Everything you need to know about buying pelleting machinery…

Do you have a waste product that you want to turn into pellets?  Perhaps you want to make fertiliser pellets for your plants, feed pellets for your animals or wood pellets for your woodburner. At Sustainable Innovations, we specialise in turning undervalued and waste materials into pellets, and offer a wide range of pelleting equipment to help you create your own pellets.

If you’re considering investing in a pellet mill, you’ll need to know how many pellets they can produce, how loud they are, how much room they take up and so on.  Here’s everything you need to know about buying pelleting machinery.

What is the output capacity of a pellet mill?

This varies according to the size and model of machinery you are using but as a guideline, small pellet mills will produce around 25-50 kg per hour while the bigger ones will produce up to several tons per hour.

At Sustainable Innovations we work with industry leading suppliers of pellet mills to offer our clients cutting edge, quality built pelleting equipment with affordable pricing and we can advise you on the equipment that is best suited to your needs.

What are the power source, consumption and footprint of a pellet mill?

Pellet mills are generally 3 phase but small single phase units are available. Single phase mills use around 4kw per hour and 3 phase models use between 4 kw – 75 kw per hour.  The mills come in all different shapes and sizes and we stock a whole variety of models.  Single phase mills are relatively small and suitable for domestic use coming in at (LxWxH): 87 x 39 x 106 cm and weighing around 150 kg. The large fire breathing dragons have a much bigger footprint of several metres and weigh several tons.

What are the noise level and safety features of a pellet mill?

Most smaller mills operate below sound level guidelines.The majority of the mills that we stock at Sustainable Innovations are produced in the EU so they are made to EU safety standards. Most of our models come with interlocks for safety and the machinery can be adapted to meet UK safety standards.

How much do pellet mills cost and do they come with warranties?

Pellet mills range from around £4000 to £100 000s.  The price is normally closely related to the power output - a good rule of estimate is £1000 per kw so a 45kw machine would cost around £45 000. However this does vary depending on the manufacturer.  Most mills come with a standard one year warranty but extended warranties are available on request.  

What materials can be used in a pellet mill?

Pellet mills will process various materials such as sawdust, animal manure and plastic.  The machine is not dependent on a particular material, the die determines the material processing.  The moisture content needs to be around 12% for pelleting. The raw material should be smaller than the diameter of the pellets being processed so for 6mm dia, the material needs to be around 4-5mm.  For 8mm dia, the material needs to be around 6-7mm and so on.  The quality and specifications of the pellets produced by a pellet mill are dependent on compression of the die and the material being pelleted.

A large portion of our business is carrying out R&D pelleting trials, consulting and finding profitable markets through the transformation of a range of undervalued materials and waste products for recycling, fuel, feed and fertiliser.

If you have a product you wish to trial or a small pelleting feasibility study,​ we offer testing and pelleting solutions for most materials, providing viability studies, throughput analysis and accredited end product testing.

How easy is it to operate and maintain a pellet mill?

Pellet mills are very straightforward pieces of equipment and easy to use and maintain and we offer training to our clients once the equipment they have selected is in place.  The spare parts and accessories of a pellet mill depend on the supplier/manufacturer but the main parts that wear are the die and rollers although most will last several hundred hours before needing replacement.   At Sustainable Innovations we have a well stocked spares warehouse so spare parts for pelleting equipment are readily available and can be shipped overnight.

The better maintained and operated the machinery, the longer the life of the parts.  Continuous lubrication, cleaning down and basic maintenance needs to be carried out after every use in order to optimise the performance and efficiency of a pellet mill.  Correct usage and correct material handling and die specifications will help optimise performance.

How can I test a pellet mill before buying it?

For clients considering large scale mills, we are able to offer trials on materials and visits to see working sites.  Sustainable Innovations also stock a range of smaller pellet mills and we are always happy to discuss and give advice on the model that would be most suitable for your needs.   

What after sales service does Sustainable Innovations provide?

At Sustainable Innovations we work with industry leading suppliers of pellet mills to provide our clients with state-of-the-art, quality built pelleting equipment with affordable pricing and a high standard of customer after-sales service.

Customer support is provided by Sustainable Innovations through every step of the process from product testing, sales, delivery, installation and after sales service. 

Where do I find customer reviews and feedback on the pellet mill I’m considering purchasing?

Most suppliers have reviews of the various models they stock on their sites and the majority of suppliers also have videos and product displays on channels such as YouTube.  

What Sustainable Innovations can do for you …

At Sustainable Innovations, we provide pelleting equipment and a consultancy service to assist you in making your own pellets or to help you start developing your own products. We offer expert advice and guidance on particular issues or challenges relating to pellet production. We can discuss ways to reduce commercial waste through the pelleting process. Our main role is to analyse a client's situation and offer advice on how to improve it and propose and supply the most suitable equipment for the solution. 

We can assist with the implementation of our guidance, helping our clients to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and achieve their goals. We also offer training and support to the clients, as well as ongoing monitoring and evaluation to make sure that the solution is effective and sustainable.

We pride ourselves on our exceptional customer and after sales service but don’t just take our word for it …

As we develop our strategy for delivering net zero fertiliser products, Sustainable Innovations Ltd have been a reliable partner organisation for CCM. They have been consistently innovative and their product and technical knowledge have been part of our success in delivering low-emission fertilisers at scale as an alternative to conventional fertiliser. 

CEO, CCM Technologies

We’d love to hear from you to discuss your company’s pelleting requirements.  

In the meantime, check out our latest blog on why investing in a pellet mill might be the best decision you make for your business.