0.7–0.9 T/H Oat Straw Hammer Mill Grinder in Finland

Why the Project Processes More Than the Stable's Own Bedding

An 80-horse stable using roughly 40 tonnes of bedding annually would need only around 45–60 effective grinding hours per year at the SFSP56×40 project capacity. That would leave a 37 kW commercial hammer mill heavily underutilized.

The Hämeenlinna operation therefore processes oat straw both for its own stalls and for other equestrian customers in the surrounding region. The annual grinding plan is approximately 250–300 tonnes. At 0.7–0.9 T/H, this requires roughly 280–430 effective operating hours per year.

The customer can process larger batches after cereal harvest and maintain covered bedding inventory instead of running the mill every day. This seasonal production model fits Finnish straw availability and makes better use of the machine without requiring an unnecessarily large continuous bedding plant.

SFSP56×40 Project Configuration

The 0.7–0.9 T/H range is project-specific. Oat straw has low bulk density and long fibrous stems, so its throughput cannot be estimated from the capacity of the same type of hammer mill when grinding maize or other dense feed ingredients. Bale density, straw moisture, stem condition, screen aperture and feeder stability all influence actual output.

Why Oat Straw Is a Realistic Finnish Raw Material

Oats remain one of Finland's most important cereal crops, particularly across southern and western agricultural regions. Grain harvesting also creates a substantial seasonal straw resource, although not every field will be baled because farmers may incorporate straw into the soil or use it for other agricultural purposes.

The bedding processor purchases clean baled straw from selected farms rather than assuming all regional oat straw is commercially available. Bales are inspected for excessive moisture, visible mold, soil contamination and foreign material before they enter storage.

This raw-material control is especially important for equestrian use. Grinding does not make moldy or contaminated straw suitable for horse stalls, and reducing poor-quality material into smaller pieces can increase the amount of contaminated dust released into the stable environment.

Whole Oat Straw Bales Do Not Enter the Hammer Mill

The SFSP56×40 is a fine size-reduction machine rather than a bale breaker. Complete bales first enter an opening section, where baling twine is removed and compacted straw is loosened. Long material is then reduced to approximately 20–50 mm before it reaches the hammer mill feeder.

This preparation step is necessary because long straw can bridge in a hopper and enter the grinding chamber in irregular bundles. Metered feeding gives the 37 kW motor a more stable load and makes final particle distribution easier to control.

A magnetic protection point is installed before the grinder as an additional safeguard against ferrous contamination such as fragments of baling wire. Incoming inspection is still required because a magnet cannot remove stones, plastic twine or other non-ferrous debris.

From 20–50mm Straw to 5–12 mm Bedding Material

Inside the hammer mill crusher machine, the prepared straw is repeatedly impacted until the material can pass through the selected screen. For this project, the aim is not to manufacture straw powder. The customer needs a relatively coarse, fibrous material that can be distributed through horse stalls while limiting unnecessary fine dust.

The resulting bedding fraction is therefore targeted at approximately 5–12 mm. Actual material contains a particle-size distribution rather than one exact dimension. Some shorter fibers and fines will always be present, while elongated straw pieces can pass a screen differently from spherical grain particles.

This is why a 10 mm screen should not be described as producing exactly 10 mm bedding. Screen aperture is one control parameter; rotor action, straw structure, moisture and airflow also affect the final product.

Screen Selection Balances Fines and Throughput

The customer keeps several screen options available for commissioning and seasonal raw-material changes. Using a smaller opening generally increases grinding resistance and the proportion of fines, while a coarser opening can increase throughput but leave longer straw pieces.

There is therefore no universal rule that an 8 mm screen is always too dusty, a 10 mm screen is always ideal and a 12 mm screen is always too coarse for horses. The practical setting is selected from the actual bedding structure, dust level and handling behavior.

The plant can also screen excessive fines after grinding if required. This is more reliable than assuming screen aperture alone determines the dust level of the finished bedding.

Moisture and Storage Condition Matter Before Grinding

The normal project operating range is approximately 10–15% moisture. Dry straw fractures more readily than wet material, but excessively brittle straw can also create additional fines. Wetter bales may reduce throughput and can present storage-quality problems independently of the hammer mill.

Representative bales are therefore checked before a production batch begins. The processor also keeps raw straw under cover and away from direct ground moisture so seasonal rain or snow does not compromise stored material.

The project does not use a single 14% threshold above which the hammer mill is assumed to clog automatically. Practical grinding behavior changes gradually with moisture, stem condition, screen area and airflow.

Dust Control Is Essential for Horse Bedding Production

Oat straw should not be described as naturally dust-free. Harvesting, baling, storage and hammer milling can all create fine particles, and dusty or mold-contaminated bedding is undesirable in an enclosed stable environment.

The SFSP56×40 therefore operates with an aspiration and product-separation system. A cyclone handles the main conveyed material, while suitable filtration manages finer airborne dust from the exhaust stream.

No fixed 90% collection efficiency is claimed without knowing the actual filter design and airflow. The processor also monitors fines in the finished bedding itself because collecting airborne dust from the grinding system does not automatically remove every fine particle from the product.

Ground Straw Is Used Only as Horse Bedding

The processed oat straw from this project has one commercial purpose: horse stall bedding. It is not simultaneously sold as sheep feed, cattle roughage or biomass fuel.

The bedding is stored dry and distributed according to stall-management requirements. Because horses can sometimes consume straw bedding, the customer does not treat accidental intake as automatically harmless. Raw-material hygiene and feeding management remain important, and the bedding product is not marketed as a formulated horse feed.

The hammer mill's role is therefore limited to producing a manageable physical bedding structure. It does not guarantee absorbency, respiratory performance or animal-health outcomes.

Shipping the SFSP56×40 through Helsinki

The SFSP56×40 Oat Straw Hammer Mill Grinder in Finland is prepared for export from Qingdao, China, with the Port of Helsinki used as a practical container gateway before inland transport toward Hämeenlinna.

Before shipment, RICHI reviews the bale-opening discharge, pre-cut straw dimensions, 37 kW electrical supply, grinder foundation, feeder configuration, aspiration ducting, cyclone or filter arrangement and finished-bedding collection system. These interfaces determine whether the standalone hammer mill can operate reliably inside the customer's existing straw-handling setup.

What to Confirm Before Selecting an Oat Straw Grinder

• annual tonnes of oat straw requiring processing;
• bale dimensions and bale-opening equipment;
• straw moisture and storage condition;
• pre-cut length before hammer milling;
• required bedding particle-size distribution;
• acceptable level of fines and dust-control arrangement;
• daily or seasonal production schedule;
• finished bedding storage and distribution method.

A 0.7–0.9 T/H Oat Straw Hammer Mill Grinder in Finland

This Oat Straw Hammer Mill Grinder in Finland project uses one RICHI SFSP56×40 with a 37 kW main motor to produce coarse horse bedding near Hämeenlinna. Dry oat straw bales are opened and reduced to approximately 20–50 mm before entering the hammer mill, which produces an approximately 5–12 mm fibrous bedding fraction at a project working capacity of around 0.7–0.9 T/H.

With approximately 250–300 tonnes of annual bedding production, the machine requires roughly 280–430 effective grinding hours per year. For another Finnish equestrian business evaluating a straw hammer mill, RICHI Machinery needs the bale type, moisture, incoming straw length, required bedding size, annual tonnage, dust-control requirements and existing bale-handling equipment before confirming the final screen and grinder configuration.