How to prevent blockages in ring die granulators during production?

Ring die granulators are core equipment in organic fertilizer and feed production, but material buildup on walls and die hole blockages often cause downtime and reduced output.

1. Root Causes of Blockages

Material Properties:Straw-type materials with >15% fiber easily wrap around rollers.Moisture content >22% increases stickiness.Oily or sugary materials (like food waste) easily clog die holes.

Equipment Operation:Mismatched feed speed and roller rotation speed.Ring die and roller gap >0.3mm.Unsuitable die hole length-to-diameter ratio (ideal: 6–8).

Maintenance Gaps:Not polishing ring die granulators regularly (should be ≥1/month).Worn scrapers not replaced promptly.Steam conditioning temperature fluctuations >±5°C.

2. Prevention Measures

Equipment Parameter Adjustment

Steam conditioning: Maintain steady temperature (75–85°C) for even moisture penetration.

Roller gap: Check and adjust every shift (keep 0.1–0.3mm).

Feeder frequency: Automatically slow down when load current exceeds 85% of rated value.

Standard Operating Procedures

Startup: Run empty to preheat to 60°C before feeding material.

During operation: Check pellet hardness hourly.

Shutdown: Clean die holes with oily material for 10 minutes.

3. Blockage Solutions

Mild blockage (output reduced by 30%):Run with 5% zeolite powder mix for 10 minutes.

Moderate blockage (current fluctuation >20%):Shut down. Clear holes one by one with a Φ3mm drill.

Severe blockage (equipment overload shutdown):Disassemble entire the ring die granulator. Soak ring die in 80°C alkaline solution for 2 hours.