How to Deal with Blockages During Wood Pellet Machine Operation

Wood pellet machines are widely used for converting sawdust, wood chips, and agricultural residues into high-density biomass fuel. However, material blockage during production is a common issue that can affect efficiency, product quality, and even damage the machine if not handled properly.

Here’s a practical guide on how to identify, resolve, and prevent blockage problems in wood pellet production.

Common Causes of Blockage

1. High Moisture Content

o When raw materials contain more than 15% moisture, they tend to stick together and clog the die holes.

2. Inconsistent or Oversized Particles

o If the material is not properly crushed (e.g. >5mm), it may not flow smoothly through the pelletizing chamber.

3. Cold Start Without Preheating

o Starting the machine without warming up the die and rollers can result in poor extrusion and blockage.

4. Feeding Too Fast

o Overfeeding can overwhelm the system, especially during startup or when using wet materials.

5. Die Blockage or Wear

o A worn or dirty ring die can severely reduce output and cause backpressure.

Pellet die selection

When purchase a pellet die, the following characteristics of pellet dies should be considered:

· Raw materials of the pellet dies, that’s, the metals;

· Die compression, i.e., thickness of the die divided by the hole diameter;

· Hole characteristic, such as, the counterbores and reliefs depth;

· Layout of the die holes , that is, numbers of holes in a die, and number of rows of holes.

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