MODIFICATION AND TESTING OF AN EXISTING POULTRY FEED PELLETIZING MACHINE

The study focused on the modification and testing of an existing poultry feed pelletizing machine to enhance its efficiency, pellet quality, and suitability for local production. The primary aim was to resolve common issues found in existing pelletizing machines, such as low throughput, irregular pellet shapes. The methodology involved diagnostic testing under no-load and load conditions to identify mechanical faults, followed by structural modifications to the auger pitch, die plate diameter, and pelletizing chamber. Materials such as mild steel, stainless steel, and 8 mm thick pipes were selected for durability and availability. Tests carried out on the livestock feed pelleting machine using different quantities of starch and water as binders showed clear variation in pellet characteristics and machine output. With starch addition, pellets of average lengths between 12.49–24.94 mm and diameters of 5.72–6.60 mm were formed, giving densities of 0.495–0.95 g/cm³ and length-to-diameter ratios of 2.2–3.8. In contrast, pellets formed with water were lighter, with densities of 0.65–0.69 g/cm³, and no pellets were formed at the highest water level (1000 cm³). The test further revealed that increasing starch quantity improved pellet formation and throughput, which rose from 1.80 kg/h at 500 cm³ starch to 7.21 kg/h at 1000 cm³ starch, while specific energy consumption reduced from 1.67 to 0.42 kWh/kg. For water-based tests, throughput ranged between 1.88–3.21 kg/h, but pellet formation failed at 1000 cm³ water. These results indicate that starch is a more effective binding agent than water in pellet formation and contributes to higher machine efficiency during testing