Disc granulator
A rotating inclined pan forms round pellets by rolling. Granulation rate up to 93%, capacity 0.1–50 t/h, the standard organic fertilizer granulator.
View details →Home›Fertilizer Granulators
Topic hub
Fertilizer Granulators
The granulator decides pellet shape, hardness, dust level and how much material you have to recycle. These five machine families cover every organic, compound and NPK fertilizer formula.
- Wet granulation: disc, pan and rotary drum machines, up to 93% granulation rate
- Dry granulation: double roller extrusion with no dryer and no fuel cost
- Selection guidance by raw material, moisture and capacity
Wet or dry granulation — the first decision
Every granulator answers the same question: how do you make loose powder hold together as a round pellet? There are only two mechanical answers. Wet granulation adds moisture and agitation until the particles bind and roll into spheres — this is disc, pan, rotary drum and wet granulation. Dry granulation applies pressure until the particles cold-weld into a dense sheet that is broken into pellets — this is double roller extrusion.
Wet granulation suits organic fertilizer made from compost, because compost arrives with moisture and binds naturally; it always needs a dryer and cooler afterwards. Dry granulation suits chemical and NPK fertilizer, especially urea-based formulas that would be damaged by heat, and it needs no dryer at all. Choosing the wrong family is the most expensive mistake in fertilizer plant design, because it changes the entire downstream line.
Compare the granulator families
Rotary drum granulator
A rotating drum with internal stirring teeth agglomerates material with steam, water or slurry. Best for high-tonnage compound and organic lines.
View details →
Double roller granulator
Dry extrusion at high pressure with no binder and no dryer. Ideal for NPK, urea and high-salt formulas; pellet rate above 85%.
View details →
Wet granulation machine
The wet granulation family explained, including the four machine types and their advantages and disadvantages for organic fertilizer.
View details →
Dry granulation machine
How dry granulation works, which materials suit it, and why it eliminates the drying section entirely.
View details →Cow manure fertilizer pellet machine
Purpose-configured granulation for cattle manure: vertical, horizontal and disc options with the matching dryer and screener.
View details →Granulator selection table
| Granulator | Method | Feed moisture | Capacity | Granulation rate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disc (pan) granulator | Wet, rotating pan | 25–35% | 0.1–50 t/h | up to 93% | Organic fertilizer, manure compost |
| Rotary drum granulator | Wet, drum + steam/slurry | 25–35% | 5–50 t/h | 70–90% | Compound and NPK, high tonnage |
| Double roller granulator | Dry, high-pressure extrusion | <5% | 1–20 t/h | 85%+ | NPK, urea, ammonium salts, dry formulas |
| Wet granulation line | Wet, combined | 25–35% | 1–30 t/h | 80–93% | Organic and organic-inorganic fertilizer |
| Dry granulation line | Dry, extrusion | <5% | 1–20 t/h | 85%+ | Heat-sensitive chemical fertilizer |
Getting granulation right: five control points
Particle size
Crush the feed below 3 mm. Coarse particles cannot be wetted evenly, so pellets form with rough surfaces and low strength.
Moisture
25–35% for wet granulation — squeeze a handful; it should hold its shape without dripping water. Below 20% pellets crumble, above 40% the drum or pan balls up.
Binder
1–3% starch, bentonite, humic acid or molasses. More binder makes harder pellets but dilutes the nutrient analysis.
Rotation speed and angle
In a disc granulator the angle and speed control pellet size; in a drum, the speed and the internal weir control retention time.
Recycling
Send oversize material to a crusher and fines back to the granulator. A closed recycling loop keeps the effective granulation rate above 90%.
Granulator FAQ
What is the granulation rate and why does it matter?
The granulation rate is the proportion of output that falls within the target pellet size on the first pass. A 93% rate means very little material has to be recycled, which lowers power consumption and increases effective plant capacity. Rate is governed by feed particle size, moisture, binder and machine settings.
Which granulator is best for organic fertilizer?
For organic fertilizer up to about 3 t/h the disc (pan) granulator is the best choice: it handles 25–35% moisture, is easy to adjust and produces round pellets with a high granulation rate. Above 5 t/h, a rotary drum granulator is more economical per tonne.
Do granulators need a dryer?
Wet granulators do. Pellets leave a disc or drum granulator at 25–35% moisture and must be dried to 12–14% before storage. Dry granulation with a double roller press needs no dryer, which is one of its main economic advantages.
How do I choose the pellet size?
Most markets accept 2–5 mm. Pellet size is set by the disc angle and rotation speed, the drum speed and weir height, or the roller die pattern, and can be changed with the machine running on disc and drum granulators.
Equipment gallery
Photographed in our Xingyang workshop and on customer sites. Watermark-free, no phone numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a granulator and a pellet mill?
A granulator builds pellets from moist powder by agglomeration or pressure, without forcing the material through a die — this suits fertilizer because it tolerates moisture and binders. A pellet mill extrudes material through a die under high pressure and is used mainly for dry biomass fuel pellets or feed.
Can one granulator handle both organic and compound fertilizer?
A rotary drum granulator can, because it works with agglomeration rather than a fixed die. A double roller granulator is limited to dry materials, and a disc granulator is at its best with moist organic compost. Many fertilizer plants keep two granulators and switch by product.
How much power does a granulator use?
A disc granulator from 0.75 kW to 18.5 kW covers the range from 0.1 to 4 t/h, while large rotary drum granulators reach 75–160 kW at 20–50 t/h. Power is usually a small share of running cost compared with the dryer, which is the largest energy user in a wet granulation line.
Why are my pellets breaking during drying?
Three usual causes: too little binder, feed moisture too high so the pellet has a soft core, or a dryer inlet temperature above about 250 °C which flashes moisture out too quickly and cracks the pellet. Reducing the feed rate and drying more gently usually solves it.
Related equipment and solutions
Disc Granulator
Disc granulators (pan granulators) produce round organic fertilizer pellets with a granulation rate up to 93%. Models …
Read more →Rotary Drum Granulator
Rotary drum granulators for compound and organic fertilizer, using steam, water or slurry agglomeration. Design parame…
Read more →Double Roller Granulator
Double roller granulators press dry compound and NPK powder into pellets with no binder and no dryer. Pellet rate abov…
Read more →Wet Granulation Machine
Wet granulation machines for organic fertilizer: disc, pan, rotary drum and wet mixing granulators compared, with thei…
Read more →Dry Granulation Machine
Dry granulation machines form fertilizer pellets by pressure alone, with no water, no steam and no dryer. Two machine …
Read more →
Fertilizer Production Lines
Complete fertilizer production lines from 1 to 50 t/h: organic, bio-organic, compound, NPK and bulk blending (BB) plan…
Read more →
Inquiry
Tell us about your project
Send your raw material, target capacity and country. Our engineers reply within one working day with a process route, equipment list and budget.
✓
Thank you — your inquiry has been sent. Our team will reply within one working day.
Ready to turn your waste into fertilizer?
Send us your raw material and target capacity — we will propose the process, the machines and the budget.