10–12 T/H Chicken Feed Pelleting System for Livestock Feed Plant in Egypt

Modernizing an Existing Egyptian Feed Plant

The customer operated in the Tanta area of the Nile Delta, where commercial poultry production supports demand for formulated broiler and layer feed. The plant already had hammer mills for maize and soybean meal, a twin-shaft paddle mixer with a reported 4,000 kg batch capacity, coolers, and bulk load-out equipment.

The main challenge was concentrated in the pelleting stage. The old belt-driven machines required regular belt adjustment and replacement, adding maintenance work to an otherwise established production process. The plant wanted a gear-driven solution that could fit the existing layout and work with its retained auxiliary equipment.

The two new pellet mills have a combined nominal capacity of 20–24 T/H under suitable operating conditions. This figure describes the rated capacity of the replacement equipment, not the entire plant's verified annual output. Actual production depends on feed formulation, die specifications, operating hours, changeovers, and the capacity of the upstream and downstream equipment.

Why the Plant Chose the SZLH420 Ring Die Pellet Mill

For this project, the plant needed to improve reliability without changing every stage of its manufacturing process. RICHI recommended the SZLH420 because its nominal capacity matched the intended pelleting duty and its gear-driven transmission addressed the maintenance problems associated with the previous belt-driven machines.

The principal selection considerations were:

• Gear-driven transmission: replaces the old belt-driven arrangement and removes routine belt tracking and replacement from the maintenance schedule.
• Industrial feed production capacity: the nominal 10–12 T/H range provides a suitable starting point for evaluating the required output of each pelleting unit.
• Interchangeable ring dies: different die specifications allow the plant to manufacture several feed pellet diameters, subject to formulation and process requirements.
• Existing-line integration: the machines can be incorporated into the established process, provided the material transfer, steam supply, electrical connections, and auxiliary equipment are correctly matched.
• Maintenance planning: access to wear parts, suitable spare parts stocks, and a planned inspection schedule helps reduce the risk of extended production interruptions.

For a commercial feed manufacturer, machine selection should consider more than the motor rating. A pellet mill may have sufficient nominal capacity but still become a production bottleneck if the conditioner, steam system, cooler, or screener cannot handle the corresponding throughput.

Equipment Specifications and Ring Die Selection

The plant selected two SZLH420 pellet mills, each fitted with a 110 kW main motor. Several ring dies were specified to accommodate the plant's poultry feed products and its additional cattle feed application.

The selected die diameter determines the nominal pellet diameter, while the die's effective compression ratio, hole geometry, and material properties influence pellet durability and production rate. These variables must be matched to the feed formulation rather than selected on diameter alone.

The plant's specified poultry feed diameters are retained here as project parameters. In commercial practice, young broiler feed may require smaller pellets or crumbles, so the final product specification should be confirmed against bird age, feeding requirements, and the plant's downstream sizing equipment.

Process Parameters for Broiler and Layer Feed

Conditioning is an important part of poultry feed pelleting. Steam adds heat and moisture to the mash, helping to soften the ingredients and improve binding during compression. The appropriate settings depend on starch content, incoming moisture, fat level, desired pellet durability, and the thermal requirements of the formulation.

These values represent the process ranges specified for the project rather than guaranteed production results. Actual throughput and steam demand must be confirmed through commissioning trials with the plant's ingredients, target pellet quality, and selected dies.

Steam addition is particularly important when changing between formulations. Excessive moisture can make pellets difficult to cool and store, while insufficient conditioning may reduce binding and increase fines. Operators should adjust the process based on measured mash conditions and finished pellet quality instead of relying on temperature alone.

Feed Ingredients Used in the Egyptian Market

The plant's poultry feed production relies on ingredients used in Egyptian commercial feed manufacturing, including maize, soybean meal, wheat bran, rice bran, vegetable oil, limestone, and vitamin-mineral supplements. The actual sourcing balance depends on local availability, import prices, and the nutritional specifications of each product.

The following ingredient profiles describe the project's intended product range. Final proportions and nutrient specifications must be established by the plant's nutritionist for the relevant bird age, production stage, and applicable feed requirements.

Broiler Starter Feed

• Ground maize as a principal energy source.
• Soybean meal as a major protein ingredient.
• Rice bran and wheat bran where suitable for the formulation.
• Vegetable oil to adjust dietary energy.
• Fishmeal where justified by ingredient quality, cost, and nutritional requirements.
• Vitamin-mineral supplements and other approved additives according to the formulation.

Layer Feed

• Ground maize and other suitable cereal ingredients for energy.
• Soybean meal and other approved protein ingredients.
• Rice bran and wheat bran according to the nutrient specification.
• Limestone as a calcium source for eggshell formation.
• Vegetable oil and vitamin-mineral supplements as required.

Layer feed requires particular attention to calcium supply and particle characteristics. Limestone inclusion should be calculated from its calcium content and the overall formulation; the percentage of limestone in a ration is not the same as the finished feed's calcium percentage.

Cattle Feed Pellets

The same feed plant also intended to produce selected cattle feed products. These formulations may use ground maize, wheat bran, rice bran, cottonseed meal, and other suitable ingredients. A 5.0 mm die was specified for the planned cattle feed application, although the optimum die compression ratio and operating conditions depend on the complete ration.

Molasses was identified as an ingredient in the cattle feed program. Because the project used post-pelleting liquid addition to address concerns about die lubrication and pellet durability, the plant introduced a liquid coating stage rather than treating molasses as a standard dry ingredient in the pelleting mash. The application rate and finished product moisture must be controlled to maintain pellet stability during storage and transport.

How the Pelleting System Integrates with Existing Equipment

The project was designed around the equipment already operating at the Egyptian livestock feed plant. Rather than replacing the complete production line, the customer retained the grinding, mixing, cooling, screening, and bulk handling sections and upgraded the pelleting stage.

1. Raw material receiving: maize, soybean meal, bran, and other ingredients arrive at the plant and enter the established storage and handling system.
2. Grinding: hammer mills reduce suitable ingredients to the required particle size.
3. Batch mixing: the twin-shaft paddle mixer blends the ground ingredients and the appropriate dry supplements.
4. Surge-bin feeding: the new surge bin provides a buffer between mash preparation and the pellet mills, helping maintain a stable material supply.
5. Steam conditioning: the mash passes through the feeder and conditioner before entering the ring die pellet mill.
6. Pellet formation: the two SZLH420 units compress the conditioned mash through their selected ring dies.
7. Cooling and screening: pellets pass through the existing cooling and screening equipment, subject to confirmation of its capacity for the actual operating rate.
8. Fines recovery and dispatch: screened fines can be returned to the process where the plant's operating procedure permits, while finished pellets move to bulk storage or bagging.

The new surge bin and steam system improvements were important parts of the upgrade. A stable feed supply reduces fluctuations at the pellet mill inlet, while adequate steam capacity helps maintain consistent conditioning during sustained production.

Before operating both mills at their combined nominal capacity, the plant must verify that the mixer, conveying system, cooler, screener, steam supply, and electrical infrastructure can support the required throughput. Replacing two pellet mills does not automatically guarantee a corresponding increase in finished-feed output if another process stage becomes the limiting factor.

Reported Operating Results After the Upgrade

Following the installation, the plant manager reported that the new gear-driven chicken poultry feed pellet machines were easier to maintain than the former belt-driven machines. The reported energy consumption per ton was approximately 15% lower than with the previous equipment.

The plant continued to operate the pellet mills for approximately 16 hours per day, six days per week. During the follow-up period, the manager reported the following die service experience:

These results are specific to the customer's reported operating conditions. Energy savings vary with the former machine's condition, actual throughput, formulation, die selection, and operating practices. Die life also depends on ingredient abrasiveness, die material, compression ratio, operating technique, and maintenance.

Customer Feedback: Easier Maintenance and Better Process Control

“The new SZLH420 pellet mills have improved the way we manage the pelleting section. Compared with the old belt-driven machines, we spend less time dealing with belt tracking and replacement, and the gear-driven arrangement has made routine maintenance easier to plan.

“We also learned that the supporting equipment matters just as much as the pellet mill. The steam supply needs to remain stable, and our cattle feed required a different approach to molasses addition. With the liquid coating stage in place, we have better control over the finished pellets. We are now considering another SZLH420 for our planned expansion in Upper Egypt.”

Steam Supply, Cooling, and Maintenance Planning

For a chicken feed pelleting system in Egypt, steam and cooling should be considered part of the equipment selection process, not secondary accessories. The project team estimated a steam requirement of approximately 700–900 kg per hour for each SZLH420 under the intended operating conditions.

The final steam system must be sized against the actual mash throughput, target conditioning temperature, incoming moisture, and required steam quality. Boiler capacity alone does not guarantee sufficient steam at the conditioner; pressure stability, piping, condensate management, and distribution losses also affect performance.

The plant's existing coolers were retained, but their capacity needed to be checked against the production rate of the replacement equipment. Pellets must be cooled sufficiently before storage or bulk dispatch to avoid condensation, moisture migration, and deterioration during handling.

RICHI's project support covered the following areas:

• Review of the existing feed plant layout and the proposed pellet mill replacement.
• Recommendations for the surge bin and steam system improvements.
• Guidance on selecting ring dies for poultry and cattle feed applications.
• Advice on post-pelleting molasses application for the cattle feed product.
• Spare parts planning for the new pellet mills.
• Installation and commissioning support, including operator guidance.

Routine maintenance should include scheduled inspection of rollers, ring dies, bearings, gearbox lubrication, fasteners, drive components, and safety devices. The maintenance interval must follow the equipment manual and the actual operating conditions.

Shipping from China to Egypt

The two SZLH420 pellet mills were shipped from Qingdao, China, to Alexandria, Egypt, a major port serving the country's industrial and agricultural supply chains. The equipment was then transported inland to the customer's facility in the Nile Delta region.

For machinery imports into Egypt, the delivery plan should account for ocean freight, port handling, customs documentation, inland transportation, unloading, and site preparation. Transit time depends on the shipping service, vessel schedule, customs clearance, and final delivery arrangements.

Before dispatch, the customer also needed to prepare the equipment foundations, electrical connections, material transfer points, steam connections, and installation space. These preparations help reduce delays when replacing machinery within an operating livestock feed plant.

Expansion Plans for the Egyptian Feed Manufacturing Business

After evaluating the new equipment, the company planned to add a third SZLH420 at a future facility in Upper Egypt. It was also evaluating the larger SZLH508 for a proposed higher-capacity chicken feed production line.

Any expansion should be based on verified demand, planned operating hours, product mix, and the capacity of the complete process. If a plant intends to increase annual production, the design review should cover not only feed pellet machine throughput but also raw material storage, grinding, mixing, steam generation, cooling, screening, packing, and finished-feed dispatch.

For manufacturers supplying both poultry and livestock feed, the ability to change ring dies and adjust operating conditions can support multiple product specifications. However, each formulation needs its own process settings, and the equipment should be selected according to the materials and finished products actually required.

Chicken Feed Pelleting System Solutions for Egypt

This project demonstrates how a targeted equipment upgrade can modernize the pelleting section of an established feed plant. The customer retained its functioning upstream and downstream machinery, replaced two aging belt-driven pellet mills with two SZLH420 units, and upgraded the surge-bin and steam supply arrangements.

For feed manufacturers in Egypt, selecting a chicken feed pelleting system requires a clear understanding of the required output, pellet diameter, formulation, steam availability, cooling capacity, and existing plant layout. A properly matched system can improve maintenance planning and process consistency while avoiding the cost and disruption of replacing equipment that remains serviceable.

RICHI Machinery supplies ring die pellet mills and supporting feed processing equipment for poultry feed manufacturers, livestock feed plants, and commercial feed mills. Share your current production capacity, feed formulations, existing machinery, and expansion targets with our technical team to discuss a suitable pelleting system for your facility in Egypt.