| 1- Raw Materials
In different forms; sawdust, shavings, small wood chips.
The moisture content varies from 40 to 60% according to the region, the season and the wood species.
2- Intake
Raw materials are input into a hopper, then screened to remove oversize particles, stones and other waste. In this zone, it is also possible to mix the various species and origins of wood, in order to have the most homogeneous material before drying.
A grinding process before drying is needed to ensure a specific particle size distribution to the dryer.
3- Drying
Most of the sawmill by-products have a high moisture content (except for shavings coming from the secondary processing industry). Drying is therefore necessary to reduce moisture content to a level of 10%.
Two technologies :
· Drum dryers working at high temperature
· Belt dryers working at low temperature
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4- Storage
Buffer silo of dried product where we can also store and mix sawdust and shavings from another supply source.
5- Grinding
Sawdust and shavings reduced to a particle size of a few millimeters.
6- Conditioning
The raw material is passed through a conditioning mixer where steam and other liquids can be added and absorbed.
The product is then conditioned for pelleting.
7- Pelleting
The pellet mills of the EVOLUTION and ALLIANCE generation accomplish compression work on the material (reduction of 3 to 5 times in volume). They compress the dry material and transform it into a solid pellet at a temperature of about 80oC.
8- Cooling / Screening
The cooler brings the pellet down to ambient temperature (+ 10oC) in order to harden it for transportation and storage.
The rotating or vibrating screen after the cooler, removes undersize product and dust which can be returned to the pellet mill.
Final product can now go to the bagging machine or bulk storage.
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