Rotary Drum Granulator for Fertilizer Production
The drum granulator turns powder raw materials into round, uniform granules by rolling agglomeration: liquid binder is dosed onto the rotating material bed, fine particles stick together and grow into granules ready for drying and screening. Pro Makina engineers the granulation drum together with its dosing and recycle circuit.
How Drum Granulation Works
Inside the rotating drum the powder bed tumbles continuously. Water, steam or a binder solution is sprayed onto the bed through a dosing lance; wetted particles collide, stick and layer into growing granules. Drum slope and rotation speed set the retention time, while the spray pattern and liquid-to-solid ratio control the granule size distribution.
Fresh granules are still moist and mechanically weak, so the granulator is always followed by a dryer, a cooler and screens: on-spec granules go to coating and bagging, oversize is crushed and returned, undersize is recycled directly. Granulation quality is therefore a property of the whole loop — which is why we design the loop, not just the drum.
Typical Products Granulated
- NPK compound fertilizers from powder raw materials
- Organomineral fertilizers combining organic matter with mineral nutrients
- Compost-based granular fertilizers and soil conditioners
- Processed manure granules
- Mineral powders requiring dust-free, free-flowing granular form
Technical Features
Retention control
Drum diameter, length, slope and speed calculated for the target granule growth.
Binder dosing
Pump and spray lance systems for water, steam or nutrient solutions with flow control.
Internal lining options
Anti-stick lining and scraper solutions for adhesive organic formulations.
Recycle integration
Screen and crusher circuit balancing on-spec output and stable granulation.
Drive and mechanics
Riding rings, rollers and gear or friction drive for continuous duty.
Automation
Liquid dosing loops and drum speed control tied to feed rate for stable product size.
Data Required for Granulator Design
| Design input | Role in the calculation |
|---|---|
| Raw material formulation | Binder selection, stickiness, lining and spray design |
| Target granule size (mm) | Retention time and drum speed window |
| Capacity (t/h product) | Drum volume including recycle stream |
| Available binder / liquid | Dosing system and liquid-solid ratio |
| Downstream dryer capacity | Moisture budget of the granulation loop |
Granulation behaviour is material-specific; pilot trials can be arranged before final sizing where formulations are new.
Why Pro Makina
Manufactured in Turkey
Design and fabrication are carried out in our own facility in Eskişehir, Turkey, with full in-house engineering control.
Project-based engineering
Every machine is sized around your raw material, moisture content and capacity target — not sold from a fixed catalogue.
Export experience
We prepare international technical proposals, shipping documentation and commissioning support for overseas projects.
Single point of responsibility
Process design, fabrication, automation and commissioning are managed by one engineering team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What granule size can the drum produce?
Commercial fertilizer granulation typically targets 2–4 mm; the achievable distribution depends on the formulation and binder. The screen circuit ensures only on-spec product leaves the line.
Can compost be granulated without mineral additives?
Compost-based granulation usually requires a binder and careful moisture control; depending on the target product, mineral nutrient addition improves both agronomic value and granule strength. We evaluate this per formulation.
Is a disc (pan) granulator an alternative?
For some capacities and formulations, yes. Drum granulators handle higher tonnages and recycle streams more robustly; disc granulators offer tighter size control at smaller scale. We advise based on your product and capacity.
What comes after the granulator?
A rotary dryer, a rotary cooler, screening with oversize crushing, optional coating, and bagging. We design this complete granulation loop as one process.
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Share Your Project Details
Send us your raw material, capacity and process data. Our engineering team will review your requirements and prepare a project-specific technical proposal.
Rotary Drum Granulator for Fertilizer Production
Final dimensions, capacity and drive power are determined per project, based on your raw material analysis, moisture content and process calculations.