A commercial organic fertilizer processor in southern Uruguay uses one FZLH520 pellet machine to produce 8 mm fertilizer pellets from stabilized poultry litter, dairy manure and prepared agricultural organic materials.
A commercial fertilizer processor in southern Uruguay selected one FZLH520 Organic Pellet Machine in Uruguay to increase the capacity of its mechanical forming section. The plant works with stabilized poultry litter, dairy manure and selected agricultural organic materials collected through commercial farming operations, then manufactures pelletized fertilizer for horticulture, vineyards, fruit production and broader agricultural distribution.
The customer already operated composting, crushing, mixing, moisture-control and finished-product handling equipment, so the project remained a single-machine investment. One FZLH520 provides approximately 9–12 T/H of reference pelletizing capacity under suitable prepared-material conditions, allowing mature fertilizer inventories to be processed in concentrated campaigns rather than requiring the complete factory to operate continuously at the same hourly rate.
Name:
Organic Pellet Machine
Country:
Uruguay
Date:
2026
Capacity:
9–12 T/H
Model:
FZLH520
Power:
132 kW
Raw materials:
poultry litter and dairy-manure
Pellet Diameter:
8 mm
The fertilizer business had already moved beyond small farm-scale manure treatment.
Its production model aggregates organic materials from multiple agricultural businesses, carries out biological stabilization, prepares commercial formulations and then converts the mature material into a denser fertilizer product.
The limiting stage was mechanical forming.
Increasing compost capacity alone would have created more mature fertilizer waiting for pelletizing, while adding another small pelletizer would have created additional drives, feeders and maintenance points.
The customer therefore concentrated the investment on one larger ring-die machine capable of processing commercial batches efficiently.
| Project Parameter | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Equipment | Organic fertilizer pellet machine |
| Model | FZLH520 |
| Quantity | 1 unit |
| Main Motor Power | 132 kW |
| Anti-Bridging Feeder Power | 3 kW |
| Forced Feeder Power | 1.5 kW |
| Ring Die Inner Diameter | 520 mm |
| Available Pellet Diameter | 4–12 mm |
| Main Project Pellet Diameter | 8 mm |
| Reference Capacity | Approximately 9–12 T/H under suitable prepared-material conditions |
| Main Feedstock | Stabilized poultry litter and dairy-manure fertilizer mixtures |
| Additional Organic Materials | Prepared straw, winery residues and other qualified agricultural organic matter |
| Installation Type | Standalone pelletizing upgrade in an operating commercial fertilizer plant |
The 9–12 T/H figure describes the ring-die forming section. It does not represent the hourly quantity of fresh manure entering composting or a guaranteed finished-fertilizer output for every formulation.
A machine in this capacity class would be excessive for an individual cattle or sheep farm making fertilizer only from its own manure.
The project works because the customer operates as a centralized commercial processor.
Mature compost can accumulate in covered storage over several days and then be processed through the FZLH520 fertilizer granulator machine in scheduled production campaigns.
For example, the machine may operate for several hours during a pelletizing day rather than running continuously through every working shift.
This distinction allows a 9–12 T/H forming machine to serve a business whose average annual fertilizer flow is much lower than its instantaneous pelletizing capacity.
The plant is positioned within southern Uruguay's mixed agricultural economy rather than relying on manure from extensive grazing land alone.
Its most practical fertilizer materials come from operations where organic waste is concentrated and can be collected efficiently.
The customer does not base the factory on manure that would need to be gathered manually across large grazing paddocks.
Uruguay has a very large cattle industry, but much of that production is pasture based.
Manure deposited directly on grazing land is already dispersed over the field and is normally not an economical industrial feedstock for a centralized fertilizer factory.
The project therefore prioritizes dairy and more concentrated livestock-management areas where manure can be recovered in practical quantities.
This supply distinction is important when estimating annual feedstock availability.
Animal population alone should not be multiplied by theoretical manure production to calculate factory capacity.
Sheep are also important in Uruguay, but much of the national flock is managed under grazing conditions.
That makes large-scale routine collection less practical than the project description would suggest if sheep manure were assigned as 40% of every fertilizer batch.
Sheep manure can still enter the plant when it is accumulated in feeding areas, sheds or other concentrated handling locations.
It is treated as an opportunistic or contracted material rather than the principal raw-material foundation of the FZLH520 project.
Commercial poultry operations generate manure together with bedding material in a concentrated production environment.
This makes collection and transport more practical than manure scattered over pasture.
Poultry litter can contribute nutrients and organic matter, while the bedding fraction adds carbon and fibre.
Its actual fertilizer value varies with bird type, bedding, storage, moisture and number of production cycles.
The customer therefore samples the material and includes it according to the commercial fertilizer specification rather than assigning one permanent percentage.
Fresh dairy manure commonly contains too much water and remains biologically active.
It cannot simply be dried to 18% moisture and transferred directly into the FZLH520.
The manure first enters a managed biological treatment system. Depending on the manure condition, suitable carbon material can be introduced to improve porosity, moisture balance and aerobic activity.
Only sufficiently mature material proceeds to crushing, screening and fertilizer formulation.
Moisture reduction and biological stabilization solve different problems and should not be treated as one process.
Poultry litter can be drier than dairy manure, but that does not automatically make it ready for commercial pelletizing.
Active organic matter, ammonia, microbial condition and salt concentration still require attention.
The plant manages the material until it reaches an appropriate degree of maturity for fertilizer processing.
After stabilization, oversized bedding pieces and compacted material can be reduced mechanically before formulation.
Uruguay has an important rice industry, but rice production is concentrated in defined rice-growing zones rather than evenly distributed across the country.
For a southern fertilizer plant, rice husk would normally require procurement and transport from a rice-processing area.
The customer may use it when delivered economics and fertilizer formulation make sense, but it is not described as an automatically abundant local material.
Locally accessible straw, poultry bedding and other agricultural residues can be more practical carbon materials.
Uruguay produces substantial quantities of winter cereals, creating straw that can be considered for composting systems.
Long straw cannot enter the FZLH520 directly.
It is chopped before biological treatment so that manure and plant material can be mixed more uniformly.
During composting, the fibre softens and partially decomposes.
Any long strands that remain in mature compost are reduced again before ring-die pelletizing.
Southern Uruguay includes the country's most important wine-producing area, giving selected fertilizer processors access to grape pomace and other winery organic residues.
These materials can contribute organic matter, but they are seasonal and can arrive with substantial moisture.
The customer therefore treats winery residue as one possible compost component rather than building annual pellet capacity around it.
The amount used depends on collection period, transport distance, moisture, nutrient analysis and the physical condition of the material after stabilization.
A permanent formula such as 40% sheep manure, 35% cattle manure, 15% rice husk and 10% straw would create false precision.
Organic materials vary between farms and between seasons.
Commercial batches are formulated from actual measurements and product requirements.
The customer evaluates:
The pelletizer receives the formulated material after these decisions have been made.
The Organic Pellet Machine in Uruguay operates near the end of the fertilizer process rather than directly behind fresh-manure collection.
A practical material route is:
This route separates biological treatment, formulation, mechanical forming and finished-product handling.
The FZLH520 is not a crusher machine.
Long straw, compacted compost blocks or coarse woody material can interfere with stable feeding and compression.
For many mature manure-based fertilizer mixtures, preparing most material within a few millimeters gives a practical basis for ring-die processing.
Approximately 2–5 mm can be used as a broad engineering reference for prepared organic fertilizer, with actual limits determined by the fibre type and formulation.
Producing ultrafine powder is unnecessary when a coarser prepared material already feeds and pellets reliably.
The project does not define 18% as the only acceptable feed moisture.
Organic fertilizer formulas behave differently according to manure type, fibre content and maturity.
A broad working range can extend through the low-to-mid moisture levels commonly used for ring-die fertilizer pelletizing, but commissioning determines the practical operating point for each formulation.
If the material is too wet, feeding can become unstable and pellets may remain soft. Excessively dry material can create additional dust and compression resistance.
The operator therefore watches material flow, motor load, pellet surface and cooling behavior together.
The customer's thermal equipment is not required for every tonne of mature fertilizer.
Well-managed compost can lose substantial moisture during biological treatment and covered maturation.
Some batches may already be close to the required pelletizing condition.
Wetter material receives additional moisture control where needed.
This avoids unnecessary fuel consumption and prevents fertilizer from becoming excessively dry simply because rotary dryer equipment is available.
The project centers production on an 8 mm cylindrical fertilizer pellet.
This size remains comfortably within the FZLH520's 4–12 mm range and gives the plant a robust commercial product for bagging, transport and agricultural spreading.
The equipment can use another ring-die diameter if a distributor requires a smaller or larger product.
The customer does not need to commit the whole plant to a 12 mm pellet merely because 12 mm is technically possible.
A larger fertilizer pellet can be useful for some handling applications, but increasing diameter does not improve nutrient concentration.
It also does not guarantee better soil performance.
Product breakdown depends on formulation, density, moisture, soil conditions, rainfall, irrigation and biological activity.
The customer therefore selects pellet diameter from field handling and commercial demand rather than assuming the largest available ring-die hole creates the best fertilizer.
Compressing mature organic material into a pellet changes physical form and bulk density.
It does not automatically create a scientifically defined controlled-release or slow-release product.
Nutrient release depends on the organic materials, nutrient chemistry, biological decomposition and conditions after field application.
Any specific nutrient-release claim requires product testing rather than being inferred from pellet diameter or compression alone.
Mature fertilizer can be difficult to discharge from a hopper.
Fine manure compost can compact, while residual straw and bedding can form arches above the outlet.
The FZLH520 uses a 3 kW anti-bridging feeder to help maintain material movement.
The 1.5 kW forced feeder then delivers the prepared mixture toward the ring-die chamber.
These feeding systems improve stability but do not make wet manure or long straw acceptable pelletizer feed.
A machine with this motor size should not spend most of its operating time starved of material.
The mixing section and buffer arrangement therefore have to deliver prepared fertilizer at a reasonably steady rate during the pelletizing campaign.
The operator monitors main-motor current together with feed rate and pellet condition.
Sudden current increases can indicate wet material, high fibre, excessive feeder setting, die condition or another processing issue.
Increasing feeder speed is not the correct response until the cause is understood.
The customer's mixer works in batches, while the FZLH520 operates more continuously during production.
An intermediate bin separates these two operating patterns.
Several prepared batches can supply the pelletizer while another fertilizer formula is being mixed.
The bin capacity is selected from mixer batch weight, mixing cycle, FZLH520 feed rate and required product separation.
This prevents the 132 kW machine from stopping every time one mixer cycle finishes.
The FZLH520 can process approximately 9–12 T/H of suitably prepared fertilizer through its forming section.
The complete fertilizer operation can still have a lower average output.
Composting takes much longer than pelletizing. Crushing, mixing, cooling and bagging may also operate at different rates.
The plant therefore distinguishes between pelletizer capacity, campaign output and average annual finished-fertilizer production.
The customer does not need to operate the FZLH520 eight hours every day simply because that capacity is installed.
If mature fertilizer inventory supports four hours of pelletizing at approximately 9 T/H, the factory can form around 36 tonnes during that campaign before switching to another activity.
The annual operating schedule can therefore consist of selected pelletizing days rather than permanent maximum-load operation.
This approach is more realistic for Uruguay than assuming a medium fertilizer business continuously produces close to 100 tonnes every day.
A dense poultry-litter compost and a high-fibre dairy-manure mixture will not necessarily produce identical tonnes per hour.
Practical capacity changes with:
The plant therefore uses 9–12 T/H as a reference range rather than a fixed outcome for every fertilizer formulation.
Organic feedstock composition affects mechanical wear.
Poultry litter can contain mineral material from bedding and farm handling, while dairy manure collected from yards can contain soil or sand.
These contaminants are more abrasive than decomposed plant fibre.
The customer therefore pays attention to incoming cleanliness rather than assuming all manure-based materials create the same ring-die service life.
Material collected from open yards or ground-level storage can carry mineral contamination into the plant.
Sand increases ash and accelerates wear without contributing useful organic fertilizer value.
Receiving inspection, screening and sensible storage surfaces reduce this problem.
Contamination control can improve practical die and roller life more effectively than relying only on harder wear components.
Wire fragments, bolts and pieces of farm equipment can enter manure or bedding during collection.
Ferrous material should be intercepted before it reaches high-load processing equipment.
Magnetic separation can reduce this risk, while stones, plastics and non-ferrous contaminants still require appropriate screening and inspection.
Fresh fertilizer pellets leave the FZLH520 warmer than ambient conditions.
They need controlled cooling before long-term storage or bagging.
Cooling helps stabilize the physical pellet and reduces the risk of warm material creating condensation inside storage.
The cooler must be sized for the actual short-term pelletizer output rather than average annual production.
This is one of the main interface checks for the Uruguay organic fertilizer production project.
If the FZLH520 discharges 10 T/H while the cooler can process only 5 T/H, hot product will accumulate immediately.
The customer therefore verifies the real capacity of the cooling section before operating the pelletizer near the upper end of its range.
A large forming machine only creates usable production when the downstream section can clear the pellets.
The cooler removes heat and supports final product stabilization.
It is not intended to remove a large water load created by feeding overly wet fertilizer into the ring die.
If finished product remains too moist for storage, the plant has to review upstream moisture management.
This keeps drying and cooling as separate process functions.
The screen separates qualified pellets from loose fines and broken material.
An increasing fines fraction can indicate unsuitable moisture, excessive fibre, poor material preparation, die wear or rough downstream conveying.
The operator therefore uses screening performance as production feedback.
Fines can return through a controlled recycle route where the formulation and plant process allow it.
The FZLH520 cannot guarantee one universal crushing-strength value for manure, poultry litter, straw and winery-residue mixtures.
Material composition has a strong effect on pellet structure.
A fine manure-rich blend may compress differently from a lighter formulation containing more fibrous organic material.
The factory establishes commercial acceptance from actual bagging, transport and field-handling requirements.
Ring-die compression increases the bulk density of loose organic fertilizer, but the final result is not determined by motor power alone.
Moisture, fibre, mineral content and die configuration all contribute.
The plant therefore measures its real commercial product instead of using one density number for every formulation.
The FZLH520 cannot increase nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium or organic matter simply by compressing the mixture.
If a fertilizer contains too much low-nutrient straw, pelletizing can still create an attractive physical product while the nutrient analysis remains weak.
Formulation and laboratory control therefore come before mechanical forming.
Southern Uruguay has important horticultural and wine-growing activity, but these agricultural customers do not all require the same fertilizer.
Vineyard soil, vegetable production system, irrigation and nutrient status can differ substantially.
The manufacturer therefore sells documented fertilizer products rather than assuming one manure pellet is automatically ideal for every crop.
Pellet size improves handling consistency, while agronomic application rates still depend on crop and soil management.
Canelones combines intensive horticulture, fruit production, viticulture, livestock, dairy and poultry activity within a relatively concentrated agricultural area.
This gives a fertilizer processor both accessible organic feedstock and nearby agricultural customers.
It also provides a more credible setting for centralized manure processing than an isolated facility relying entirely on extensive pasture livestock.
The plant may sell fertilizer to vineyards without including grape pomace in every batch.
Raw-material selection and fertilizer market are two separate decisions.
Winery residue is incorporated only when its maturity, moisture and composition suit the formula.
A manure-based product can still be marketed to vineyard customers after appropriate analysis even when no grape residue is included.
After cooling and screening, the qualified product can enter the customer's established packaging section.
Bag size depends on distribution channel rather than pelletizer design.
Smaller bags can serve horticultural retailers or smaller farms, while larger commercial bags or bulk formats may suit professional agricultural users.
The FZLH520 only determines the forming stage and does not require one packaging format.
Organic pellets can absorb moisture if bags are stored directly on damp floors or exposed to rain.
The warehouse therefore keeps product protected and allows sufficient ventilation around stored fertilizer.
Pellets should also enter storage after cooling rather than while they are still carrying process heat.
The FZLH520 uses a 132 kW main motor together with its 3 kW anti-bridging feeder and 1.5 kW forced feeder.
The plant must also supply crushers, mixers, conveyors, cooler, screener, dust-control equipment and moisture-control systems operating at the same time.
Electrical planning therefore covers transformer capacity, cables, protection devices, motor starting and complete simultaneous load.
It would be misleading to size the utility connection from 132 kW alone.
The machine needs more than a footprint on the factory floor.
The customer checks feeder height, discharge elevation, structural support and access around the pelletizing chamber.
Ring-die and roller maintenance require adequate working clearance.
A compact installation that blocks component removal can create unnecessary maintenance difficulty even when the machine operates normally.
A large pelletizer cannot use its capacity if formulated fertilizer arrives too slowly.
The customer therefore calculates mixer batch weight and cycle time.
If the mixer supplies only 5 T/H on average, the FZLH520 will not maintain 10 T/H continuously without enough prepared inventory in an intermediate bin.
This is one reason buffer storage forms an important part of the retrofit.
Wetter manure mixtures can create more thermal load than the plant's moisture-control section can handle.
If mature fertilizer accumulates ahead of the dryer while the FZLH520 remains idle, adding pelletizing capacity will not solve the production restriction.
The business therefore monitors the tonnes of prepared material reaching the pelletizer rather than only measuring raw-manure intake.
Pellet production is useful only when cooled product can move into storage or bags at a compatible rate.
If packaging handles substantially less than the FZLH520 campaign output, additional finished-product buffer capacity may be needed.
The customer therefore coordinates pelletizing schedules with warehouse and packaging availability.
The FZLH520 is prepared for sea transport from Qingdao to Montevideo before inland delivery to the southern Uruguay facility.
For a project serving Canelones or nearby departments, Montevideo provides a direct national cargo gateway with a relatively short inland route.
The customer can prepare foundations, electrical connections and material interfaces using confirmed machine dimensions before the cargo arrives.
Ocean schedules, terminal operations and inland transport are coordinated according to the actual shipment arrangement rather than one permanent transit period.
The factory should not add another pelletizer simply because market demand is increasing.
The first question is whether enough mature formulated fertilizer regularly accumulates ahead of the FZLH520.
If composting, crushing or drying is already operating at full capacity, investment may belong upstream.
If the machine has unused daily hours, extending the pelletizing schedule can also create additional output without another ring-die unit.
Two machines would provide approximately 18–24 T/H of combined reference pelletizing capacity under suitable prepared-material conditions.
That is a substantial industrial forming section for the Uruguayan market.
Such an expansion would require strong raw-material aggregation, mature-compost storage, mixing, cooling, packaging, electrical infrastructure and confirmed fertilizer demand.
The customer therefore treats a second unit as a later commercial decision rather than the default development path.
Not every fertilizer project in Uruguay requires an FZLH520.
A dairy farm processing only its own manure may be better matched to an FZLH250, FZLH320 or FZLH350 depending on prepared-material volume.
A regional processor with several thousand tonnes of annual finished fertilizer may find the FZLH420 more proportionate.
The FZLH520 makes sense when the business can aggregate enough mature material to use 9–12 T/H in commercial campaigns.
An Organic Pellet Machine in Uruguay should be selected from the tonnes of mature fertilizer available after biological treatment, not from national cattle or sheep numbers. Collection method, manure concentration, composting losses, moisture, fibre, formulation and operating hours all change the amount of material that finally reaches the ring die.
For another Uruguayan project, RICHI Machinery would first review manure collection method, dairy or poultry supplier volumes, annual mature-compost quantity, straw or agricultural-residue availability, moisture after maturation, particle condition, target pellet diameter, mixer capacity, dryer requirement, cooler capacity, packaging rate, electrical supply and annual fertilizer sales plan.
Those figures determine whether an FZLH520 provides useful commercial utilization or whether a smaller organic fertilizer pellet machine would produce the required annual tonnage with lower installed power.
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