Complete pellet plant: production and packaging

MIAL specialises in the design and construction of turnkey pellet production plants.

In this instance, we examine a significant project involving the construction of a complete production line, incorporating all the machinery necessary for converting wood chips into wood pellets, from production equipment to packaging systems.

The client is Falerlegno Srl, a prominent Italian company in the wood profiling sector, that sought to maximize the value and utility of its production waste.

Their objective was to transform what would otherwise be unused raw materials into a valuable resource. This led to the decision to produce pellets—an eco-friendly business model in line with the principles of the circular economy.

To achieve this, it was essential to find a partner with a proven track record, capable of taking full responsibility for the entire process. The client required a single point of contact who could be entrusted with and commissioned to deliver a turnkey project.

In response to the client’s specifications, we developed a bespoke solution following our initial discussions and preliminary meetings in 2022. This required meticulous planning and the integration of MIAL and MF TECNO technologies to deliver:

• A production line
• Packaging machinery and secondary packaging solutions

Production line

The industrial production of pellets involves numerous machines and several stages. After selecting the material to be processed, it moves on to grinding, refining, pressing, cooling, and finally, sieving.

The goal of this project was to create a production line with a capacity of 1,000 kg/hour, comprising various stages and machinery, including:

• Crushing
• Transport
• Grinding
• Dicing
• Cooling
• Sieving

Crushing

For the crushing stage, MIAL decided to use a single-shaft crushing machine.

This solution is suitable for different types of wood: in this case, it was used to crush the wood waste coming from the processing phase, using a 30 kW motor.

The product is then conveyed to the transport stage.

Transport

The BIG160 Tube-chain conveyor handles the transport of the wood chips to the refining mill: this system ensures gentle and precise handling of the product, as well as significant energy savings.

The tube, with a diameter of 160 mm, ensures a considerable transport capacity of up to 30 m³/hour.

Three other with a capacity ranging from 2 m³/hour to 60 m³/hour re available, allowing adaptation to different application contexts and products such as pet food, cereals, feed, plastic materials, and more.

For the transport phase from the counterflow cooler to the bagging stage, a bucket elevator is used.

Grinding

The grinding phase is performed by a dedicated hammer mill.

The MAIL M500 mill allows a uniform volumetric reduction of a wide range of products: the 64 hammers crush the material until reaching the desired granulometry.

The ability to replace the calibration screen without stopping the machine optimizes the process and increases operational safety. Additionally, two side doors allow for easy inspection and cleaning of the machine.

Dicing

In the dicing process, the M520 pellet press was used, featuring a die with a diameter of 520 mm, making it highly versatile and suitable for various types of products.

It is also prepared for the introduction of water or steam during the product loading phase. The pellet diameter is determined by the size of the die-holes.

The ease of access to the moving parts helps reduce and simplify routine and extraordinary maintenance tasks.

Cooling

This phase involves the use of the counterflow cooler. This cooler is equipped with a cooling chamber made entirely of stainless steel (AISI304).

The product, crossed by an upward airflow, remains inside for the necessary cooling time, while the aspirated air is decanted inside a cyclone to prevent dust emissions.

The machine is designed to provide maximum productivity while requiring very low maintenance and achieving high efficiency.

Sieving

This phase uses a vibrating screen in a closed system that prevents dust from escaping. It efficiently cleans the product of dust particles, enhancing its commercial quality.

The dust is then returned to the pellet press to minimize waste.

Packaging Machinery and Secondary Packaging

The project included not only building a complete pellet production plant but also developing the packaging phase.

The client specifically requested a high-performance, high-productivity packaging and palletizing system.

The fully automated line, from transport to palletizing, handles 15 kg bags and can produce 500 bags per hour.

The specific machines involved were:

• Vertical packaging machine MF 54
• Cartesian palletizer PCA SMART
• Pallet wrapper WRAP35

Vertical packaging machine MF 54

This is a reliable, high-performance solution for packaging medium-sized bags ranging from 5 to 20 kg, particularly used in the pellet sector.

Easy to use and highly versatile, it can reach a production capacity of up to 600 bags/hour with a single scale and up to 1,200 bags/hour with a double scale. It is compatible with various types of bags, such as pillow bags, side gusseted bags, and square bottom bags.

Palletiser PCA SMART

The client’s requirements led to the choice of the PCA Smart Cartesian palletiser.

Designed for medium production runs of up to 500 cycles/hour, it can handle loads of up to 50 kg.

Its compactness and small size make it particularly suitable for limited spaces, with a length of less than 3 meters and a pallet height of 1,800 mm (including pallet).

The integrated PLC system with a touch screen allows the operator to fully control the palletising pattern.

Additionally, it is designed for use with various customisable gripping solutions according to specific needs.

Automatic pallet wrapper WRAP 35

The chosen wrapping system is also fully automatic: the MF WRAP 35 with a rotating table.

Designed for heavy-duty applications, with a capacity of up to 2,000 kg, like all other machines, it is equipped with a PLC control system.