What Equipment Do You Need to Invest in a Fish Feed Production Line?

Investing in a fish feed (aquafeed) production line requires more than just one machine. A complete line is a system that handles raw materials, grinding, mixing, forming (pelleting or extrusion), drying/cooling, coating, sizing, packaging, and dust control. The exact equipment depends on whether you produce sinking pellets or floating/slow-sinking extruded feed, your target capacity, and how automated you want the plant to be.

Below is a practical, equipment-focused overview.

1) Raw Material Receiving & Storage

Purpose: receive, store, and dose ingredients safely and consistently.

Typical equipment:

• Truck/Bag unloading system (bag dump station, big-bag unloader)
• Storage silos or bins (for corn, soybean meal, wheat flour, etc.)
• Micro-ingredient bins (vitamins, minerals, additives)
• Conveyors & elevators (screw conveyors, belt conveyors, bucket elevators)
• Weighing & batching system (load cells, batching scales)

2) Cleaning & Pre-Processing

Purpose: protect downstream machines and improve product quality.

Typical equipment:

• Magnet / magnetic separator (remove metal)
• Vibrating screen / sifter (remove stones and oversized impurities)
• Destoner (optional but useful for bulk grains)
• Pre-crusher (optional for large chunks)

3) Grinding (Size Reduction)

Purpose: achieve the particle size required for fish digestion and pellet stability.

Typical equipment:

• Hammer mill (most common; versatile, high throughput)
• Fine grinder / pulverizer (for very small pellets and some juvenile fish diets)
• Cyclone + dust collector (reduce dust, recover fines)
• Airlock & aspiration system (for stable milling and cleanliness)

Note: Smaller fish and higher-performance feeds often require finer grinding.

4) Mixing & Liquid Addition

Purpose: ensure uniform nutrition in every pellet.

Typical equipment:

• Batch mixer (single-shaft paddle, double-shaft paddle, ribbon mixer)
• Micro-dosing system (for premix, amino acids, enzymes)
• Liquid addition system (oil, lecithin, molasses, binders) with:
• tanks, pumps, flow meters, spray nozzles
• Pre-mixer (optional for premixes)

5) Conditioning (Heat & Moisture Treatment)

Purpose: improve pellet quality, gelatinize starch, and prepare for forming.

Typical equipment:

• Steam conditioner (single or double conditioner)
• Steam boiler + piping + valves (critical utility)
• Water dosing system (when needed for moisture control)

Conditioning is essential for both pelleting and extrusion, but extrusion typically uses more intensive conditioning.

6) Forming: Pellet Mill or Extruder (Key Decision)

A) For sinking feed (common for many grow-out stages)

Typical equipment:

• Pellet mill (ring die is common for industrial scale; flat die for smaller scale)
• Die and roller sets (multiple sizes for different pellet diameters)
• Feeder and forced feeder (for stable throughput)

B) For floating/slow-sinking feed (popular for many aquaculture species)

Typical equipment:

• Twin-screw or single-screw extruder (twin-screw offers better control for high-fat and complex formulas)
• Pre-conditioner (often larger/dual-stage)
• Extruder die set (controls shape, size, density)
• Cutter assembly (controls pellet length)

Extrusion allows control of buoyancy (floating vs. sinking) by changing expansion and density.

7) Drying (Especially for Extruded Feed)

Purpose: reduce moisture to safe storage levels and stabilize pellets.

Typical equipment:

• Belt dryer / multi-layer conveyor dryer
• Air heater / burner system (gas, diesel, steam heat exchanger)
• Moisture monitoring instruments

Extruded feed almost always needs a dryer; pelleted feed may use cooling mainly, depending on moisture.

8) Cooling

Purpose: cool pellets to near ambient temperature and prevent mold.

Typical equipment:

• Counterflow cooler (industry standard)
• Cooler air fan + cyclone/dust collector
• Rotary valve/airlock (to maintain airflow control)

9) Crumbling & Sizing (For Small Fish Feed)

Purpose: make smaller particle sizes without making powder.

Typical equipment:

• Crumble machine (crumbler) (for fry/juvenile feed)
• Sifter / grading screen (separates by size)
• Recycle system (return oversize to crumbler; return fines to rework)

10) Coating (Oil/Fat/Vitamins Post-Processing)

Purpose: increase energy density, palatability, and deliver heat-sensitive additives.

Typical equipment:

• Drum coater / vacuum coater
• Oil tanks, heated lines, pumps, spray bars
• Weighing/control system (accurate coating rate)

Vacuum coating is often preferred for high-oil aquafeeds because it improves absorption and reduces surface greasiness.

11) Packaging & Finished Goods Handling

Purpose: deliver consistent product formats for customers.

Typical equipment:

• Automatic weighing and bagging machine (10–50 kg) or small pack system (1–5 kg)
• Bag sewing/sealing machine
• Inkjet/date coder
• Palletizer + stretch wrapper (optional)
• Finished product bins and conveyors

12) Dust Control, Safety, and Utilities (Often Overlooked)

These items are essential for reliable operation and compliance:

• Central dust collection system (baghouse, ducting)
• Explosion protection (where required: explosion vents, isolation valves)
• Air compressor (pneumatics)
• Electrical system (MCC cabinets, VFD drives, PLC/SCADA automation)
• Water system (process water, boiler feed water treatment)
• Lab/QC tools (moisture analyzer, pellet durability tester, sieve set)

Summary: A Typical Equipment List (Quick Checklist)

• Receiving/storage: bins/silos, conveyors, batching scales
• Cleaning: magnets, screens, destoner
• Grinding: hammer mill + dust collection
• Mixing: mixer + micro-dosing + liquid addition
• Conditioning: steam conditioner + boiler
• Forming: pellet mill or extruder
• Drying (mainly for extruded): belt dryer
• Cooling: counterflow cooler
• Sizing: crumbler + sifter
• Coating: drum/vacuum coater + oil system
• Packaging: weighing, bagging, sealing, palletizing
• Utilities/safety: dust control, electrics/PLC, air compressor, QC lab