FISH FEED
MILL PROJECT

A nominal 5T/H fish feed mill typically achieves 4–4.5T/H sustained output in real-world conditions after accounting for:

Key Factors Affecting Actual Throughput

1. Formula Variations
   • High-oil diets (e.g., salmon feed) may reduce output by 10–15% due to extended conditioning time
   • Fibrous ingredients (e.g., rice bran) can decrease capacity by 8–12%
2. Maintenance & Changeovers
   • Daily cleaning & lubrication: 30–45 min downtime
   • Die/roller changes: 20–40 min per switch (depending on operator skill)
   • Weekly deep cleaning: 2–3 hours
3. Operational Efficiency
   • Well-trained crews maintain 85–90% uptime
   • Poorly managed mills drop to 70–75%

Maximizing Your 5T/H feed Line’s Output

We recommend:

✔ Pre-conditioning optimization – Adjust steam levels for faster gelatinization
✔ Scheduled maintenance – Prevent unplanned stops
✔ Staff training – Reduce changeover time by 30–50%

Want a customized capacity estimate for your formulas? Send us your recipe for a free throughput simulation report.

Standard Implementation Timeline

1. Equipment Installation (4–8 weeks)
   • Foundation & utility preparation: 1–2 weeks
   • Mechanical assembly: 2–3 weeks
   • Electrical/automation wiring: 1–2 weeks
2. Commissioning & Testing (2–4 weeks)
   • Dry-run checks: 3–5 days
   • Trial production with client formulas: 1–2 weeks
   • Operator training: 5–7 days
3. Production Ramp-Up (2–4 weeks)
   • Gradual output increase to target capacity
   • Final process fine-tuning

Total: 8–16 weeks (optimized cases) to 20–24 weeks (complex projects)

Common Delays & Mitigation Strategies

Real-World Example:

An Ecuadorian shrimp feed plant achieved full production in 14 weeks (vs. industry average 22 weeks) because we:

• Dispatched bilingual engineers for on-site support
• Conducted steam system pre-testing before shipment
• Provided augmented reality assembly guides

While tilapia and carp feeds share some common ingredients, their optimal formulations differ significantly due to distinct digestive physiologies and nutritional requirements. Here’s a professional breakdown:

Key Differences in Formulation

1. Protein Sources
   • Tilapia: Thrives on plant-based proteins (soybean meal, cottonseed meal – 28-32% crude protein)
   • Carp: Requires more animal/byproduct proteins (fishmeal, poultry byproduct meal – 24-28% crude protein) for essential amino acids
2. Carbohydrate Utilization
   • Tilapia: Efficient at digesting corn/wheat starch (up to 40% inclusion)
   • Carp: Prefers easily fermentable fibers (rice bran, wheat bran – max 25% starch)
3. Fat Types & Levels
   • Tilapia: Benefits from vegetable oils (soybean, palm oil – 5-8%)
   • Carp: Requires higher omega-3s (fish oil/flaxseed – 4-6%) for cold-water metabolism

Shared Ingredients (With Caution)

Equipment Considerations

Our pellet mills handle both species’ feeds but require adjustments:

• Tilapia: Standard 1:4.5 L/D dies (2-4mm pellets)
• Carp: Extended 1:6 L/D dies (3-6mm pellets) for fiber binding

Proven Solutions

A Thai fish farm successfully produces both feeds on one line by:

• Precision conditioning (carp: 85°C/20sec; tilapia: 75°C/15sec)
• Sequential production runs (cleaning between formulas)
• Modular die changes (30-minute switch)

No matter in which country, aquatic feed factory, shrimp feed factory, fish feed factory construction projects are mainly subdivided into the following stages and steps. It should be noted that many of the steps are often carried out simultaneously. One of the key factors for the success of the project is management and coordination.

01 Pre-approval

It mainly includes: fish feed mill project filing, land use, site selection and environmental review, obtaining land use certificates and planning approval, etc. Some of these contents can be carried out simultaneously. The specific operating procedures in most areas are basically the same, and some areas may The specific details of the sequence and operation methods will vary.

02 Overall and supporting design of fish feed plant

Fish feed mill project design usually includes three stages: pre-design work, preliminary design and construction drawing design.

• Preliminary design work:
  Including feasibility study, site selection and preparation of design brief. The design brief is organized and compiled by the competent department of the construction project.
  Its purpose is to analyze the main issues of the construction project, namely product plan, construction scale, construction area and location, professional cooperation scope, investment, etc. based on the feasibility study report and site selection report. Decisions should be made on the limits, sources of funds, required technical levels and economic benefits.
• Preliminary design:
  Prepared according to the approved design brief. Preliminary design includes: determining the sources and amounts of main raw materials, fuel, water, and power; stipulating the main principles for the design of technological processes, material storage and transportation, and environmental protection; clarifying the composition and requirements of equipment, buildings, and public systems;
  And conducting factory layout, design the floor plan of the entire fish feed factory and workshops; propose plans for production organization, management information systems and living welfare facilities; calculate the quantity of major equipment and materials, various technical and economic indicators and project budget estimates.
  The approved preliminary design is the basis for appropriation of construction investment, ordering of complete sets of equipment and design of construction drawings. ​
• Design of construction drawings:
  Draw detailed structural drawings of various buildings, installation details of equipment and pipelines, construction details of various outdoor projects, and prepare detailed lists of all equipment and materials and construction budgets. What needs special mention is about fire protection approval and acceptance.

03 fish feed mill project construction

The entire construction project process of the fish feed mill project building will focus on testing the overall strength of the feed equipment manufacturers and feed companies in project operation and management.

Generally speaking, most feed companies neglect the multi-party coordination of construction projects and the effective management and monitoring of project quality and progress. The losses caused by the delay in project progress and the delay in putting the factory into production are often staggering.

Therefore, more and more feed companies are strengthening professional monitoring and management of the overall project to ensure the controllability of the project. Matching this, professional project consulting and management services are being widely recognized and accepted.

04  Product process and production layout

When laying out the process design and improvement of fish feed mill projects, the four elements of people, machines, materials, and methods in each process must be organically combined and fully balanced.

Because, once the four elements are not unified and coordinated, the operation will be easily fragmented, which will prolong the stagnation time and increase the number of material handling.

05  Factory organization and personnel planning

Factory organization and personnel planning are important components of human resource planning for fish feed mill projects. Strategic planning is the stipulation of the guidelines, policies and strategies for the development and utilization of human resources of the enterprise based on the overall development strategy goals of the enterprise.

It is the core of various specific human resources plans and a key plan related to the operation of the fish feed mill plant.

06 fish feed mill daily management process

• In general, the implementation of process management is firstly conducive to the standardization of fish feed mill operations, improving efficiency and ensuring operational quality;
• Secondly, it is conducive to the implementation of standardization by enterprises. The construction of standardization is conducive to the establishment of corporate brands and the rapid development of business and large-scale replication;
• Third, it is conducive to the realization of informatization by aqua feed enterprises. Information management can greatly improve the efficiency of aqua feed enterprises and improve labor productivity, especially through the use of the Internet to achieve remote services and remote control.

07 Equipment installation, commissioning and supporting facilities

The production equipment required for the new fish feed mill project requires professionals to install and debug the equipment according to relevant installation and debugging specifications, and to maintain complete equipment installation and debugging records.

At the same time, future daily equipment maintenance and management should be formulated and completed by professionals. system.

08 Personnel recruitment and training

Personnel recruitment and training fall under the tactical plan of fish feed mill human resources. The tactical plan is based on the forecast of the supply and demand of external human resources that the company will face in the future, as well as the forecast of the demand for human resources due to the company’s development.

The tactical plan is a specific plan based on the forecast results, including specific personnel demand schedules, recruitment, training, Wage and benefit policies, echelon building and organizational change.

09 Trial operation and rectification

The trial operation and rectification mentioned here refers to the final trial operation link of the fish feed mill project management itself, which will mainly focus on the two aspects of the automation control system and aqua feed mill equipment to examine and inspect the completion and inspection of each part of the fish feed mill project. Status assessment and rectification.

For projects with a short cycle, RICHI opens a green channel specifically for you to shorten the installation period, that is, make various preparations before placing an order, such as: detailed planning, construction plans, all delivery batches, and materials The completion is detailed down to the individual, and the construction cycle is strictly controlled.

After each aqua shrimp prawn fish feed mill project is approved, comprehensive remote management and control will be carried out from design, construction progress, safety, quality, etc. to accurately control the total construction period of on-site construction, follow up on the project progress in real time, and make accurate decisions and solve any safety and quality issues in the first time.

According to the different needs of fish feed manufacturers and the growth stages of fish, shrimps and crabs, RICHI’s professional team uses three-dimensional digital modular design and standardizable design of non-standard prefabricated parts to accurately plan and achieve the goal in one step.

It makes the layout of the entire fish feed plant more reasonable, the process more optimized, and the logistics more efficient. It greatly shortens the installation cycle and improves the quality of the fish feed mill project, reduce fish feed production line operating costs from the source and improve production efficiency.

The standard process for aquatic feed processing is:

Cleaning – ingredients – mixing – crushing – micro-crushing – puffing – drying – grading – spraying – cooling – packaging

• For the processing of extruded fish feed: the above process can be directly used, or it can be customized according to the actual needs of customers. For example, some customers need to add a palletizing system; some customers need to replace ordinary spraying equipment with vacuum spraying equipment; some customers want to use twin-screw extruders, etc.
• For the processing of shrimp and crab feed: the above process flow can be used, or pelletizing technology can be used, that is, the extrusion section is replaced by a pelleting process, the extruder is replaced by a shrimp feed pelletizer, and equipment such as a high square screen is added.
• For ordinary fish feed processing: similar to the processing technology of livestock and poultry feed, the general process is cleaning – batching – mixing – crushing – granulation – cooling – screening – packaging. Drying, micro-grinding, spraying and other processes and equipment can be added according to customer needs.

Production lines and processes designed for fish feed mill projects in different countries:

10T/H animal feed & 5T/H floating fish feed mill design

5-6 T/H extruded floating fish feed plant design

2.5-5T/H shrimp & 8-12T/H fish feed mill design

2.5-5T/H shrimp aqua feed mill process design

Contact us for technical support for fish feed mill project construction!

RICHI adopts industry-leading process design, and responds to the company’s own needs in all aspects of raw material cleaning and crushing, ingredient mixing, conditioning and puffing, drying and cooling, spraying and packaging. RICHI’s stable and efficient aqua feed mill equipment is used to meet the needs of different aquatic fish feeds production.

The equipment required for aquatic feed projects, shrimp feed production line projects and fish feed mill projects generally includes cleaning equipment, crushing equipment, mixing equipment, drying equipment, spraying equipment, puffing equipment, cooling equipment, screening equipment, packaging equipment, and palletizing equipment, silo equipment, automated control systems, etc.

fish Food Grinder

• Capacity: 3-25T/H
• Main Power: 30-160KW

Micro Pulverizer

• Capacity: 1-10T/H
• Main Power: 90-220KW

feed mixer machine

• Capacity: 250-2000KG
• Main Power: 4-55KW

twin screw extruder

• Capacity: 1-12T/H
• Main Power: 0.75-355KW

Sinking fish feed machine

• Capacity: 0.6-27T/H
• Main Power: 22-315KW

shrimp feed pellet machine

• Capacity: 0.1-6T/H
• Main Power: 22-315KW

Fish Feed Dryer Machine

• Capacity: 2-12T/H
• Main Power: 44.3-71.8KW

Pellet Cooler Machine

• Capacity: 3-25T/H
• Main Power: 30-160KW

pellet crumbler machine

• Capacity: 1-20T/H
• Roller: 2-3

vibrating screening machine

• Capacity: 3-40T/h
• Main Power: 1.5-5.5KW

Spraying Machine

• Capacity: 1-15T/H
• Main Power: 18.522KW

Automatic Bagging Machine

• Capacity: 6-12 Bags/Min
• Main Power: 1.1-5 KW

Paired with RICHI’s efficient and intelligent feed equipment, it is stable, reliable and has a long service life. The feed produced has good palatability, good crushing fineness, high degree of maturation, and good feed-to-meat ratio, which can help fish feed companies and feed processors create differentiated competitive advantages, achieve strict food safety control, and be responsible for people’s healthy lives.

Yes, with proper system design, a single production line can efficiently switch between floating and sinking fish feeds – but success depends on three critical factors:

1. Equipment Adaptations Required

• Extruder Configuration
  • Floating feeds: High-shear screws + steam injection (130-150°C)
  • Sinking feeds: Low-shear screws + limited steam (90-110°C)
  • Solution: Our Quick-Switch Screw System changes profiles in 45 minutes
• Drying Parameters
  • Floating: Multi-stage drying (moisture <8%)
  • Sinking: Gentle drying (moisture 10-12%)
  • Solution: Dual-zone dryer with automated moisture feedback

2. Operational Best Practices

✔ Sequence Production Runs

• Process floating feeds first (avoiding oil contamination)
• Follow with sinking feeds (no cleaning required)

✔ Shared Ingredients

• Base mix (60-70% of formula) can be identical
• Only adjust:
  • Starch level (floating: 25-35%; sinking: 15-25%)
  • Oil injection rate (floating: 2-4%; sinking: 5-8%)

3. Real-World Viability

Case Example:
An Indonesian plant produces:

• Floating tilapia feed (8am-4pm)
• Sinking catfish feed (5pm-12am)

Key Metrics:

• Changeover time: 55 minutes
• Capacity utilization: 92%
• Pellet quality: >95% durability both types

Cost-Effective Upgrade Options:

• Turnkey ($150k): Dedicated parallel extrusion system
• Basic ($15k): Manual screw change + shared dryer
• Premium ($75k): Automated screw switcher + smart dryer

The true energy cost for your operation depends on three key variables:

1. Formula-Specific Factors

• Starch Content
High-starch diets (e.g., tilapia 35-45% starch) require 22-28 kWh/ton
Low-starch protein feeds (e.g., salmon 50%+) consume 32-38 kWh/ton

• Fat Levels
Every 5% added oil reduces energy needs by 1.8-2.5 kWh/ton

• Fiber Challenges
Diets with >12% crude fiber (e.g., rice bran blends) increase power demand by 15-20%

2. Process Optimization

Our systems achieve savings through:

✔ Adaptive preconditioning (right moisture/temperature balance)
✔ Shear-controlled extrusion (prevents over-processing)
✔ Heat recovery systems (recapture 8-12% energy)

3. Real-World Data

Recent Client Examples:

• Norwegian Salmon Feed: 41.2 kWh/ton (38% fishmeal)
• Vietnam Pangasius Feed: 26.3 kWh/ton (28% rice bran)
• Ecuador Shrimp Feed: 34.7 kWh/ton (12% squid meal)

Of course, in response to different production scales, plant conditions, feed types, process requirements, and raw material formulas, we provide customers with customized solutions, process design, civil engineering solutions, equipment layout, equipment configuration and other technical support.

From a 200kg/h small scale fish feed plant project to a 60t/h large-scale aquatic feed plant, here are some of the solutions we recommend for you.

1-2T/H Fish Feed Processing Line

3-4T/H Floating Fish Feed Production Line

4-5T/H Floating Fish Feed Plant

6-7T/H Fish Feed Plant

8-10T/H Fish Feed Mill

10-12T/H Fish Feed Factory

12-14T/H Fish Feed Manufacturing Plant

16-20T/H Fish Food Factory

• Iran: 2 fish feed pellet lines + 2 shrimp feed pellet lines + 2 6 tons/hour puffing lines;
• Nigeria: annual output of 120,000 tons of livestock and poultry feed + 2 aquatic product extrusion lines;
• Russia: 10t/h aquatic pellet material + 10t/h aquatic expanded material;
• Thailand: 6 tons/hour fish feed production line project;
• India: 4 production lines, special aquatic feed factory (1 high-grade shrimp feed, 2 puffed feed, 1 tilapia feed);
• Vietnam: Large-scale aquatic feed turnkey project, with 2 high-end shrimp production lines and 1 puffed feed production line;
• Russia: 2 sets pet & floating fish puffed feed lines,
• Kazakhstan: 1 2t/h puffed fish feed line,
• Ghana: 2 sets of 1t/h pet & fish feed extrusion lines
• Philippines: 2t/h floating fish feed extrusion line;
• Mexico: shrimp feed pelleting line with an output of 3 tons per hour;
• Malaysia: 5t/h floating fish feed line
• Senegal: 1 t/h floating fish feed line
• Nigeria: 500kg/h floating fish feed line
• Zimbabwe: 1-2t/h animal & fish feed combined line
• Ethiopia: 2-3t/h fish and pet food line
• . . .

If you are interested in our fish feed mill project, feel free to contact us to get the latest news of the project.

Trust comes from professionalism, and service enhances value!

Over the years, RICHI has been insisting on using high-standard equipment, processes, and fish feed mill project technologies to help customers achieve higher quality and more efficient production operations. It also adheres to the customer lifelong service model to create long-term value for the majority of aqua fish feed companies!