and foreign material are checked before material enters production. Different alfalfa lots can be segregated or blended according to the finished feed specification, but the customer does not dilute the project with unrelated straw and grass simply to demonstrate that the machine can pelletize them.

This approach also gives dairy-feed buyers clearer information about what they are purchasing.

France Already Has an Established Alfalfa Pellet Market

France has a mature dehydrated-alfalfa industry rather than an emerging experimental market. Pellets are already one of the recognized commercial forms alongside long-fiber bales and destructured fiber. Dairy and other ruminant applications therefore provide an established downstream context for a specialized forage pelletizer.

For this customer, the investment is not based on predicting rapid national market growth. It is based on adding pellet capacity to an existing regional forage business with access to both growers and dairy-feed customers.

Shipping the CZLH520 through Le Havre

The CZLH520 Alfalfa Pellet Machine for Animal Feed in France is prepared for export from Qingdao, China, with Le Havre used as a practical French container gateway before inland delivery to the Grand Est facility.

Before shipment, RICHI reviews the customer's grinder output, material storage, feeder elevation, 132 kW electrical load, pellet discharge position, cooler capacity, screening system and maintenance clearance. The purpose is to integrate one new pelletizer into the existing forage-processing plant without replacing upstream and downstream equipment that remains correctly sized.

What to Confirm Before Selecting an Alfalfa Pellet Machine

• annual tonnes of dry alfalfa actually intended for pelletizing;
• incoming material form, including bales, chopped forage or meal;
• moisture and particle size before pelletizing;
• leaf-to-stem characteristics and forage quality;
• required pellet diameter;
• daily and annual operating hours;
• cooler and screener capacity;
• finished pellet storage and dispatch format.

A 2.8–3.0 T/H Alfalfa Pellet Machine for Animal Feed in France

This Alfalfa Pellet Machine for Animal Feed in France project uses one RICHI CZLH520 with a 132 kW main motor to produce approximately 6 mm dairy forage pellets in Grand Est. Dried alfalfa is prepared to approximately 3–5 mm and around 10–15% moisture before entering the pelletizer, which provides approximately 2.8–3.0 T/H of reference capacity.

At an annual target of approximately 5,000 tonnes, the machine requires around 1,667–1,786 effective pelletizing hours per year. For another French forage processor evaluating a CZLH520, RICHI Machinery needs the annual dry-alfalfa volume, incoming form, moisture, particle size, pellet specification, operating schedule and capacities of the existing grinding, cooling and screening equipment before confirming the final configuration.