The Rotary Drum Granulator's Magic_ Transforming Phosphate Powder into Spherical Granules

  Description of the rotary drum granulator product

The rotary drum granulator is a core equipment widely used in the granulation process of powdery materials, and it is especially prominent in the fields of fertilizer production, mineral processing and building materials. Its working principle is based on the combined action of mechanical rotation, material gravity and auxiliary bonding: the powdery raw materials (such as compound fertilizer raw materials, mineral powder, etc.) are continuously added into the inclined rotating drum. During the rotation of the drum, the materials are continuously turned, rolled and collided. With the help of a small amount of bonding agent (or the inherent viscosity of some materials), the powdery particles gradually aggregate into spherical or irregular granular products of uniform size.

Main advantages of rotary drum granulator

　　In terms of core advantages, the rotary drum granulator first has strong adaptability to raw materials. It can handle a variety of powdery materials with different moisture contents (generally 20%-40%) and particle sizes, and the granulation rate is usually maintained at 85% or above, which effectively ensures the stability of product quality. Secondly, it has the characteristics of large production capacity and low energy consumption. The drum structure with large diameter and long length can realize continuous large-scale production, and the power consumption per unit product is lower than that of other granulation equipment (such as disc granulator). In addition, the equipment has simple structure, convenient operation and maintenance. The key parts (such as the inner lining of the drum) are made of wear-resistant materials (such as high manganese steel), which have long service life and reduce the frequency of replacement and maintenance.

　　In terms of application scenarios, the rotary drum granulator is most widely used in the fertilizer industry. It can produce compound fertilizer, organic fertilizer, biological fertilizer and other granular fertilizers, which not only improves the utilization rate of fertilizers (granular fertilizers are not easy to lose and agglomerate), but also meets the needs of mechanized fertilization. In the mineral processing industry, it is used to granulate mineral powder to facilitate subsequent smelting or transportation. In the building materials industry, it can be used for the granulation of cement clinker, gypsum powder and other materials to improve the performance of building materials.

　　In the actual production process, the rotary drum granulator also has good environmental protection performance. By optimizing the sealing structure of the drum and matching the dust collection system, it can effectively reduce the emission of powdery dust during the granulation process, and meet the environmental protection requirements of modern industrial production. At the same time, according to the different needs of products, the particle size of the finished product can be adjusted by changing the rotation speed of the drum, the inclination angle of the drum and the amount of bonding agent, which has strong flexibility.

Main Technical Parameter 

 Customer Application Cases

 Recommended Related Granulators

Drum Granulator	Pan Granulator	Roller Press Granulator	Rotary Drums and Pin Combined Granulator

Rotary Drum Granulator Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q:  Could you please specify the hourly output range of your drum granulator?

A:     The standard hourly output of our drum granulator ranges from 1 to 300 tons. If you have higher output demands (e.g., over 25 tons per hour), we can tailor a customized solution based on your specific production needs.

Q: HOW DOES A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR WORK?

A:     A drum granulator works by tumbling material in the presence of a liquid binder to encourage granule formation and growth. Feed material and binder are constantly fed through the rotating drum. The rolling action, combined with the stickiness from the binder, causes fines to collect together into particles. These particles continue to pick up additional fines and binder as they tumble in the bed, causing them to densify and pick up additional layers in a phenomenon known as coalescence. Tumbling flights can be incorporated into the unit to increase agitation of the material bed.

This way of forming agglomerates is a type of agitation agglomeration also known as wet granulation, balling, or pelletizing.

Q: WHAT TYPES OF MATERIALS CAN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR PROCESS?

A:     Generally speaking, drum granulators can process any bulk solid in the form of a dry, fine powder. This flexibility lends well to a host of industries, processing materials ranging from specialty chemicals and fertilizers, to minerals and ores, and everything in between.

In some cases, the feedstock may require pretreatment in the form of crushing, grinding, or drying to be a suitable feed for the granulator and produce the characteristics desired in the end product.

Q: WHAT’S THE ADVANTAGE OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR OVER A DISC PELLETIZER?

A:     In choosing between a drum granulator and a disc pelletizer, the drum is often chosen because it offers a higher throughput than the disc pelletizer. The rotary drum also has the advantage of being a “closed” system, meaning that granulation occurs inside a contained environment, so fugitive material is limited.

WHAT CAPACITIES CAN A GRANULATION DRUM ACCOMMODATE?

A:     Granulation drums can be customized to nearly any size, accommodating capacities ranging from 500 lb/hr – 3500 TPH+.

ARE DRUM GRANULATORS BATCH OR CONTINUOUS?

A:     Rotary drum granulators are typically employed in a continuous setting, though they may function as a batch device in some R&D environments, such as the TIANCI Innovation Center.

Q: WHAT IS THE RETENTION TIME OF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?

A:     Retention time is one process parameter used to control the characteristics and quality of the material exiting the drum, so it can vary significantly depending on the process and product goals. In general, retention time in a granulator may fall anywhere between 30 seconds and 60 minutes.

Q: WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL WEAR ITEMS?

A:     Rotary drum granulators are generally low maintenance, but some items can become worn, depending on the operating conditions, and particularly if the drum falls out of alignment. The most common wear items for a drum granulator typically include the liner (where applicable), tumbling flights (where applicable), and potentially trunnion wheels, tires, and thrust rollers.

Rotary drum alignment is an important aspect of drum maintenance to prevent wear of the tires and trunnion wheels. When a drum falls out of alignment, it puts added stress on all components, encouraging undue wear.

Q: DOES THE PRODUCT EXITING THE GRANULATOR REQUIRE DRYING?

A:     Since the granulation process relies on a liquid binder to form and layer granules, the product exiting the granulator is wet and must be dried unless it is moving immediately to a downstream process that does not require drying (such as in the case of iron ore balling, where pellets go to a grate kiln).

Drying is typically carried out in a rotary dryer, which further rounds and “polishes” the granules as a result of the tumbling action that occurs as the drum rotates.

Q: HOW DO I KNOW IF A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR IS RIGHT FOR MY APPLICATION?

A:     Whether or not a rotary drum granulator is the right fit for a given project depends on specific process and product goals, such as capacity, level of control over particle characteristics, product parameters, and more.

When it is not clear if a drum granulator will be able to meet the project objectives, testing can be carried out in the TIANCI Innovation Center to evaluate the process and identify the most suitable equipment configuration.

Q: IS ANY OTHER EQUIPMENT REQUIRED TO SUPPORT A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?

A:     Drum granulators require a feeding and offtake system to convey material into and away from the drum. They also typically require screens and a recycle circuit to recover overs and unders and recycle them back into the process

Drum granulators are also typically followed by a rotary dryer and in some cases, may be preceded by a mixer for providing a homogeneous feedstock to the unit.

Q: WHAT DOES THE DESIGN PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

A:     Rotary drum granulator design typically begins with testing to assess the feasibility of granulating the intended material and to gather key process data such as percent fill, retention time, drum speed and slope, spray system design, and more.

Once the data has been gathered, engineers work off of this to size the drum and incorporate any necessary features or modifications needed to produce the desired product at the intended capacity.

Q: WHAT DATA IS NEEDED TO DESIGN A ROTARY DRUM GRANULATOR?

A:     A variety of data points are necessary to design the granulator. Along with a process description, the follow data is typically required:

Why Choose Us?

Support and Services:

We are committed to providing our customers with comprehensive support and reliable services. Our company offers free process design drawings tailored to your needs, as well as free trial testing services to ensure optimal machine performance. Every machine comes with a one-year warranty for worry-free operation. In addition, we provide free installation and professional training services, helping your team quickly master the equipment and achieve efficient production.