DEVELOPMENT OF A FISH FEED PELLETIZER

Fish feed accounts for a huge percentage of the total cost of fish production. Despite the effort of fish farmers to produce fish continuously and provide cheaper source of protein, surveys has shown that one of the factor limiting the growth of the aquaculture sector in Africa is the high cost of purchasing fish feed. This thesis discusses the design, fabrication and testing of a simple electrically operated fish feed pelletizing machine using locally sourced and available materials at low cost. This machine is important as it will enable local farmers to produce their own feed, thereby saving cost. The machine consists of a frame, hopper, barrel, screw conveyor, die, cutter, heater and drive system. The hopper, barrel, screw conveyor are all made of mild steel for easy machinability, cost effectiveness and to reduce contamination due to rust. The screw conveyor is driven by a 0.3HP electric geared motor with a 1500W heat band mounted on the surface of the barrel to sufficiently heat the feed as it travels through the barrel. A performance test was carried out which showed a throughput capacity of 12.492kg/hr and a machine efficiency of 90%. The use of a detachable die was utilized to enable the production of different sizes of feeds