Wood Pellet Production Line

Milling, lumber, wood products, and the construction industries produce large volumes of related byproducts that can be easily turned into profits. Richi Machinery works extensively with the wood industries by offering equipment designed to meet your unique needs. Small or large, automatic, semi-automatic or manual, our wood pellet plant machines give you the RICHI advantage with built-to-last reliability.

Biomass wood is organic matter that can be converted into energy. Biomass energy commonly include: wood waste and by-products (both mill residues and non commercial biomass in the woods), energy crops, food crops (e.g., prairie perennials or switch grass), agricultural residues (e.g., corn stover), and animal manure.

Biomass wood materials used as fuel sources can provide heat, electrical and motive power. Biomass in its original form is difficult to successfully use as a fuel in large-scale applications because it is bulky, wet, and dispersed. Biomass densification (pelleting) is a technology for converting wood residues into wood fuel.

Compacting wood at a very high pressure is pelletizing – the process of producing pellets. They have significantly smaller volumes than the original biomass wood and a larger volumetric energy density which makes them a more compact energy source, easy to transport and store.

Hence, biomass wood pellet fuels are a manufactured biomass wood fuel. They could offer interesting opportunities for development of renewable energy.

Wood pellet production line is an important biomass energy production system, the success of which is directly related to energy sustainability and environmental protection. Here, we will explore the key process technologies in wood pellet production, including pre-treatment of raw materials, pellet size control, optimization of energy consumption, pellet size and shape control, temperature and pressure control, use of additives, maintenance and cleaning of equipment, and process monitoring and adjustment.

Whether you are involved in wood pellet making or interested in, here will provide you with important insights into biomass pelletization process.

The biomass wood pellet plant pelletisation process consists of multiple steps, including pre-treatment of raw material, pelletisation, and post-treatment. The figure below presents the schematic of the wood pellet production process.

01

Material Preparation

The first step in the wood pellet manufacturing process is the preparation of the wood waste raw materials, which includes selecting a materials suitable for this process, and its filtration, storage, and protection.

The raw materials used are sawdust, wood wastes, agricultural and forestry residues, etc. Filtration is done to remove unwanted materials like stone, metal, etc. The materials is stored in such a manner as to prevent contamination by impurities and moisture.

02

Drying

In cases where there are different types of biomass wood materials, a blending process is used to achieve consistency. The moisture content in biomass wood waste can be considerably high, and hence needs to be reduced to 10 to 15%.

Drying increases the efficiency of wood, and it produces almost no smoke on combustion.However, the wood materials should not be over-dried, as a small amount of moisture helps in binding the biomass wood particles. The drying process is the most energy-intensive process and accounts for about 70% of the total energy used in the wood pelletisation process.

03

Chipping & Crushing

The wood materials is reduced to small particles of not more than 3 mm before it is fed into the wood pellet mill machine. Size reduction is done by grinding, using a wood hammer mill equipped with a screen of size 3.2 to 6.4 mm. If the wood feedstock is quite large, it is put through a wood chipper machine before grinding.

04

Pelleting

The next and the most important step is pelletizing where the wood is compressed against a heated metal plate (known as a ring die) using a roller. The die has holes of fixed diameter through which the wood is passed under high pressure. Due to the high pressure, frictional forces increase, leading to a considerable rise in temperature.

The high temperature causes the lignin and resins present in the biomass to soften, which acts as a binding agent between the biomass wood fibres. In this way, the biomass wood particles fuse to form pellets.

During wood pellet line pelleting process, a large fraction of the process energy is used to make the biomass flow into the inlets of the press channels. Binders or lubricants may be added in some cases to produce higher quality pellets. Binders increase pellet density and durability. Wood contains natural resins which act as a binder. Similarly, sawdust contains lignin which holds the pellet together.

05

Cooling & Screening & Bagging

Excess heat is produced by the friction generated in the die. Thus, the pellets produced are very soft and hot (about 70 to 90℃). They need to be cooled and dried before they are stored or packaged. After they have cooled, they are packaged in bags or stored in bulk. Wood pellets can be stored indefinitely, but they must be kept dry to prevent deterioration.

A complete wood pellet production line requires major equipment such as wood chippers, crushers, dryers, wood pellet machines, pellet coolers, and packaging machines, as well as conveyors, electric control cabinets and other conveying equipment and control systems.

Wood Debarker

Capacity:
5-15T/H

Main Power:
7.5-11KW

wood splitter

Capacity:
3-12T/H

Rotate Speed:
10-20 KW

Rotary Dryer

Capacity:
Customized

Rotate Speed:
3-8 R/Min

Wood Chipper Machine

Speed:
3-18T/H

Main Power:
4-110 KW

wood Hammer Mill

Capacity:
3-25T/H

Main Power:
30-160KW

Pallet Shredder

Capacity:
3-20T/H

Main Power:
55-110 KW

wood Pellet Cooler

Capacity:
1.5-18T/H

Main Power:
0.75-2.05 KW

wood pellet Bagging Machine

Speed:
6-12 Bags/Min

Main Power:
1.1-5KW

wood pellet mill

Capacity:
0.3-10T/H

Main Power:
37-280KW

wood pellet screener

Capacity:
3-20T/H

Main Power:
1.5-5.5 KW

conveyer machines

Conveying Distance:
3-60M

Main Power:
3-30KW

Pulse dust collector

Model:
TBLMa

Main Power:
0.75-15KW

• Because the wood pellet machine has requirements on the size of the raw materials entering the machine, for example, to produce wood pellets with a diameter of 8mm, the size of the raw materials needs to be no larger than 8mm. Therefore, if the size of the raw materials is too large, a wood chipper and a crusher are needed to slice the raw materials and process them into fine powder. , so that the raw material size meets the requirements of the wood pellet machine.
• Similarly, the wood pellet machine also has requirements for the moisture content of the raw materials. The moisture content of the raw materials is required to be 10~15%. If the moisture content of all raw materials is too high, it needs to be naturally dried to a moisture content of 10~15%, or a drum dryer can be used to dry the moisture content of the raw materials. Moisture is dried.
• When wood pellets are just produced, the temperature can reach 80~90 degrees Celsius. Under such circumstances, there is no way to package them immediately. All the pellets need to be cooled in a counterflow cooler, and the temperature can be lowered to room temperature before entering the vibrating screen for processing. Screening, and finally packaging machine.

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We have hundreds of wood pellet production line projects all over the world. Offer on-site installation and debugging. Provide technical training about the pellet plant. Possess 10 patents including three cylinder dryer, smart cooling system... The productivity can reach up to 300,000t per year. With PLC intelligent control system, the pellet production becomes smarter and more reliable!

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  wood pellet production line in fance

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  wood pellet production line in Vietnam

• 

  wood pellet production line in Indonesia

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  wood pellet production line in united States

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  wood pellet production line in Austria

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  wood pellet production line in Romania

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  wood pellet production line in poland

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  wood pellet production line in Argentina

Richi Machinery have provided 1-90t/h wood pellet production lines, wood pellet manufacturing plants and single wood pellet making machines for hundreds of wood pellet manufacturers, and we hope that in the future, we can also help you successfully realize a high-efficiency, high-quality, and high-return wood pellet production business.

The followings are some wood pellet line project proposal / wood pellet business plan/ wood pellet manufacturing project report for you:

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  8T/H wood pellet manufacturing project report

• 

  1.2T/H wood pellet production business plan

• 

  6T/H business plan on wood pellet production

• 

  20T/H business plan on wood pellet production

When developing a wood pellet plant business plan the following things should be considered first:

• What biomass raw materials will be used?
• How much of biomass raw materials can be obtained at a price point that works within your business model?
• What is the incoming moisture content?
• What is your target market, residential fuel, industrial grade fuel, animal bedding, feed, etc.?
• What is your market area?
• Do you intend to sell your end product wholesale or retail?
• What is the market volume potential for the end product in your target market area?
• What is the value of your end product wholesale and retail in your target market area?
• What wood pellet plant volume do you plan to produce?

It is our experience that there are two types of wood pellet production lines. At this time we will define them as pellet production lines that needs drying and does not need to be dried.

A wood pellet plant is a facility that will receive its raw materials with a moisture content higher than 15%. This could be in the form of sawdust, wood chips, or even whole logs.

For a wood pellets factory that pelletizes products other than wood this could be spent grains, ag products, agricultural and forestry waste, alfalfa, lucerne, grass, straw, etc.

This type of wood pellet production plant will require a drying process which can add considerable cost to the initial project as well as added operating cost. When considering a wood pellet processing plant, bear in mind that raw material can be received at a moisture content as high as 50%.

These products must be dried to something below 15% prior to the pelleting process. A typical conversion rate for wood is 2 to 1 therefore for every ton that is delivered to the wood pellet making plant, you will have ½ ton available after drying to produce pellets. If you intend to use wood to fire the burner for the dryer you will consume an additional 25% of the incoming material as fuel.

Cost to build a 300kg/h-40t/h wood pellet manufacturing plant: A good average to consider when building a wood pellet plant from start to finish is approximately 80,000 to 5 million U.S. dollars.

It doesn't take very long to understand that in order to pay for and create profit, a pellet plant doesn't need to produce large volumes (tons per hour) in order to provide the required return on investment.

Because the wood pellets industry has a very good prospect, as long as it is operated properly and reasonable wood pellet production technology and wood pellet manufacturing equipment are selected, wood pellet production lines are generally profitable.

When considering a wood pellet manufacturing plant without dying section, keep in mind that raw material will be received at a moisture content of 15% or less. In this case, no drying is required which substantially reduces the investment on the front end as well as creating a defined raw material cost.

Cost to start a new no-drying wood pellet manufacturing business: 50,000 to 3 million U.S. dollars.

It is our experience that if you can acquire dry raw materials for a cost of $45.00 per ton or less, a plant producing as little as 2 tons per hour can be profitable (assuming you are able to market the finished product for at least $125.00 per ton).

A dry pellet plant will have maintenance cost of approximately $5.00 to $7.00 per ton and will have electric cost between $7.00 and $10.00 per ton.(Each country and region is different, please consult the details online directly.)

Richi Machinery complete wood pellet production lines can be combined according to different process requirements and various types of equipment to meet different customers' needs.

The following are just a few of the wood pellet plant project designs we have done. They are all customized. Even if your output is the same as the following case, your wood pellet manufacturing process and equipment configuration can still be different.

In order to avoid your misunderstanding of the wood pellet production line design, please contact RICHI directly to customize your own wood pellet production line.

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  400KG/H small wood pellet plant design and required equipment

  No	Main Equipments	Model	Quantity
  1	Easy To Handle Wood Chipper Machine	JLBX-215	1
  2	Wood Hammer Mill for Wood Chips	SFSP66*60	1
  3	Small Rotary Dryer	ф1200*120000	1
  4	Wood Pellet Making Machine	MZLH-320	1
  5	Vibrating Screener	TDZS63	1
  6	Pellet Packing Machine	DCS-50	1
  7	MCC Control Center ;Mimic Control Panel	/	1
  8	More Auxiliary Equipment	Buffer bin*2m³, Cyclone*ф1000, Pulse dust collector*TBLMa.36b, Draught fan*9-19-5.6a, U-Screw conveyor*TLSSU30, Bucket elevator*TDTG40/23, Storage bin*4m³, Anti-caking equipment, Bucket elevator*TDTG36/18,etc.

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  1.2T/H complete wood pellet production line design and required equipment

  No	Main Equipments	Model	Quantity
  1	Wood Hammer Mill for Sawdust	SFSP 66*60	1
  2	Energy Industry Sawdust Dryer	ф1200*120000	1
  3	Wood Pellet Machine	MZLH-420	1
  4	Wood Pellet Cooling Machine	SKLN11*11	1
  5	Vibrating Screener	TDZS63	1
  6	Pellet Packing Machine（with Belt and Sewing Machine）	DCS-50	1
  7	MCC Control Center ;Mimic Control Panel	/	1
  8	More Auxiliary Equipment	Buffer bin*2m³, Cyclone*ф1000, Pulse dust collector*TBLMa.36b, Draught fan*9-19-5.6a, U-Screw conveyor*TLSSU30, Bucket elevator*TDTG40/23, Storage bin*4m³, Anti-caking equipment, Bucket elevator*TDTG36/18,etc.

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  4T/H wood pellet manufacturing line design and required equipment

  No	Main Equipments	Model	Quantity
  1	Hot Selling Good Quality Commercial Wood Chipper	JLBX-218	1
  2	Wood Hammer Mill	SFSP66*80	2
  3	Wood Sawdust Rotary Dryer	ф2400*100000*3 Layer	1
  4	Wood Pelletizer	MZLH-520	2
  5	Wood Pellet Cooling Machine	SKLN17*17	1
  6	Vibrating Screener	TDZS80	1
  7	Pellet Packing Machine	DCS-50	1
  8	More Auxiliary Equipment	Bucket elevator*TDTG40/23, Belt conveyors*PDS650, Buffer bin*2m³, Cyclone*ф1000, Draught fan*9-19-5.6a, Lower level indicator* KF1500, U-screw conveyor*TLSSU32, Anti-caking equipment, MCC Control Center ;Mimic Control Panel, etc.

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  10T/H wood log pellet plant design and required equipment

  No	Main Equipments	Model	Quantity
  1	Heavy Duty Drum Chipper	JLBX-218	2
  2	Factory Sale Hammer Mill For Sawdust	SFSP66*80	2
  3	New Drying Equipment For Wood Sawdust	ф2400*100000*3 Layer	2
  4	Wood Pelletizing Machine	MZLH-520	4
  5	Wood Pellet Cooling Machine	SKLN20*20	1
  6	Vibrating Screener	TDZS80	1
  7	Wood Pellet Packing Machine(with Belt and Sewing Machine)	DCS-50	1
  8	More Auxiliary Equipment	Belt conveyors*PDS650, Buffer bin*2m³, Cyclone*ф1000, Pulse dust collector* TBLMa.36b, U-screw conveyor*TLSSU32, Bucket elevator*TDTG60/23, Storage bin*20m³, Anti-caking equipment, Belt conveyor*PDS-500, etc.

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  20T/H large wood pellet production line for wood pellets

  No	Main Equipments	Model	Quantity
  1	CE ISO Wood Chipper	JLBX-2113	2
  2	Wood Hammer Mill For Wood Sawdust	SFSP-Y60132Q1	4
  3	Rotary Dryer For Wood Chips	ф2400*100000*3 Layer	4
  4	Industrial Wood Pellet Mill	MZLH-520	8
  5	Wood Pellet Cooling Machine	SKLN24*24	2
  8	More Auxiliary Equipment	Vibrating Screener*TQLZ150x200, Belt and sewing machine*DCS-MTB, Storage bin*4m³, Silencer for hammer mill*XY-132Q1, Connection piping system*FWY-350, Cyclone*SK1400, Pulse dust collector*FZMC6*12, etc.

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  28T/H big capacity pellet production line for fuels energy plant

  No	Main Equipments	Model	Quantity
  1	Industrial Use Heavy Duty Wood Chipper Machine	JLBX-2113	2
  2	Wood Hammer Mill To Grinding Wood Chips	SFSP-Y60132Q1	4
  3	Heavy Duty Rotary Dryer	ф2400*100000*3 Layer	4
  4	Wood Pellet Press Machine	MZLH-520	12
  5	MCC Control Center ;Mimic Control Panel	/	1
  6	More Auxiliary Equipment	Storage bin*4m³, Silencer for hammer mill*XY-132Q1, Connection piping system*FWY-350, Cyclone*SK1400, Pulse dust collector*FZMC6*12, Screw conveyor (air locked)*TLSS40, U-Screw conveyor*TLSSU40, Vibrating Screener, etc.

1. From customized non-standard models to multi-combination standard configuration models, RICHI is always in accordance with market trends and customer needs, constantly introducing new ones. In Richi Machinery, each wood pellet production line design and wood pellet manufacturing equipment can be customized.
2. Although the wood pellet production technology of different customers is different, we always follow when designing for customers: reasonable configuration, stable performance, convenient operation process, and high economic benefits.
3. This wood pellet processing line is suitable for wood waste and all other biomass waste production of various sizes, various hardness, various lengths and various types.
4. The replacement of wearing parts can be completed quickly, reducing downtime and maintenance time.
5. Reasonable initial wood pellet factory investment cost and low maintenance cost in the later stage.