Poultry Feed Packaging Machine in Tanzania

An Enterprise Supporting National Food Security

This client operates at a scale designed to impact Tanzania's domestic food production. Their feed formulations utilize locally sourced maize and sunflower cake, blended with imported protein concentrates to create nutritionally complete rations. While their material handling, mixing, and pelleting systems were modernized, the disconnect at the packaging stage was glaring.

Investing in a full-scale automated packaging line with integrated conveyors and palletizers was a future phase. The immediate, pressing need was to resolve the acute daily bottleneck that was costing them product, time, and money. Therefore, procuring a single, robust automatic bagging scale was the logical first step.

This poultry feed packaging machine would be installed as a direct drop-in replacement for the manual station, positioned beneath the existing cooler discharge. The goal was unambiguous: achieve a step-change in packing speed and accuracy, dramatically reduce labour costs and spillage, and create a reliable, repeatable process that could support their growing business and large-order commitments.

Specific Operational Requirements in Tanzania:

• Material Type: Primarily pelleted poultry feed for layers and broilers. The pellets are relatively durable but the process generates a notable amount of fines (dust), especially in hotter production conditions.
• Bag Specifications: The Tanzanian market is overwhelmingly dominated by the 50kg woven polypropylene bag for all commercial feed. Their entire operation required optimization for this single, high-volume bag size to maximize truck loading and warehouse efficiency.
• Sealing Method: For security and to withstand handling in local supply chains, sewing sealing is the universal and trusted method. The packaging machine needed a simple, reliable bag clamp to free the operator's hands for sewing.
• Critical Needs: Very high bagging speed to match their enhanced feed pellet mill output. Robust mechanical construction to withstand continuous operation in a demanding environment. Effective dust management to improve the working environment and recover product. Operational simplicity for their workforce to adopt quickly.

The RICHI High-Speed Solution: DCS-50K Gravity Feed Packer

Given the client's exclusive focus on free-flowing pellets and the paramount need for maximum speed and simplicity, RICHI proposed the DCS-50K model. This gravity-fed machine is engineered for one purpose: the fastest, most reliable bagging of granular materials like feed pellets, with minimal mechanical complexity.

Technical Specifications for the Tanzanian Poultry Feed Mill:

• Model Deployed: DCS-50K Automatic Packing Scale
• Optimal Application: High-volume packaging of pelleted animal feed.
• Feed Mechanism: Direct twin-gate gravity feed system. This is the most efficient method for pellets, using a fast-fill gate for bulk (approx. 90%) and a dribble-fill gate for precision. It offers the highest speed with the fewest moving parts.
• Packing Speed: Consistently achieved 5-6 bags per minute for 50kg bags. This speed was transformative, allowing them to clear the cooler discharge without creating a backlog for the first time.
• Weighing Accuracy: Delivered reliable ≤ ±0.2% dynamic accuracy. This precision directly combatted the financial drain of overfilling and built trust with large customers who verify bag weights.
• Power Configuration: A modest 0.55 + 0.37 kW, resulting in low operating costs—a significant factor given local electricity prices.
• Dust Control Integration: The machine was supplied with a specially designed dust hood around the bag spout and a connection flange for their existing plant extraction system.
• Rugged Design: Featured heavy-duty gates, a reinforced weighing hopper, and an IP-rated electrical cabinet for dust and humidity protection.

Addressing On-the-Ground Realities in East Africa

Deploying a poultry feed packaging machine in Tanzania required practical adaptations for lasting success:

• Climate Resilience: The coastal humidity of Dar es Salaam can affect electrical components. The control panel was fitted with a ventilation fan and heater to prevent condensation, a common cause of electrical faults.
• Voltage Stability: To guard against grid fluctuations common in the region, a built-in voltage stabilizer was recommended and installed on the main power line to the machine's control system.
• Focus on Uptime and Maintainability: The simplicity of the DCS-50K's design was a key selling point. With no belts or augers to maintain or replace, and with all service points (air filters, gate seals) easily accessible, the client felt confident in maintaining high uptime with their own technicians.

Shipping to the Gateway of East Africa

The poultry feed packaging machine was loaded into a container and shipped from Qingdao Port, China. The premier port of entry for Tanzania and much of the inland region is Port of Dar es Salaam. This allowed for direct delivery and simplified logistics to the client's nearby facility.

The RICHI Value Proposition: Unmatched Speed and Simplicity

The client selected RICHI after a thorough evaluation where we focused on total operational cost, not just the purchase price.

• Purpose-Built for Pellet Speed: We demonstrated that for their 100% pellet operation, a gravity system (DCS-50K) is inherently faster and more energy-efficient than a belt (DCS-50P) or screw (DCS-50F) system. This application-specific engineering ensured they got the optimal performance for their exact need.
• Core Accuracy Without Compromise: We emphasized that while the mechanism is simple, the weighing technology is advanced. The high-stability load cells and proprietary mechanical anti-shock isolation are calibrated to handle the dynamic impact of fast-falling pellets, ensuring accuracy is not sacrificed for speed.
• Design for African Industry: The machine's construction—thicker steel, oversized pneumatic cylinders, and sealed bearings—was presented as being built for the long haul in an environment where equipment is pushed hard and must endure.
• Comprehensive Activation Support: RICHI's support package was designed for successful remote commissioning:
  • We provided extremely detailed, photo-based installation checklists and bolt-torque specifications.
  • A full set of critical spare parts (gate rubber, solenoid valves, fuses, filters) was included in the shipment.
  • We conducted a structured series of video calls: one for foundation check, one for mechanical assembly, one for electrical connection, and a final one for calibration and first production run.
  • Easy-to-follow troubleshooting flowcharts for common issues (e.g., "gate not opening," "weight inaccurate") were provided in both English and Swahili.

Direct Feedback from the Mill Manager

After three months of running three shifts, the production manager reported: "This machine has changed our finishing floor. We used to have 8 men shoveling and weighing. Now we have one man operating the RICHI packaging machine and one sewing.

It is very, very fast. Our feed pellet machine no longer has to wait. The weight is exact, which has stopped our losses. The dust hood works well; the area is cleaner. It is a strong machine, simple to understand. The support from RICHI was excellent—they were available on video whenever we needed, day or night, until we were confident. It has done exactly what we needed it to do."

Conclusion: A Foundational Investment for Growth

The success of the poultry feed packaging machine in Tanzania project is a testament to the power of a well-specified, single-equipment solution in a growth market. For this Tanzanian enterprise, the DCS-50K was not merely a labour-saving device; it was the critical piece that connected their upgraded production capacity to the market, enabling them to fulfil larger orders reliably and profitably.

This case solidifies RICHI Machinery's commitment to providing robust, high-value automation solutions that are perfectly matched to the material, volume, and environmental realities of our clients in Africa and beyond, serving as dependable partners in their growth journeys.

Is your feed mill's growth hampered by slow, wasteful manual packaging? RICHI's high-speed automatic baggers are engineered for durability and simplicity in challenging environments. Contact us today to discuss how a single RICHI poultry feed packaging scale can transform your productivity, accuracy, and profitability.