What You Get Without a Boiler
No boiler to buy, no steam line to run, no pressure vessel inspection on the calendar. The plant is this machine plus a power supply.
Floating and sinking pellets come off the same screw. The switch is formula density and puffing degree, not equipment.
Dies change pellet size and shape in minutes. Fish, catfish, shrimp and crab rations each get their own plate.
Pellets leave the barrel sterilized. Temperature and pressure kill Salmonella during extrusion, and the puffed structure digests easier than pressed pellets.
The screw sleeve carries an alloy steel strip lining. That part decides how many tons the machine produces before rebuild, more than anything else on the machine.
Extruded feed, no steam plant. That is the whole argument.
Models DGP50 to DGP200
| Model | Capacity (t/h) | Main motor (kW) | Feeding power (kW) | Screw dia. (mm) | Cutting power (kW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DGP50 | 0.06-0.08 | 11 | 0.4 | φ50 | 0.4 |
| DGP60 | 0.12-0.15 | 15 | 0.4 | φ60 | 0.4 |
| DGP70 | 0.18-0.25 | 18.5 | 0.4 | φ70 | 0.4 |
| DGP80 | 0.3-0.35 | 22 | 0.4 | φ80 | 0.6 |
| DGP90 | 0.4-0.45 | 37 | 0.4 | φ90 | 1.5 |
| DGP120 | 0.5-0.7 | 55 | 0.4 | φ120 | 2.2 |
| DGP135 | 0.8-1.0 | 75 | 0.4 | φ133 | 2.2 |
| DGP160 | 1.2-1.5 | 90 | 0.75-1.1 | φ155 | 3.0 |
| DGP200 | 1.8-2.0 | 132 | 1.5 | φ195 | 3.0-4.0 |
All nine models are single screw fish feed extruders. All process heat comes from friction inside the barrel; there is no boiler loop anywhere in the circuit. Die plates are supplied against order for the species you actually raise.
How Friction Makes the Heat
The screw pushes material toward the die and the gap between screw flight and barrel wall narrows as it goes. Compression does mechanical work on the feed, and that work turns into heat. Shear adds more. Temperature and pressure climb until starch gelatinizes and protein denatures - the same cooking a wet-type machine gets from steam, delivered here by friction alone.
At the die face the pressure drops to atmosphere in an instant. Moisture inside the pellet flashes to vapor and expands it. How much it expands decides whether the pellet floats or sinks, which is set by moisture content, formula and die restriction before the batch ever starts.
A rotary cutter at the die face slices the strands to length as they emerge.
Operating Notes
Warm the barrel before feeding. Cold starts plug dies.
Moisture is the first variable in dry extrusion. Too high, pellets come out loose and won't float. Too low, the die plugs and the sleeve wears fast. Test each batch before you feed it.
Tune floating and sinking together. Floating needs starch-rich formulas and a hotter barrel; sinking needs less expansion and denser formula. New recipes run as small test batches, watched on the water.
Three safety rules come with the machine and stay in force without exception:
- Never stand in front of the discharge outlet. Its temperature is extremely high.
- Wear heat-resistant gloves when working near hot parts.
- Stop the machine immediately for inspection if anything runs abnormally.
Check the cutter gap on schedule. It sets pellet length, and blade wear shows up as ragged ends before it shows up on a scale.
Maintenance Overview
Screw and barrel liner are the wear pair. The alloy steel strip sleeve resists abrasion far longer than plain steel, but check wear on schedule and replace past the limit.
Cutters wear. Keep blades mounted-ready and swap at the first sign of ragged pellets.
Die plates need every hole cleaned after each run. Hardened residue blocks the next start.
Main motor and control cabinet follow the manual's service list. Bearings get grease on schedule and new noise gets investigated the same day.
Spares stock: screw sleeves, cutter blades, die plates. Core components carry a one-year warranty and wear parts are stocked year-round.
Who Buys This Machine
Household ponds and small farms run the DGP50 through DGP70 on their own grain, replacing bagged floating feed with home-made batches at a fraction of the per-kilo cost. Small and medium feed plants take the DGP90 to DGP135 for specialty aquatic runs. Village-level pond clusters usually buy two smaller dry type fish feed extruders before committing to one large machine - when a harvest window opens, redundancy beats raw capacity.
Workshops with mixed demand switch dies between aquatic runs and pet food granulation. Corn meal, soybean meal, rice bran and wheat bran all process through the same screw.
Power, Dies and Shipping
Voltage comes configured per project, 380V/440V among others. Main motors range from 11 kW on the DGP50 to 132 kW on the DGP200. Die plates are quoted against the species list you provide; pellet size and shape follow the plate, floating or sinking behavior follows formula and adjustment. Machines ship in export crates, SKD/CKD packing available where local assembly cuts freight. Container loading counts are confirmed at quotation against the dimension data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a dry type fish feed extruder really extrude without steam?
Yes. Heat comes from mechanical shear and friction between screw and barrel. Starch still gelatinizes, protein still cooks, and no boiler is involved. That is exactly why small farms pick this machine.
Q: How do I switch between floating and sinking pellets?
Formula and parameters move together. Floating needs higher expansion - starch-rich formula, hotter barrel. Sinking needs less expansion and denser formula. One machine runs both; the recipe changes, not the hardware.
Q: Which model for a one-ton-a-day program?
A ton spread over eight hours averages 0.125 t/h - nominal DGP70 territory. Harvest surges run double, which argues for the DGP135 at 0.8-1.0 t/h: the day's requirement clears in just over an hour, and the machine loafs through ordinary days.
Q: Is such a small machine worth buying?
Compare bagged floating feed per kilo against your own grain plus electricity, and count the control you gain over freshness. A DGP50 running one or two hours a day covers many household ponds' needs, and the payback lands faster than most buyers expect.
Q: What safety precautions apply?
Three rules from the factory sheet, no exceptions: never stand in front of the discharge outlet - its temperature is extremely high; wear heat-resistant gloves near hot parts; stop the machine immediately for inspection if anything runs abnormally.
Q: Does extrusion kill bacteria?
Yes. High temperature and pressure inside the barrel kill Salmonella and other bacteria, and the puffed structure is easier for fish to digest than pressed feed.
Q: What raw materials can it process?
Corn meal, soybean meal, rice bran, wheat bran and similar ground ingredients. Formula moisture and starch content matter more than the exact source.
Q: How long does the screw sleeve last?
It depends on what you grind. Clean corn-based diets are gentle; abrasive husk-heavy mixes cut life substantially. The alloy steel strip lining is the longest-lived option in its class, and the real number gets established on trial runs with your own material.
Henan Lvlon Machinery - China-based manufacturer of feed pellet production lines.
Contact Lvlon for model selection, factory wholesale price, distributor terms and container loading plan.
