Capacity upgrade 12 → 25 t/h — Brazil
Anonymized reference project: a Paraná broiler integrator outgrew its own mill and had to decide between a second line and a bottleneck-led upgrade of the existing one. The requirement was defined before suppliers were approached, which changed the answer.
- Brazil
- Country
- Feed milling (broiler grower + finisher)
- Category
- 12 t/h existing → 25 t/h · brownfield
- 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.
Production assumed the pellet press was the constraint. Amp logging showed the press ran at 71% of rated load while the hammer mill and cooler saturated first.
ResolutionThe requirement was rewritten around grinding capacity, conditioner retention time and cooler air volume — the press stayed. Suppliers quoted an upgrade, not a replacement.
The mill supplied 2.1 million birds per week with only nine days of finished-feed cover.
ResolutionThe scope was split into two phased shutdowns with pre-assembly off-line, and the RFQ made the phased schedule a scored evaluation criterion rather than an afterthought.
Higher throughput at the same cooler air volume risked over-drying and a measurable yield loss on finished feed.
ResolutionCooler air volume and discharge temperature were specified as guaranteed performance figures, tested at acceptance rather than assumed.
The numbers
Indicative capital and operating figures for a project of this scope. Ranges, not quotations.
| Upgrade CAPEX | USD 2.6M–3.1M |
| Cost per added t/h | USD ~220,000 |
| Conversion cost | USD 15.10/t after upgrade, from USD 18.40/t |
| Energy | 36 kWh/t, from 43 kWh/t |
| Payback | 2.4 years on conversion-cost saving alone |
Representative outcomes
- Bottleneck analysis moved spend from a new line to grinding, conditioning and cooling
- Upgrade delivered inside 14 shutdown days across two phases
- Capacity gained at roughly one third of new-line CAPEX
Run these numbers yourself
Background reading
- How to Plan a Commercial Feed Mill ProjectA step-by-step planning sequence for commercial feed mill projects: demand, capacity, process choice, utilities, storage, automation, budget and RFQ readiness.
- What Affects Feed Mill OPEX?Operating cost drivers in feed mills: electrical energy per tonne, thermal energy, wear parts, labour, raw material strategy, packaging and logistics.
- How Feed Quality Affects FCR and Farm ProfitabilityThe link between feed processing quality and feed conversion: particle size, pellet durability, fines, water stability and the economics of a small FCR change.
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.