Common problems and solutions in the production of floating fish feed pellet

With the benign development needs of low pollution, low waste, high efficiency and high conversion of the global fishery feed, the extruded floating fish food feed pellet is gradually becoming a new type of aquatic feed that is gradually accepted and promoted by the majority of farmers. In recent years, the output of aquafeed has grown rapidly, especially the demand for shrimp and some precious special aquafeeds has increased sharply.

At present, the processing technology and production characteristics of each feed production equipment manufacturer are different, and even the product quality of the same variety produced by the same manufacturer in different batches may fluctuate greatly.

What are the defects of extruded feed pellet during processing?

After years of practical experience in production and continuous communication with customers, we have summarized the following twelve common problems and corresponding solutions for customers’ reference.

1. The size and length of the feed pellets are uneven;
2. Too many pores in the feed pellet;
3. Feed pellets deformation;
4. The hardness of the feed pellet is not enough;
5. Poor water resistance and poor viscoelasticity in feed pellets;
6. The feed pellet incision is irregular and oblique;
7. Low feed pellet expansion;
8. The feed pellets do not float;
9. Feed pellets have different sizes at both ends;
10. The feed pellets form a double-cut inner concave shape;
11. Feed pellets with tails;
12. Peeling on the feed pellet surface;

Solutions for defects in extruded fish pellet feed

After years of constant communication with customers, our floating fish food pellet machine has won the approval and trust of the customers with its excellent performance, advanced technology, and good reputation.

1. The size and length of the feed pellets are uneven

Feed pellets are of different sizes and lengths, which not only affect the appearance of the feed but also affect its palatability and water resistance time inconsistency, resulting in unnecessary waste.

Reason	Solution
Unreasonable opening template	Customized reasonable mold
Uneven feeding	Clean and adjust the feeding device
Uneven addition of steam or water	Adjust the addition of steam and water level
Uneven mixing of materials	Mix multiple times to make the materials evenly mixed
Mold blocking	Shut down to clean the mold

2. Too many pores in the feed pellet

Particles with many pores and rough appearance not only affect the appearance of the feed, but also the feed is easily broken into powder during transportation, causing unnecessary waste. It is not easy to sink during the feeding process, and the floating time is too long.

Reason	Solution
The particle expansion coefficient is too large	Adjust moisture, temperature, and pressure to reduce the expansion coefficient
Low starch content in formula	Increase starch content
The fineness of the material is coarser	Increase the fineness of crushing
Too much moisture during extruding	Reduce moisture content
Mold surface is not smooth	Replace mold

3. Feed pellets deformation

The deformation of the particles may be due to the deformation of the die hole, or due to excessive moisture, which is squeezed and deformed during the conveying process when the die is extruding. Therefore, it is best to use pneumatic conveying for the high-temperature extruded feed that has just been released from the mold, which can not only quickly form a layer of colloidal coating on the surface of the particles, reduce the fragmentation of the particles, but also round the shape of the particles. However, the moisture content of the particles during pneumatic transportation is very heavy, and it needs to be dried as soon as possible.

Too much moisture during extruding	Reduce moisture content
The space of the cover is too small when the mold is extruding	Replace the cover with a large space
Excessive extrusion pressure of the host	Reduce the working pressure of the host
The cutter speed is too high	Increase the number of blades and reduce the blade speed
Excessive expansion rate	Reduce expansion coefficient
Die hole deformation	Replace reasonable mold

4. The hardness of the feed pellet is not enough

Feed hardness is the resistance of feed to deformation caused by external pressure. Insufficient feed hardness will cause deformation of the feed during handling, thereby affecting the appearance of the feed. As a result, the feed is dissolved in the water before it is ingested, or it may be because the water is large, the feed is not easy to store, and it is prone to mildew.

Reason	Solution
There is a large difference in the moisture content inside and outside the particles & the moisture content of the particles is high	Extend the drying time
Fast high-temperature drying	Use low-temperature slow drying
Insufficient granular starch content	Increase starch content in formula

5. Poor water resistance and poor viscoelasticity in feed pellets

Water resistance of feed refers to the anti-corrosion ability of feed in water, which is usually expressed by the dissolution rate of feed in water under specified conditions. Poor water tolerance of the feed can cause the feed to dissolve in the water before it is eaten, causing unnecessary waste and contaminating the water. The viscoelasticity is poor, resulting in poor palatability of the feed.

Reason	Solution
Excessive expansion rate	Reduce expansion coefficient
Low gluten content in flour	Increase gluten content in flour
Insufficient starch content	Increase starch content in the recipe
The drying temperature is too high and the surface is deformed	Reduce the drying temperature and prolong the drying time

6. The feed pellet incision is irregular and oblique

The produced feed should be cut into particles with neat appearance, and irregular and deformed particles will affect the appearance of the feed. Generally, it is caused by the unreasonable adjustment of the incision and the cutter, and it may also be due to the large amount of material.

Reason	Solution
The cutter speed is too slow	Reduce the number of cutter blades and increase the cutter speed
The feed amount is too large	Reduce the feed amount
The adjustment of the cutter is unreasonable and the cutter is deformed	Adjust the proper cutter and cutter position

High-quality Fish Feed Pellet Display

The fish feed processed by our floating fish feed pelleting machine has the advantages of high hardness, smooth surface, complete internal ripening, good palatability, etc. It can effectively improve the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the feed pellet. Users can also choose different discharge apertures according to the needs of their own fish groups to obtain the best economic benefits.

7. Low feed pellet expansion

The feed is too hard and the water-dissolving time is too long, which affects its palatability and digestibility. The high content of lipid compounds will reduce swelling. When the fat content is 17-22%, the product will not expand or not expand. The low expansion rate of pellets will cause the feed to float in the water for a short time, and it is easy to sink to the bottom, causing unnecessary waste.

Reason	Solution
The Mould opening rate is too high	Replace reasonable mold
The starch content in the material is low	Adjust the formula to increase the starch content
The fat content in the material is too high	Adjust the formula to reduce the fat content
The moisture is too high or too low when the mold is extruding	Adjust the injection amount of steam and water
Low feed volume and low production capacity	Increase feed speed
Low pressure during extruding	Increase the extruding pressure
Low temperature during extruding	Increase the temperature during extruding

8. The feed pellets do not float

The particles have the phenomenon of submersion, which may be due to the low expansion coefficient and the material ratio is too heavy. If some granular floating materials appear submerged, firstly, it will cause unnecessary waste, and secondly, it is difficult to observe the situation of fish-eating.

Reason	Solution
Low expansion coefficient	Increase expansion coefficient
Excessive proportion of material	Increase the expansion coefficient
Low gluten content in flour	Increase gluten content in flour
The moisture is too high or too low when the mold is extruding	Adjust the injection amount of steam and water
The starch content in the material is low	Adjust the formula to increase the starch content
Low temperature during extruding	Increase the temperature during extruding

9. Feed pellets have different sizes at both ends

One end of the feed pellets is large and the other is small, which affects the appearance of the feed, easily causes the feed to break, increases the pulverization rate, and reduces the palatability.

Reason	Solution
The cutter speed is too slow	Reduce the number of cutter blades and increase the cutter speed
The cutter is too tight	Adjust the cutter
The effective length of the mold is too long	Replace the mold with a shorter one

10. The feed pellets form a double-cut inner concave shape

This is usually the case when the double-cut surface of the pellet is concave, the feed is not uniformly extruded, and the ratio of water and steam is unreasonable. Irregular particles not only affect the appearance and quality of the feed, but also lead to too much feed powder and affect its palatability.

Reason	Solution
The moisture content is too low during extruding	Increase the moisture content of the material during extruding
Uneven addition of steam or water	Adjust the addition of steam and water level to make them even
Low expansion rate	Increase expansion coefficient
Unreasonable mold design	Replace mold

11. Feed pellets with tails

There are many reasons for the tail of the particles, mainly the problem of the cutter. Feed pellets with tails not only affect the appearance and quality of the feed, but also lead to more feed powder.

Reason	Solution
The position of the cutter is not good	Adjust the position of the cutter to make it close to the die surface
There is a gap in the mold	Replace the mold
There is debris on the cutter	Stop the machine to clean the debris on the cutter

12. Peeling on the feed pellet surface

The peeling of the surface of the feed is very easy to generate dust during transportation. The peeling of the surface may be related to the lack of moisture in the puffing process, and may also be affected by the mold and cutter in the processing process. It not only affects the appearance and quality of the feed, but also leads to more feed powder. If the water is added too much, the formed material will be too soft and easily deformed. Generally, 25-30% water should be added. Surface peeling also affects the water resistance of the feed.

Reason	Solution
The position of the cutter is unreasonable	Adjust the cutter and replace it with a shaper cutter
The moisture content of pellets during extruding is too low	Increase the moisture content during extruding
The mold is not smooth	Replace the mold
The temperature is too high when the pellets are extruding from the mold	Reduce the temperature during extruding

The good fish feed comes from high-quality fish feed pellet machines

If you have any questions about fish feed pellets, please feel free to contact us. Our professional sales staff will recommend the most suitable floating fish feed pellet machine for you, with the most affordable price and the most complete service.