Description of the rotary drum granulator product
The rotary drum granulator is a core equipment widely used in the
granulation process of powdery materials, and it is especially
prominent in the fields of fertilizer production, mineral
processing and building materials. Its working principle is based
on the combined action of mechanical rotation, material gravity and
auxiliary bonding: the powdery raw materials (such as compound
fertilizer raw materials, mineral powder, etc.) are continuously
added into the inclined rotating drum. During the rotation of the
drum, the materials are continuously turned, rolled and collided.
With the help of a small amount of bonding agent (or the inherent
viscosity of some materials), the powdery particles gradually
aggregate into spherical or irregular granular products of uniform
size.
Main advantages of rotary drum granulator
In terms of core advantages, the rotary drum granulator first has
strong adaptability to raw materials. It can handle a variety of
powdery materials with different moisture contents (generally
20%-40%) and particle sizes, and the granulation rate is usually
maintained at 85% or above, which effectively ensures the stability
of product quality. Secondly, it has the characteristics of large
production capacity and low energy consumption. The drum structure
with large diameter and long length can realize continuous
large-scale production, and the power consumption per unit product
is lower than that of other granulation equipment (such as disc
granulator). In addition, the equipment has simple structure,
convenient operation and maintenance. The key parts (such as the
inner lining of the drum) are made of wear-resistant materials
(such as high manganese steel), which have long service life and
reduce the frequency of replacement and maintenance.
In terms of application scenarios, the rotary drum granulator is
most widely used in the fertilizer industry. It can produce
compound fertilizer, organic fertilizer, biological fertilizer and
other granular fertilizers, which not only improves the utilization
rate of fertilizers (granular fertilizers are not easy to lose and
agglomerate), but also meets the needs of mechanized fertilization.
In the mineral processing industry, it is used to granulate mineral
powder to facilitate subsequent smelting or transportation. In the
building materials industry, it can be used for the granulation of
cement clinker, gypsum powder and other materials to improve the
performance of building materials.
In the actual production process, the rotary drum granulator also
has good environmental protection performance. By optimizing the
sealing structure of the drum and matching the dust collection
system, it can effectively reduce the emission of powdery dust
during the granulation process, and meet the environmental
protection requirements of modern industrial production. At the
same time, according to the different needs of products, the
particle size of the finished product can be adjusted by changing
the rotation speed of the drum, the inclination angle of the drum
and the amount of bonding agent, which has strong flexibility.
Main Technical Parameter
Process | Equipment Name | Model/Specifications | quantity | core role |
Raw material storage | Raw ore powder silo | 50m³ capacity, with vibrating feeding device | 2 units | Store bentonite ore powder to ensure continuous supply. |
Raw material conveying | screw conveyor | Conveying capacity 20m³/h, material 304 stainless steel | 3 units | Connect the various devices to achieve closed material conveying. |
Crushing and removing impurities | Impact crusher | Processing capacity: 20 tons/hour; fineness adjustable (200 mesh). | 1 unit | Crushing lumps in the raw ore and removing stones and metal
impurities. |
Ingredient Mixing | Twin-shaft paddle mixer | Effective volume 5m³, mixing time 3-5min/batch | 1 unit | Mix raw ore powder with water (binder), and control humidity. |
Core granulation | Rotary drum granulator | Diameter 2.2m, length 6m, tilt angle 3°-5°, rotation speed
12-15r/min | 1 unit | Achieve material agglomeration and form particles of the target
size. |
Granule drying | Rotary drying kiln | Diameter 2.4m, length 18m, hot air temperature 200-250℃ | 1 unit | Reduce particle moisture content to ≤3% to improve strength |
Cooling | Cooling roller | 2.0m in diameter, 10m in length, air-cooled + spray-cooled | 1 unit | The temperature of the dried particles was reduced from 80℃ to room
temperature. |
Screening and grading | Double-layer vibrating screen | Screen mesh size: 2mm (lower layer), 6mm (upper layer) | 1 unit | Separate qualified granules, returned powder, and oversized lumps. |
Finished product storage | Finished Goods Warehouse | 80m³ capacity, equipped with automatic metering and discharging
device | 2 units | Storing qualified finished products facilitates subsequent
packaging and transportation. |
Environmental protection facilities | Baghouse dust collector | Handles an air volume of 20,000 m³/h, with a dust removal
efficiency of ≥99.5%. | 2 units | Dust generated during the crushing and drying processes is
collected and discharged in compliance with standards. |
Customer Application Cases
Recommended Related Granulators
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| Drum Granulator | Pan Granulator | Roller Press Granulator | Rotary Drums and Pin Combined Granulator |
Rotary Drum Granulator Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Could you please specify the hourly output range of your drum
granulator?
A: The standard hourly output of our drum granulator ranges from 1 to
300 tons. If you have higher output demands (e.g., over 25 tons per
hour), we can tailor a customized solution based on your specific
production needs.
Q: HOW DOES A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR WORK?
A: A drum granulator works by tumbling material in the presence of a
liquid binder to encourage granule formation and growth. Feed
material and binder are constantly fed through the rotating drum.
The rolling action, combined with the stickiness from the binder,
causes fines to collect together into particles. These particles
continue to pick up additional fines and binder as they tumble in
the bed, causing them to densify and pick up additional layers in a
phenomenon known as coalescence. Tumbling flights can be
incorporated into the unit to increase agitation of the material
bed.
This way of forming agglomerates is a type of agitation
agglomeration also known as wet granulation, balling, or
pelletizing.
Q: WHAT TYPES OF MATERIALS CAN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR PROCESS?
A: Generally speaking, drum granulators can process any bulk solid in
the form of a dry, fine powder. This flexibility lends well to a
host of industries, processing materials ranging from specialty
chemicals and fertilizers, to minerals and ores, and everything in
between.
In some cases, the feedstock may require pretreatment in the form
of crushing, grinding, or drying to be a suitable feed for the
granulator and produce the characteristics desired in the end
product.
Q: WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR OVER A DISC
PELLETIZER?
A: In choosing between a drum granulator and a disc pelletizer, the
drum is often chosen because it offers a higher throughput than the
disc pelletizer. The rotary drum also has the advantage of being a
“closed” system, meaning that granulation occurs inside a contained
environment, so fugitive material is limited.
WHAT CAPACITIES CAN A GRANULATION DRUM ACCOMMODATE?
A: Granulation drums can be customized to nearly any size,
accommodating capacities ranging from 500 lb/hr – 3500 TPH+.
ARE DRUM GRANULATORS BATCH OR CONTINUOUS?
A: Rotary drum granulators are typically employed in a continuous
setting, though they may function as a batch device in some R&D
environments, such as the TIANCI Innovation Center.
Q: WHAT IS THE RETENTION TIME OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?
A: Retention time is one process parameter used to control the
characteristics and quality of the material exiting the drum, so it
can vary significantly depending on the process and product goals.
In general, retention time in a granulator may fall anywhere
between 30 seconds and 60 minutes.
Q: WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL WEAR ITEMS?
A: Rotary drum granulators are generally low maintenance, but some
items can become worn, depending on the operating conditions, and
particularly if the drum falls out of alignment. The most common
wear items for a drum granulator typically include the liner (where
applicable), tumbling flights (where applicable), and potentially
trunnion wheels, tires, and thrust rollers.
Rotary drum alignment is an important aspect of drum maintenance to
prevent wear of the tires and trunnion wheels. When a drum falls
out of alignment, it puts added stress on all components,
encouraging undue wear.
Q: DOES THE PRODUCT EXITING THE GRANULATOR REQUIRE DRYING?
A: Since the granulation process relies on a liquid binder to form
and layer granules, the product exiting the granulator is wet and
must be dried unless it is moving immediately to a downstream
process that does not require drying (such as in the case of iron
ore balling, where pellets go to a grate kiln).
Drying is typically carried out in a rotary dryer, which further
rounds and “polishes” the granules as a result of the tumbling
action that occurs as the drum rotates.
Q: HOW DO I KNOW IF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR IS RIGHT FOR MY
APPLICATION?
A: Whether or not a rotary drum granulator is the right fit for a
given project depends on specific process and product goals, such
as capacity, level of control over particle characteristics,
product parameters, and more.
When it is not clear if a drum granulator will be able to meet the
project objectives, testing can be carried out in the TIANCI
Innovation Center to evaluate the process and identify the most
suitable equipment configuration.
Q: IS ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT REQUIRED TO SUPPORT A ROTARY DRUM
GRANULATOR?
A: Drum granulators require a feeding and offtake system to convey
material into and away from the drum. They also typically require
screens and a recycle circuit to recover overs and unders and
recycle them back into the process
Drum granulators are also typically followed by a rotary dryer and
in some cases, may be preceded by a mixer for providing a
homogeneous feedstock to the unit.
Q: WHAT DOES THE DESIGN PROCESS LOOK LIKE?
A: Rotary drum granulator design typically begins with testing to
assess the feasibility of granulating the intended material and to
gather key process data such as percent fill, retention time, drum
speed and slope, spray system design, and more.
Once the data has been gathered, engineers work off of this to size
the drum and incorporate any necessary features or modifications
needed to produce the desired product at the intended capacity.
Q: WHAT DATA IS NEEDED TO DESIGN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?
A: A variety of data points are necessary to design the granulator.
Along with a process description, the follow data is typically
required:
Why Choose Us?
Support and Services:
We are committed to providing our customers with comprehensive
support and reliable services. Our company offers free process
design drawings tailored to your needs, as well as free trial
testing services to ensure optimal machine performance. Every
machine comes with a one-year warranty for worry-free operation. In
addition, we provide free installation and professional training
services, helping your team quickly master the equipment and
achieve efficient production.
