Fish Feed Bagging Machine in Norway

A Specialist in Advanced Aquaculture Nutrition

This client operates at the forefront of sustainable aquaculture. Their feeds are complex, oil-coated formulations designed for optimal growth and health in net pens. The physical properties of these pellets—slick, dense, and oily—present unique challenges.

Their entire production process, from extrusion to drying and oil coating, is state-of-the-art and highly automated.

The packaging stage, however, was a glaring manual and mechanical anomaly. Purchasing a full bagging line was considered, but space constraints and the need for a swift, focused upgrade led them to a different strategy. They sought a single, high-performance automatic bagging scale that could be dropped into their existing layout.

This fish feed bagging machine would be dedicated to their main product line, ensuring that the careful nutrition encapsulated in each pellet was not compromised at the final moment of bagging.

The goals were clear: eliminate pellet damage, achieve absolute weight accuracy for cost control, and enable rapid, thorough clean-out to prevent cross-contamination between feed types.

Specific and Stringent Requirements in Norway:

• Material Type: High-fat, extruded pelleted fish feed for salmon and trout. The pellets are non-free-flowing due to oil coating, have a tendency to stick, and are highly abrasive.
• Bag Specifications: The industry standard is the 25kg multi-ply paper bag with a strong inner plastic liner. Some specialty feeds are packed in 15kg bags. The machine needed to handle these weights with precision, as the value per bag is exceptionally high.
• Sealing Method: To preserve freshness and prevent oxidation of the oils, an absolute moisture and oxygen barrier is required. They use heat sealing for the inner liner within a modified atmosphere (often nitrogen-flushed) environment, followed by sewing of the outer bag.
• Critical Needs: Extremely gentle handling to minimize fines generation and oil leakage. Hygienic, easy-clean design with minimal ledges where oily residue can accumulate. Excellent accuracy to manage the high cost of ingredients (fishmeal, oils, specialty proteins). Corrosion-resistant components to withstand the saline coastal atmosphere.

The RICHI Specialized Solution: DCS-50P with Customizations

Recognizing that standard feed pellet solutions would fail, RICHI proposed a heavily customized DCS-50P model. The belt feeder was the only suitable starting point, but it required significant modifications for this application.

Technical Specifications for the Norwegian Fish Feed Plant:

• Model Deployed: DCS-50P Automatic Packing Scale (Aquaculture Edition)
• Optimal Application: Gentle packaging of oily, extruded aquafeed pellets.
• Feed Mechanism: Low-speed, wide belt feeder with a food-grade belt. The belt speed was drastically reduced and the angle of the feeding chute was optimized to allow pellets to "roll" rather than "fall" into the weighing hopper, minimizing impact. The belt material was chosen to resist oil absorption and abrasion.
• Packing Speed: A deliberate 6-7 bags per minute for 25kg bags. Speed was sacrificed for gentleness and accuracy, which was the client's priority.
• Weighing Accuracy: Consistently achieved ≤ ±0.2% dynamic accuracy, crucial for a product where raw material costs are a primary determinant of profitability.
• Construction & Hygiene:
  • Stainless Steel Contact Parts: All surfaces in contact with the feed (hopper, chute, belt platen) were upgraded to SS304 stainless steel for easy cleaning and corrosion resistance.
  • Sealed Bearings and Drives: All moving parts were fitted with high-grade seals to prevent oil and moisture ingress.
  • Quick-Release Panels: The entire machine was designed with tool-free access for daily cleaning and inspection.
• Control System: Included programmable recipes for different bag weights and feed types, with a "clean-out" cycle that ran the belt empty.

Overcoming the Unique Challenges of Aquafeed Packaging

Implementing a fish feed bagging machine in Norway required solutions beyond standard feed mill equipment.

• Oil Management: The stainless steel construction and smooth welds prevented oily residue from adhering and becoming rancid. The design included drip trays and collection points for any incidental oil leakage during cleaning.
• Hygiene for Fish Health: The ability to perform a complete, rapid clean-out between different feed formulations (e.g., medicated vs. non-medicated) was essential to prevent cross-contamination, a serious concern in intensive aquaculture.
• Corrosion in a Marine Environment: Beyond the stainless contact parts, the external frame and panels were treated with a marine-grade epoxy powder coating to resist the corrosive salt air.

Shipping to the Heart of Scandinavian Aquaculture

The fish feed bagging machine was meticulously crated and shipped from Qingdao Port, China. The primary deep-sea port for servicing Norway's western aquaculture industry is the Port of Bergen. This allowed for direct discharge and simplified road transport to the client's facility.

The RICHI Difference: Application-Specific Engineering Partnership

The client selected RICHI because we engaged deeply with the material science of their product, not just the bagging process.

• Focus on Pellet Integrity (Fines Generation): Our entire proposal centered on reducing mechanical impact. We presented data on how our low-impact belt system compared to gravity or screw feeders, directly addressing their core quality concern about nutrient loss and dust.
• Hygiene as a Design Principle, Not an Afterthought: The decision to use stainless steel contact parts wasn't just a sales point; it was presented as a necessity for product safety and operational efficiency in their industry. We detailed the clean-in-place (CIP) capabilities.
• Precision in a Challenging Environment: We explained how the hermetically sealed load cells and advanced vibration-damping platform were specifically chosen to maintain accuracy despite the oily, sticky nature of the pellets and the constant background vibration of the extrusion plant.
• Collaborative Development and Rigorous Support:
  • We conducted a material test at our facility using sample pellets they provided, filming the flow characteristics and adjusting our design accordingly.
  • We provided 3D CAD models of the customized hopper and chute for their engineering team's approval.
  • On-site installation and commissioning were performed by a RICHI engineer with specific experience in aquafeed projects.
  • Training focused heavily on hygiene protocols, daily cleaning procedures, and belt tracking adjustment.
  • A dedicated stock of aquaculture-specific spare parts (specialty belts, FDA-grade gaskets) was established.

Verification from the Production and Quality Team

After several months and multiple product changeovers, the Plant Superintendent and Quality Manager jointly reported: "Packaging has always been where we risked damaging our product. The old system created too many fines. This RICHI fish feed bagging machine is built for our product.

The gentle belt feed has significantly reduced fines and oil leakage—our quality control metrics show a clear improvement. The stainless steel is a game-changer for cleaning; we can switch feed types in under 30 minutes with confidence.

The accuracy is spot-on, which is critical for our cost control. Having the RICHI engineer here for startup was invaluable; he understood our concerns immediately. This machine doesn't just bag feed; it protects our product quality right up to the point it leaves our plant."

Preserving Value in a High-Stakes Industry

The successful deployment of this fish feed bagging machine in Norway demonstrates that for high-value, sensitive products like aquafeed, packaging is an integral part of the quality chain, not just a logistical step.

For this Norwegian producer, the customized DCS-50P was an investment in product preservation, hygiene, and precision—factors that directly influence the performance of their feed in the water and their reputation in a competitive global market.

This project exemplifies RICHI Machinery's commitment to moving beyond standard solutions, providing engineered, hygienic bagging systems that are tailored to the unique physical and chemical challenges of our clients' most valuable products.

Is your aquafeed or high-value pellet quality compromised by your packaging process? RICHI specializes in gentle, hygienic packaging solutions for sensitive and challenging materials. Contact our application engineering team to discuss a tailored bagging machine that protects your product integrity and enhances your operational hygiene.