Floating Fish Feed Pellet Machine Malaysia
Malaysia’s fisheries industry consists of three major segments: marine capture, aquaculture and inland fisheries. 2022 data shows that the country’s total fisheries production amounted to 1.89 million tons, of which marine capture accounted for 69% and aquaculture contributed 30%. It is noteworthy that aquaculture production has grown significantly over the past two decades, with tilapia, shrimp, and other economic species in particular. However, as marine capture fisheries tend to stagnate due to over-exploitation of resources and policy constraints, aquaculture has gradually become the core force in meeting market demand.
In this context, the importance of floating fish feed pellet mill is becoming more and more prominent. It can not only improve feed quality through standardized production, but also accurately match the nutritional requirements of different aquaculture species, becoming a key link between aquaculture efficiency and market competitiveness.
Why Invest In Fish Feed Pellet Machine Malaysia?
Cost-Effective
In the field of aquaculture in Malaysia, with the help of local affordable raw materials, such as soybean meal, rice bran, etc., to be processed into high-value-added feed, has become the core strategy for small and medium-sized farmers to improve economic efficiency. Small floating fish feed pellet mill is relatively inexpensive, as low as a few thousand dollars, the cost of this investment for family farms, is undoubtedly extremely friendly to start the choice, can be a low threshold to open the road of independent production of feed. Large-scale equipment, despite the initial purchase of a considerable amount of money, but it has a high capacity should not be underestimated.
For example, a 5-tonne daily feed production facility can generate RM20,000 – RM30,000 profit per month after deducting the cost of raw materials and energy consumption during the production process, which is a strong cost-absorbing capacity. At the same time, if farmers can actively explore the market segments such as medicated bait and specialty feeds, and supply them precisely to meet the needs of different species, growth stages and disease prevention, they can reap an additional 30% or more, further enhancing their profit margins and maximizing the benefits of aquaculture.
Quality Control
The quality of fish feed depends largely on a series of closely connected production links of “crushing – mixing – pelletizing”. A good quality fish feed pellet mill has excellent performance in the grinding process, which can crush all kinds of raw materials to over 80 mesh. This level of fineness creates the perfect conditions for subsequent starch pasting, which can easily exceed 65%.
In the mixing process, the advanced double-axis mixer can make the various nutrients in the feed evenly distributed, and the coefficient of variation of its nutritional uniformity is strictly controlled at <5%. After pelleting, the finished pellets have the same outstanding indexes, the density is precisely controlled between 0.9 – 1.1g/cm³, and the floating time can be as long as 12 hours. Such a long floatation time prevents the feed from sinking to the bottom, which greatly reduces feed waste, and also significantly reduces the risk of water contamination due to the deterioration of the feed from sinking to the bottom.
Customized Production
Lima Machinery takes into account the diversity of aquaculture and offers a comprehensive range of mold sizes, from 0.9mm for shrimp larvae to 15mm for adult fish, covering the full range of products. In addition to this, there is also great flexibility in formula adjustment, with protein content ranging from 18% to 42%.
Take the South American white shrimp, which is the main culture in Malaysia, as an example, the nutritional needs of South American white shrimp vary significantly from the seedling stage to the adult shrimp stage during the cultivation process. In response to this characteristic, we can customize expanded pellets with a particle size of 2.0 – 3.0mm, and add key nutrients such as phospholipids and astaxanthin to accurately meet the nutritional needs of South American white shrimp in different growth periods, helping them grow healthily.
Efficiency Revolution
Typical of the 500 model floating pellet machine, its production efficiency is impressive. With a stable production capacity of 800 – 1200 kg per hour and an energy consumption of only 22 kW/h, the 500 Floating Pellet Mill saves 40% of the time costs and 30% of the electricity consumption compared to traditional feed production processes.
This is mainly due to the automated temperature control system, which, with an accuracy of ±2°C, is able to precisely control temperature variations during the production process, ensuring that the degree of pellet maturation is always stable. Stable maturation not only ensures feed quality, but also reduces the need for frequent manual intervention in the production process, which is especially suitable for continuous and efficient operation of large-scale farms, providing a strong guarantee for efficient production of large-scale aquaculture.
International Pass
ISO 9001 compliant equipment can produce feeds that meet AAFCO (American Association of Feed Controls) standards, and floating pellets exported from Malaysia have entered markets such as Singapore and Thailand. Tilapia feed, for example, can be sold at RM2,200/tonne in the international market for pellets with 32% protein content, a 15% premium over the local market.
Working Principle Of The Fish Feed Machine
After the machine is started, the finely crushed and well-mixed raw materials are smoothly pushed by the highly efficient screw conveyor and accurately enter into the internal conditioner. In the conditioner, the raw material is in close contact with high temperature steam above 90°C in all directions, and this conditioning process lasts 40 to 60 seconds. During this time, the starch in the raw material undergoes a pasting reaction due to the heat, which loosens the original compact structure, while the proteins are denatured due to the heat, optimizing the molecular structure and laying a good foundation for subsequent processing.
Subsequently, the tempered material enters the extrusion chamber smoothly. Under the strong propulsion of the screw and the precise coordination of the mold, the pressure in the cavity rises rapidly like a rocket, increasing to 3-5MPa in a short period of time, and at the same time, the temperature also soars to 105-120°C. Under such a high temperature and high pressure environment, the protein structure is also optimized due to the heat effect. In such a high temperature and pressure environment, the harmful microorganisms in the material are efficiently killed to achieve a thorough sterilization effect, and the material is fully cooked, the nutrients are more easily absorbed.
When the material is extruded from the mold at the moment, due to the pressure from the high-pressure state suddenly dropped to atmospheric pressure, the huge pressure difference causes the moisture in the material as ignited fireworks, instantaneous evaporation of 15% -20%. The rapid evaporation of water produces a strong expansion force, making the volume of the particles expand dramatically, the expansion rate of up to 1.5-2.0 times, and ultimately succeeded in the formation of internal porous structure of the floating particles.
Features of Floating Fish Feed Machine
- Broad-spectrum applicability: compatible with tilapia, grouper, shrimp, crabs and other aquatic organisms more than 30 kinds of feed production.
- Dual-mode switching: by adjusting the ratio of flour and oil in the formula, it can quickly switch between floating (buoyancy ≥ 12 hours) and slow-sinking (sinking time > 30 minutes) pellets.
- Flexible mold configuration: 5 kinds of aperture molds are equipped as standard, and the replacement time is less than 15 minutes, which meets the needs of the whole cycle from nursery to adult fish.
- Intelligent temperature control system: PID regulation technology ensures that the tempering temperature fluctuation is <±1℃ to avoid nutrient loss due to overheating.
- Sterilization double guarantee: 120℃ high temperature lasts for 3 minutes, the killing rate of salmonella reaches 99.9%, meanwhile destroying anti-nutritional factors (such as soybean antigen).
- Low-consumption and high-efficiency design: mainframe power 37kW, production capacity of 1.5-2 tons / hour, the unit energy consumption than the traditional models by 25%.
- Dry energy-saving solution: no steam boiler is required, saving about RM50,000 in equipment investment, suitable for small and medium-sized farms with sufficient electricity.
- Friendly operation: full touch screen interface, one button start, ordinary workers can operate independently after 2 hours of training.
Difference Between Floating and Sinking Pellets
| Type | Floating Pellets | Sinking Pellets |
| Suitable Species | Surface-feeding fish (tilapia, mud carp) | Benthos (shrimp, crab, catfish) |
| Moisture Content | 8%-10% | 25%-35% |
| Processing Temperature | 100-120°C | 60-80°C |
| Nutrient Retention | Approximately 15% vitamin loss | Vitamin loss < 5% |
| Feeding Efficiency | Waste rate < 5% | Regular bottom cleaning required, waste rate 10%-15% |
Suggestions: shrimp nursery stage priority use of floating particles (easy to observe feeding), the adult shrimp stage switch to slow-sinking particles; tilapia throughout the use of floating particles, can be used with automatic bait dispenser to achieve accurate feeding.
Fish Feed Manufacturing Process
Raw Material Pretreatment
According to the established formula, fishmeal (25%), soybean meal (35%), cornmeal (20%), fish oil (3%) and premix (2%) are weighed accurately. The raw materials are then passed through a magnetic separator, which efficiently adsorbs and removes metal impurities mixed in with the raw materials, building a solid safety defense for the subsequent processing and strongly guaranteeing the safety and stability of feed production.
Crushing and Mixing
Uses a hammer mill with excellent performance to pulverize the raw materials. The mill can pulverize the raw materials to 80 mesh, and the passing rate of the pulverized raw materials must be ≥95%. After pulverization, the material is then mixed using a twin-shaft paddle mixer for a set period of 3 minutes.
In these 3 minutes, the double-axis paddles operate at high speed to promote the uniform distribution of vitamins, minerals and other trace ingredients in the raw materials, and ultimately realize the coefficient of variation of the blended raw materials <3%, to ensure that the nutrients of each raw material are balanced and consistent.
Pelleting
tempering stage, to the material into the pressure stabilized at 0.4MPa saturated steam. Under the action of steam, the moisture of the material is gradually increased to 16%-18%, and at the same time, the temperature of the material is also increased to 85-90℃. This precise control of temperature and humidity lays a good foundation for subsequent granulation.
In the pelleting process, according to the different types of cultured fish, flexible adjustment of the mold aperture, such as for tilapia culture, usually choose 4.0mm mold. In addition, by adjusting the rotational speed of the cutter (controlled at 200-300r/min), the length of the pellets can be precisely controlled at 3-5mm to meet the feeding needs of different fish.
Drying and Cooling
After pelleting, the pellets will enter a counter-current cooler. Inside the cooler, the pellets are cooled at a wind speed of 1.5m/s, so that the temperature of the pellets is gradually lowered to room temperature +5℃, and the moisture of the material is also reduced to less than 10%. At this time, if the pellets have reached the standard of finished products, they can be bagged directly.
If you need to further improve the energy density of the feed, you can introduce the pellets into the oil spraying system, through the oil spraying system to the surface of the pellets uniformly sprayed 1%-2% of the oil, so as to complete the optimization and upgrading of the energy density of the feed.
Key Factors That Influence Extruded Fish Feed Quality
Formulation Design
In the field of feed formulation design, starch dextrination plays a pivotal role. When the proportion of wheat flour in the feed formula is in the range of 15%-20%, its pasting degree can reach 70% after specific processing. This degree of pasting has a significant positive impact on the feed particles, which can greatly enhance the adhesion between the particles, effectively prevent the feed from disintegrating too quickly in the water, and provide aquatic organisms with a more stable and long-lasting nutrient supply environment.
The control of protein content should also not be ignored. Soybean meal, as a common high-quality protein source, may cause a series of problems during the conditioning process if it is added to the feed at a level of more than 40%, with water absorption being one of the most prominent problems. In order to alleviate this situation, it is recommended to use protease preparations together with the feed formula, which can modulate the protein structure of soybean meal to optimize its interaction with moisture during conditioning and ensure the effect of feed conditioning.
The control of oil and fat is also a key part of the formula design. When the total fat content in the feed exceeds 6%, it is very easy to cause loose particles, affecting the quality of feed molding and storage stability. In order to solve this problem, the industry often adopts the post-spraying process to add fish oil. The post-spraying process means that fish oil is evenly sprayed on the surface of feed pellets after the pellets have been molded, which not only meets the demand for high quality fat, but also avoids the problem of pellet loosening due to the early mixing of fats and oils.
Crushing Size
A large number of research data show that the crushing size of raw materials has a profound impact on the subsequent processing of feed and the quality of finished products. When the diameter of raw material particles is larger than 800μm, the uniformity of moisture in the material will be reduced by about 20% in the conditioning process. Uneven moisture distribution will lead to differences in the internal structure of the feed, which will increase the chalking rate of the finished product by 8%. For different aquaculture objects, the requirement of crushing size is also different.
For shrimp feed, due to its feeding habits and digestive system characteristics, it is recommended that the raw material is crushed to 400μm or less, so that the fine particle size can be better adapted to the shrimp’s feeding and digestion. Fish feed, taking into account the different eating habits and digestive ability of fish, the crushing size control within 600μm is more appropriate, can effectively protect the stability of the feed in the water and palatability.
Conditioning
The temperature factor in the conditioning process is crucial. For floating pellet feed, in order to meet its special floating performance and maturation requirements, the tempering temperature must reach 85℃ and above. Under this temperature, starch is fully pasted, protein is moderately denatured, and the internal structure of feed particles can be remodeled, so as to have good floatability and stability in water. As for sinking pellets, due to the differences in usage scenarios and performance requirements, the tempering temperature can be lowered to 75℃. This temperature not only achieves the basic maturing effect, but also maximizes the retention of heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins and reduces nutrient loss.
Conditioning time is also a key variable affecting feed quality. In practice, the conditioning time can be controlled by adjusting the angle of the moderator blades. For example, by adjusting the angle of the modulator blades from the conventional 45° to 30°, the conditioning time can be successfully extended from the original 30 seconds to 50 seconds. The longer conditioning time enables the material to fully contact and mix with the steam and additives, and promotes the reactions of starch pasting and protein denaturation more thoroughly, thus optimizing the internal structure and physical properties of the feed pellets.
Moisture control in the tempering process is like walking on a tightrope, which needs to be accurately determined. When the target moisture content of finished feed is set at 10%, the moisture content of the conditioned material should be strictly controlled at 17%-18%. However, the actual production of environmental humidity is in dynamic change, which requires operators to adjust the amount of steam according to the real-time environmental humidity. In a high humidity environment, reduce the amount of steam input to avoid excessive moisture in the material; on the contrary, in a dry environment, increase the amount of steam to ensure that the material moisture reaches the ideal range, in order to ensure the stability and consistency of the effect of feed conditioning.
Cooling Wind Speed
The effect of cooling wind speed on the quality of feed pellets should not be underestimated. When the wind speed exceeds 2m/s, the surface of the pellet will be cooled and hardened rapidly, while the moisture inside the pellet has not yet had time to fully diffuse to the surface, which results in the internal moisture diffusion being blocked. In this case, the difference in moisture content between the interior and the surface of the pellet increases dramatically, which is very likely to produce radial cracks, seriously affecting the integrity of the appearance of the feed pellet and storage life.
In order to solve this problem, it is recommended to adopt a stepped wind speed control strategy. At the beginning of the cooling process, the wind speed is set to 1.2m/s, so that the surface of the pellet cools down slowly, while the internal moisture has enough time to migrate to the surface. As the cooling process progresses, the wind speed is gradually reduced to 0.8m/s to further stabilize the internal structure of the pellet and ensure that the moisture difference between the inside and outside of the pellet is always controlled within 2%, thus producing high-quality, crack-free feed pellets.
Summary
Aquaculture in Malaysia is transforming from “quantity” to “quality”, floating fish feed pellet mill is not only a production tool, but also the core of differentiated competitiveness. For new investors, it is recommended to start with a small line with an annual production capacity of 200 tons (investment of about RM150,000), preferring a model with an automatic dosing system to reduce labor costs. Existing farms can expand into the market of high value-added specialty feeds by upgrading their molds and temperature control systems.
Contact Lima Machinery today for a customized solution to capture the strategic opportunity of upgrading aquafeed.
