Short answer: in a flat die pellet mill, the number that defines output is the die diameter. A 120 mm die makes about 50 kg/h; a 400 mm die, about 800 kg/h. Prices range from USD 2,024 to USD 9,718. Below: the full table, how to choose the size from your production target, and the point at which a ring die pellet mill makes more sense.
Why the diameter rules
Material is pelletized as it passes through the holes in the die, so output depends on the die area the rollers work over. And area grows with the square of the diameter: a 400 mm die has 11 times the area of a 120 mm die (400 / 120 = 3.33, squared is 11.1). That is why capacity does not rise gradually but in jumps: going from 200 to 260 mm can more than triple output.
One clarification that confuses many buyers: the die diameter is not the pellet diameter. The die is the perforated disc; the pellet comes out the size of its holes, which on the larger models are offered in 4, 6, 8 and 10 mm. A 300 mm pellet mill can make 6 mm pellets for poultry or 8 mm pellets for biomass by changing the die.
The table: diameter, output, power and price
Capacities as stated on each model's page, for animal feed. With wood or fibrous materials output is lower.
- 120 mm: MKFD120B, 50 kg/h, 3 kW. USD 2,024.
- 150 mm: MKFD150B, 60 kg/h, 4 kW. USD 2,237.
- 200 mm: MKFD200C, 150 kg/h, 7.5 kW. USD 3,142.
- 230 mm: MKFD230C electric, 120 to 200 kg/h, 11 kW, USD 4,591; or MKFD230P PTO, 300 kg/h, USD 3,853.
- 260 mm: MKFD260C electric, 550 kg/h, 15 kW, USD 6,134; or MKFD260P PTO, USD 5,377.
- 300 mm: MKFD300C electric, 22 kW, USD 7,901; or MKFD300P PTO, 600 kg/h, USD 6,550.
- 360 mm: MKFD360C electric, 680 to 820 kg/h, 22 kW. USD 9,393.
- 400 mm: MKFD400P PTO, 800 kg/h. USD 9,718.
If you are torn between the electric and PTO versions, PTO or electric pellet mill compares the two.
One model, several uses
In the Meelko catalog you will find the same models in several sections: animal feed, alfalfa and pasture, wood pellets and fertilizers. It is the same machine; what changes is the die and the setup for each material. That is why capacities differ slightly between sections: the MKFD150 is listed at 60 kg/h for feed and 50 kg/h for wood, which is harder to compact.
How to choose the size: two examples
A farmer who wants 10 tons of feed per month
Working 20 days a month and 6 effective hours a day gives 120 hours: 10,000 kg / 120 h = 83 kg/h. The 120 and 150 mm models fall short or just make it; the MKFD200C (150 kg/h) covers the volume with margin, or produces the 10 tons in half the time. The price difference from the 150 mm model is about USD 900.
A plant that wants 100 tons of wood pellets per month
With 22 days and 7 effective hours, that is 154 hours: 100,000 kg / 154 h = 650 kg/h, and in wood. That is at the ceiling of the MKFD360C, rated 680 to 820 kg/h for feed. A flat die pellet mill running at its limit every day on an abrasive material is a bad deal. That volume calls for a ring die pellet mill.
When to move to a ring die pellet mill
A flat die is the logical choice up to about 500 kg/h of sustained output. Above that, and especially for wood, a ring die is better: the die is a ring that rotates around the rollers, works over a larger area and is built to run for many hours in a row. Meelko industrial pellet mills are:
- MKRD350C-W: 500 to 700 kg/h, 50 kW. USD 42,000.
- MKRD420C-W: 1,000 to 2,000 kg/h, 90 kW. USD 65,000.
- MKRD508C-W: 2,000 to 3,000 kg/h, 110 kW. USD 72,000.
The jump in investment is large, so the production numbers need to be worked out first. Pellet plant costs and profitability covers a complete plant in detail.
Three things besides the diameter
- Available power. Up to 150 mm, power demand is low (the MKFD150B can be ordered for 220 V single-phase). From 200 mm up, electric models need three-phase power; if you do not have it, PTO models solve the problem with the tractor.
- The material. Feed and alfalfa pelletize well on a flat die; wood demands more power and wears the die and rollers faster.
- Grinding beforehand. No pellet mill delivers its rated output if material goes in coarse or with uneven moisture. The mill has to keep up.
Conclusion
To choose a pellet mill, start from the kilos per hour you need, add margin, and the die size follows: 120 to 150 mm for home use and trials, 200 to 260 mm for a farm or small business, 300 to 400 mm for commercial production, and a ring die above 500 kg/h sustained. Meelko, an American brand of agro-industrial machinery, offers the full range, from 50 kg/h to 3 tons per hour. Tell us what material you will pelletize and how many tons per month, and we will point you to the model.
