Patent DE-102012018991-A1 (DE)
Title: Producing feed block for animals, comprises e.g. discharging, conveying dry premixture to dry mixer, mixing active ingredient and premixture to obtain homogeneous mixture, calculating target flow rate and discharging homogeneous suspension
Inventor: HILLYER NIGEL JOHN
IPC: A23K10/33
Filed: 2012-09-27
Abstract: Producing a feed block for animals according to a predetermined formulation of components in an apparatus, comprises: e.g. (a1) discharging and conveying the dry premix from the first drying funnel to the dry mixer; (b1) mixing the active ingredient (G) and the dry premixture in the dry mixer to obtain homogeneous dry mixture; (c1) calculating a target flow rate of the premixture; (d1) mixing the substantially homogeneous dry mixture and the wet premixture in slurry mixer (N) into a substantially homogeneous slurry; and (e1) discharging the homogeneous suspension into the dosing device. Producing a feed block for animals according to a predetermined formulation of components in an apparatus comprising (i) a first dryer feeder comprising a first drying funnel, which is filled with a dry premixture, in a dry feed zone, a first material handling system, and a second dryer feeder comprising a second drying funnel, which is filled with an active ingredient (G), and a second material handling system, (ii) a dry mixer and a lower funnel (K) downstream to the drier mixer in a dry mixing zone downstream to the dry feed zone, (iii) a first liquid feeder comprising a first liquid feeder device and a first liquid tank, which is filled with a wet premixture comprising a liquid by-product and a liquid additive, in a liquid feed zone, (iv) a slurry mixer (N) downstream to the dry-mixing zone and the liquid feeder zone, and (v) a dosing device downstream to the slurry mixer, comprises: (a1) discharging and conveying the dry premix from the first drying funnel to the dry mixer through the first material handling system, (a2) measuring the total weight of the dry premixture in the dry mixer, (a3) calculating a target weight of active ingredient, which are transported in the dry mixer, in which the target weight of the active ingredient and the total weight of the dry premixture in the step (a3) are constitutively proportional to the predetermined formulation of components, (a4) discharging and conveying the active ingredient from the second drying funnel to the dry mixer through the second material handling system, (a5) either measuring the weight loss of the active ingredient in the second drying funnel during the step (a4) and initiating the adjustment of the step (a4) when the weight loss of the active ingredient corresponds to the target weight of active ingredient calculated in the step (a3), or measuring the weight of the dry matter in the dry mixer and initiating the adjustment of the step (a4) when the weight of dry material in the dry mixer corresponds to the sum of the target weight of the active ingredient calculated in the step (a3) and the total weight of the dry premixture calculated in the step (a2); (b1) mixing the active ingredient and the dry premixture in the dry mixer to obtain homogeneous dry mixture, (b2) discharging the homogeneous dry mixture in the lower funnel, (b3) measuring the weight of the homogeneous dry mixture in the lower funnel, (b4) discharging and conveying the substantially homogeneous dry mixture from the lower funnel in the slurry mixer, (b5) measuring the weight loss rate of the substantially homogeneous dry mixture in the lower funnel during step (b4); (c1) calculating a target flow rate of the premixture, in which the target flow rate of the wet premixture and measured rate of weight loss of the substantially homogeneous dry mixture in the step (b5) are proportional to the predetermined formulation of constitutive components, (c2) discharging and conveying the wet premixture from the first liquid tank into the slurry mixer with an actual flow rate, (c3) measuring the actual flow rate of the wet premixture, (c4) continuously adjusting the actual flow rate to achieve the target flow rate; (d1) mixing the substantially homogeneous dry mixture and the wet premixture in slurry mixer into a substantially homogeneous slurry; and (e1) discharging the substantially homogeneous suspension into the dosing device, (e2) portion-wise dosing of substantially homogeneous slurry of the dosing device into receptacle, and (e3) cooling the substantially homogeneous slurry in each receptacle to form a feed block for animals.