Shrimp and tilapia extrusion line — Ecuador
Anonymized reference project: an Ecuadorian aquafeed producer needed one line to make sinking shrimp micro-pellets and floating tilapia feed. The two products pull the extruder in opposite directions, so the requirement had to fix the split before any supplier could quote sensibly.
- Ecuador
- Country
- Aquafeed (shrimp micro-pellet + tilapia floating)
- Category
- 8 t/h extruded · 48,000 t/year
- Scale
- 3
- Reference outcomes
Load requirements
Design loads used to size housing, utilities and equipment.
Results
Representative KPIs achieved on projects of this scope.
Challenges and how they were resolved
What went wrong in the first definition of the requirement, and what changed before suppliers quoted.
Floating tilapia feed needs high expansion; shrimp micro-pellets need density and water stability. A single die and knife configuration cannot serve both well.
ResolutionThe requirement fixed two die/knife sets, a defined 45-minute changeover and separate throughput guarantees per product, so offers were scored on both duties rather than the easy one.
Trial pellets disintegrated inside 90 minutes, below the buyer's farm requirement and a direct feed-conversion loss in the pond.
ResolutionPreconditioner retention time and binder dosing were specified, and 2-hour water stability became an acceptance test at commissioning, not a marketing claim.
The originally quoted atmospheric coater limited oil to about 5%, which forced expensive formulation workarounds.
ResolutionA vacuum coater was moved into the base scope after the additive cost planner showed the formulation penalty exceeded the equipment delta within two years.
The numbers
Indicative capital and operating figures for a project of this scope. Ranges, not quotations.
| Indicative CAPEX | USD 6.1M–7.4M |
| Conversion cost | USD 41.20/t extruded |
| Energy | 128 kWh/t including drying |
| Coating delta | +USD 380,000 CAPEX, −USD 9.10/t formulation cost |
| Payback on coater | 1.7 years at 48,000 t/year |
Representative outcomes
- One extruder specified for two products with defined changeover time
- Water stability and buoyancy written as guaranteed acceptance figures
- Post-extrusion coating scoped for a 9% oil inclusion target
Run these numbers yourself
Background reading
- Aquafeed Extrusion: Floating, Sinking and Micro-Pellet FeedHow extrusion parameters control floating, sinking and micro-pellet aquafeed — expansion, density, water stability, drying capacity and vacuum coating.
- Poultry Feed Mill vs Aquafeed Mill: Key DifferencesWhy poultry and aquafeed mills are different plants: grinding, conditioning, forming, drying, coating, water stability and quality control.
- Premix, Additives and Dosing Systems in Feed MillsHow premix and micro-dosing systems work, what accuracy classes mean in practice, and how traceability requirements shape the design.
Note: This case study is an anonymized reference scenario. Specific client identities, contract values and commercial terms are withheld under NDA. Figures reflect typical outcomes for projects of this scope and are not a guarantee for your project.