Crumblers in Feed Mills

The crumbler is the machine used to break large feed pellets after pelleting and cooling into smaller pieces that suit nutritional needs, especially in poultry feed production.

A crumbler is not used with every type of feed; it is particularly important when producing crumbled feed suited to chicks and the early rearing stages.

What Does a Crumbler Do?

When feed leaves the pellet mill, the pellets are the size set by the die.

But in some types of production, especially poultry feed, the large pellet is bigger than the size suited to young birds. This is where the crumbler comes in: it breaks the pellets into smaller pieces of the required size.

In simple terms:

Pellet Mill → Cooler → Crumbler → Screener → Packing

Why Is a Crumbler Used for Poultry Feed?

The crumbler is used to produce feed suited to young age stages. Chicks need a smaller feed size than the large pellets that older birds can eat.

The same feed formula can therefore be produced either as large pellets or as crumbled feed, depending on the required rearing stage.

How Does a Crumbler Work?

The cooled pellets enter the crumbler and then pass between two rolls that break the pellets into smaller pieces.

The degree of crumbling can be controlled by adjusting the gap between the rolls. As the gap changes, so does the size of the resulting crumbled feed.

Why Does the Crumbler Come After the Cooler?

Pellets are not crumbled directly after leaving the pellet mill. They first move to the cooler to lower their temperature and prepare them for the next stage. After cooling, the pellets enter the crumbler to be broken down to the required size.

The order of the process is therefore:

Pelleting → Cooling → Crumbling

This is the operating order of the crumbler in a crumbled feed production line.

What Happens After the Crumbler?

After the feed leaves the crumbler, it moves to the screener. The screener's job here is to separate the fines from the final product and return the fines to the production line, depending on the line design.

The flow is therefore:

Pellet Mill → Cooler → Crumbler → Screener → Final Product

This stage is important for getting a more uniform crumbled feed before packing.

Is a Crumbler Necessary in Every Feed Mill?

No.

If the mill produces whole pellets only, it does not necessarily need a crumbler. But if the mill produces crumbled poultry feed, the crumbler is one of the essential machines in the production line.

What Is the Difference Between Pellets and Crumbled Feed?

Pellets are the feed that leaves the pellet mill as whole pellets. Crumbled feed is the same pellets after being broken into smaller pieces.

The crumbler can therefore be an additional stage in the production line, depending on the type of product required.

Is the Crumbling Size Fixed?

No.

The crumbler can be adjusted to get a size suited to the required product, by controlling the gap between the rolls. The required size varies depending on the type of feed and the rearing stage.

Why Is Adjusting the Roll Gap Important?

The gap between the rolls directly affects the degree of crumbling. If the gap is not suitable, the feed produced may be larger than required, or there may be a larger amount of fines.

It must therefore be adjusted to suit the required product size.

What Factors Affect the Quality of Crumbled Feed?

There are several important factors, including:

• The pellet size before crumbling.
• The condition of the rolls.
• The adjustment of the gap between the rolls.
• The rate at which pellets enter the crumbler.
• The condition of the pellets after cooling.
• Screening after crumbling.

Product quality therefore does not depend on the crumbler alone, but on the stages connected to it working well.

What Happens If There Is Too Much Crumbling?

If the pellets are crumbled more than required, the proportion of fines in the product can increase.

In this case, the roll gap adjustment, the condition of the machine, and the operating conditions should be reviewed.

What Happens If Crumbling Is Too Weak?

If a large amount of pellets comes out larger than required, the roll gap may need adjusting, or the operating conditions may need to be checked.

What Is the Role of the Screener After the Crumbler?

The screener separates the fines from the final product after crumbling.

The goal is not only to break the pellets, but to reach a suitable, uniform crumbled product before packing. In Adham lines, the fines are separated and returned to the production line, depending on the line design.

Adham Crumbler Sizes

Adham crumblers are available in several sizes to suit different capacities, including:

• 60 cm crumbler
• 80 cm crumbler
• 100 cm crumbler

The suitable size is chosen according to the feed line's output and operating requirements.

60 cm Crumbler

Used to crumble pellets into smaller sizes, and suited to production lines that need to produce crumbled feed, especially poultry feed and early rearing stages.

80 cm Crumbler

A larger size than the 60 cm crumbler, used with production lines that need higher operating capacity.

100 cm Crumbler

Designed for larger production lines that need higher crumbling capacity. The size is chosen according to the capacity required in the line, not only by pellet size.

Crumbler Maintenance

To keep the crumbler performing well, the parts that affect the crumbling process should be monitored, especially the rolls and the movement and adjustment parts.

It is also important to clean the machine of feed residue and fines regularly. The gap between the rolls must also be checked to make sure it is properly adjusted.

Signs the Crumbler Needs Inspection

Signs that call for inspection include:

• A clear change in the size of the crumbled feed.
• An increase in the proportion of fines.
• Uneven crumbling.
• Reduced output.
• Abnormal noises or vibrations.
• Difficulty adjusting the gap between the rolls.

Frequently Asked Questions About Feed Crumblers

What does a feed crumbler do?

It breaks large feed pellets after cooling into smaller pieces that suit the required feed size, especially in poultry feed.

Is the crumbler used to produce poultry feed?

Yes, it is mainly used to produce crumbled feed suited to poultry and early rearing stages.

Where is the crumbler placed in the production line?

After the pellet mill and the cooler, and before the screener and packing.

Does the crumbler grind the feed?

No. The crumbler does not grind raw materials the way a grinder does; it breaks large pellets into smaller pieces.

Can the size of the crumbled feed be controlled?

Yes, the degree of crumbling can be controlled by adjusting the gap between the rolls.

Is the crumbler necessary for all types of feed?

No, it is used when the required product is crumbled feed, especially poultry feed and early rearing stages.

What sizes do Adham crumblers come in?

Adham crumblers are available in 60, 80, and 100 cm sizes.

Conclusion

The crumbler is the stage that turns large pellets into crumbled feed of the right size, which is why it is important in poultry feed production and early rearing stages.

The process, in simple terms:

Pelleting → Cooling → Crumbling → Screening → Packing

The degree of crumbling is controlled through the rolls and the gap between them, while the screener then separates the fines from the final product.

By choosing the right crumbler size and adjusting it correctly, you can get a more uniform crumbled feed suited to the required rearing stage.