Photo of the Week: Disc Pelletizer

This week’s photo is a disc pelletizer from FEECO’s lab testing center.

Disc pelletizers, also known as pan pelletizers or pan granulators, are a common piece of equipment used to agglomerate material fines. They utilize a “tumble growth” agglomeration method  to create pellets, and are used in a variety of applications, including pelletizing limestone, gypsum, compost, and more.

Here’s how pelletizing on a disc pelletizer works:

1. 1. Raw material is fed onto the pan and a liquid spray system adds a binding agent.
   2. The binding agent, or binder, causes the fines to be tacky. This allows them to pick up more fines as they tumble against themselves while the disc rotates.
   3. As the rotation continues, the particles grow in size in a process known as coalescence (similar to rolling a snowball).
   4. When the pellets reach the desired size, they are discharged from the pan and conveyed to a rotary dryer. The rotary dryer reduces the moisture content down to the desired level for the end product. The result is uniform, round pellets.

The disc pelletizer is a popular tool for agglomerating material fines into a more easily handled, dust-free product. The disc pelletizer is a continuous machine, and is often combined with a pre-conditioning stage that is carried out in a pin or paddle mixer. The pre-conditioning stage prepares material fines for optimal agglomeration when they reach the disc.

Disc pelletizers also allow for several variables to be adjusted during processing in order to fine-tune the end product to exact specifications, making them an ideal solution when a premium product is desired.

Is a disc pelletizer right for you? To find out, contact us today!