Aquafeed Extrusion System in Chile

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A Quick Look at the Project

The client operates a mid-sized aquaculture supply business in southern Chile, mainly serving freshwater fish farms. Over the past few years, they noticed a consistent issue—imported extruded feed prices were rising, and delivery times were becoming unpredictable.

So instead of continuing as a trader, they decided to move upstream.

This 6t/h aquafeed extrusion system in Chile is designed for:

• Capacity: 6 tons per hour
• Annual output: 20,000 tons of extruded fish and shrimp feed
• Product type: Full-price floating aquafeed (extruded)
• Operation: 300 days/year, 10 hours/day, single shift
• Workforce: 20 people

The facility combines newly built workshops with existing buildings, which required some careful layout compromises during design.

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How the Conversation Started

The first inquiry came in March 2023. It wasn’t very technical.

The client asked something like:
“Can we produce stable floating feed locally using fishmeal and soybean meal?”

That was it.

No layout, no detailed requirements. Just a concern about feed stability and cost.

By May 2023, after a few calls and raw material discussions, it became clearer:

• They had access to fishmeal, soybean meal, and flour locally
• Oil (fish oil + soybean oil) was available but storage needed planning
• They preferred extrusion over traditional pelletizing
• Moisture control and floatability were critical

The contract was signed in September 2023, with a relatively tight delivery schedule.

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Raw Materials

Chile has good access to marine protein sources, which makes extrusion feed projects quite suitable. The formulation here is fairly standard but adjusted slightly for local sourcing.

One thing we noticed during early trials—the flour quality varied slightly between suppliers. It affected pellet expansion. The client later fixed this by locking one supplier.

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Equipment Configuration

The aqua feed mill equipment list is quite long, but below is a clean version without model numbers—easier for quick review.

Raw Material Receiving & Cleaning

Batching & Mixing (Primary + Secondary)

Grinding System

Extrusion & Drying Section

Coating & Packaging

Auxiliary Systems

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Process Flow

Instead of a single straight line, this 6t/h aquafeed extrusion system in Chile works like a layered system. Each section has its own rhythm.

Here’s the simplified but realistic sequence:

1. Raw Material Feeding
   • Fishmeal, soybean meal, and flour are manually fed
   • Initial cleaning removes debris and metal
2. Primary Batching & Mixing
   • Automated batching based on formulation
   • First-stage mixing ensures base uniformity
3. Fine Grinding
   • Materials are ground to fine powder
   • Particle size consistency is critical here
4. Ultra-Fine Grinding
   • Further refinement improves extrusion quality
   • Air conveying stabilizes flow
5. Secondary Mixing
   • Oils and additives partially introduced
   • Moisture adjusted before conditioning
6. Conditioning
   • Steam + water added
   • Temperature: 100–130°C
   • Moisture: ~28%
7. Extrusion
   • Twin-screw floating fish feed extruder machine system
   • Sudden pressure drop → expansion
   • Starch gelatinization + protein denaturation
8. Drying
   • Gas-heated airflow removes moisture
   • This stage took some tuning during commissioning
9. Coating
   • Vacuum spraying of fish oil / soybean oil
   • Improves energy density
10. Cooling

• Natural air cooling
• Stabilizes pellets

11. Screening & Packaging

• Qualified pellets → packing
• Oversize/undersize → return system

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A Few Real Observations from Commissioning

During the first week of trial runs, things didn’t go perfectly.

• The first batches were too soft after extrusion
• Moisture was slightly high entering the dryer
• Oil coating was uneven at the beginning

Typical issues, nothing unusual.

After adjusting:

• Steam input stabilized
• Dryer airflow increased slightly
• Coating pressure recalibrated

By day 10, the pellets had consistent floatability and density.

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Factory Layout Considerations

The site wasn’t empty land. Part of it was already built.

That created a few constraints:

• Limited ceiling height in one section
• Fixed positions for storage buildings
• Need to connect new and old structures

We adjusted by:

• Using vertical conveyors where possible
• Splitting production zones across floors
• Keeping extrusion and drying in the highest section

It’s not a textbook layout, but it works efficiently.

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Utilities & Operation Details

• Steam supply: 2 × 0.5 t/h gas steam generators
• Water usage: Mainly for conditioning and cooling
• Wastewater: Minimal, mostly reused internally
• Dust handling: Collected and reused in production

One important detail—dust is not treated as waste. It goes back into the process.

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Investment & Cost

The client was quite cautious about budget.

• Total project investment: ~USD 1420,000
• Equipment cost: ~USD 880,000

This is considered reasonable for a 6t/h extrusion aqua feed production line system with full auxiliary sections.

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Why This Project Makes Sense in Chile

Chile has a strong aquaculture industry, especially salmon and freshwater fish.

That creates:

• Stable demand for high-quality feed
• Increasing preference for locally produced feed
• Rising import costs (which pushes local production)

A system like this 6t/h aquafeed extrusion system in Chile sits right in the middle—large enough to supply multiple farms, but not too large to over-invest.

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Final Thoughts from Our Side

This Aqua Feed Plant project is a good example of something we often tell customers:

A fish feed production line doesn’t need to be perfect on day one.

It needs to be adjustable.

From raw material variation to moisture control, extrusion is sensitive. The key is having a system that operators can understand and tweak.

We handled:

• Process design
• Equipment manufacturing
• Installation guidance
• Commissioning support
• Operator training

And after handover, we still get occasional messages from the client. Usually about optimizing formulas or improving throughput.

If you’re looking at setting up something similar, don’t start with equipment. Start with your raw materials and target feed type. That’s usually where the real discussion begins.