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Animal Feed Block Formation Machine
Animal Feed Block Formation Machine
Animal Feed Block Formation Machine
India has a huge livestock population constituting 53% of the world’s buffaloes, 20% of
goats, 15% of cattle, 4% of sheep and poultry an 1% of pigs. The problem of production,
distribution and management of the animal feed is, accordingly, of very high magnitude. The
animal feed in the country is based on major constituents of dry roughage from crops. The
bulk density of the fodders, hay ad straws, after threshing, is very low requiring very large
storage space. Transportation of these fodder crops is a serious problem because of their low
bulk densities and low transport capacity of vehicles. This is further aggravated due to the
very large size of the country and the diverse varieties of crops grown/used for animal feed.
Thus, when a natural calamity strikes a region causing dearth of fodder, it becomes difficult
to carry fodder from surplus regions. Farmers do not have sufficient time between harvesting
of matured crop and sowing of next seasonal crop. As a result, crop residues suitable for
feeding are being burnt in the field. The burning of crop residues pollutes the environment
and is unlawful, even as a big gap is generated between the supply and demand of fodder. In
and around urban area, cattle are forced to eat domestic garbage for their survival. A large
number of cattle perish for non-availability of animal fodders and balanced feed. The
problem can be solved only through a planned scientific management of transportation,
storage, and management of crop residues and hay in different regions of the country. India
produces 540 million tones of crop residues annually which could be used for feeding the
country’s animal population. There are regions with deficit and excess production of these
crop residues in the country. The feed management, with roughages diets, would improve
manifold If processes are developed such that the deficit and disaster prone areas could be
stocked with processed animal feed.
Technology
Feed processing units are available at present for pelletization of concentrate. However,
these units cannot handle a feed mixture having large sized straw, high proportion of chopped
fodder and crop residues. The available balers are used for baling high moisture crop plants,
grasses and crop residues. The bale density and shelf-life is low and uniform mixing of
ingredients with hay, straw and grasses is also not possible. Therefore, a machine for
moulding animal feed into blocks using a whole range of crop residue, feed supplements and
suitable binders was developed. It can form compressed bocks in the sizes appropriate and
economical for handling, transportation and storage of large volumes of animal feed. The
details of the machine are given in the following paragraphs.
Prototype of animal feed block formation machine
A prototype machine for compaction of biomaterials using hydraulic cylinders for application
of compaction pressure up to 425 Kg/cm2 was designed, fabricated and extensively tested.
The machine is powered with a 25 HP electric motor to run its hydraulic system. The
machine has been patented.
Hydraulic cylinders
The machine has two hydraulic cylinders of different sizes. The bigger cylinder, which
moves forward and backward, is used for compression of feed and ejection of feed block. The
smaller cylinder moves upward and downward for opening and closing of the door provided
in front of the compression chamber.
Power pack
Power pack of the machine consists of an electric motor, high and low pressure pumps, a
pressure switch, a pressure gauge, a solenoid valve, an oil reservoir, a filter, etc. The
operation of hydraulic cylinder is conducted through the high and low pressure pumps. The
pumps supply the hydraulic oil from reservoir to both the hydraulic cylinders. Because of
this, the main cylinder moves forward and the gate cylinder moves downwards. During
backward and upward movements, the oil from the cylinders flows back into the oil reservoir.
The solenoid valve governs the direction of movement of cylinders.
Bulk desnsity and volume reduction of raw feeds and blocks at compaction pressure of
300Kg.cm2 and moisture content of 12% (wb)