Capacity basis
How to size feed mill capacity before you request quotations
Short answer
Work backwards from demand, not from supplier catalogues. Take peak monthly tonnage, divide by realistic operating hours, apply a derate for your hardest recipe and smallest pellet diameter, add changeover and downtime losses, then add growth headroom. The result is your required effective capacity. Convert it into one written capacity basis — reference recipe, pellet diameter, moisture, operating hours and guaranteed rate — and require every supplier to quote against that same basis. Without it, quoted TPH figures from different suppliers describe different plants.
Questions buyers ask
Should capacity be quoted as nominal or guaranteed?
Require both. Nominal capacity describes the equipment under favourable reference conditions; guaranteed capacity is what the supplier commits to at your stated recipe and pellet diameter, with a defined test method at commissioning.
How much growth headroom should I plan for?
There is no universal figure. A frequent approach is to size buildings, civil works and storage layout for a future step while ordering the process line for present demand plus a defined margin, so expansion does not require rebuilding the site.
What is the most common capacity mistake?
Comparing a nominal rate from one supplier with a guaranteed rate from another. They are different numbers measured under different conditions, and the cheaper-looking proposal is often the one quoted under the most favourable assumptions.
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Most capacity disputes after commissioning trace back to a missing definition at RFQ stage. This guide sets the method for fixing capacity before any supplier is approached.
Define this capacity in a structured RFQStep 1 — Establish real demand
- Current and projected tonnage per species and feed type
- Peak month, not average month
- Share of mash, pellet and crumble
- Pellet diameters and their share of volume
- Internal consumption versus commercial sales
Step 2 — Fix the operating model
- Hours per day, days per week, weeks per year
- Planned maintenance windows
- Realistic availability assumption (never 100%)
- Number of recipe changeovers per shift and flushing requirements
Step 3 — Apply derates before choosing a band
- Small pellet diameters reduce press throughput significantly
- High-fibre and high-fat recipes reduce achievable rate
- Fine grinding can shift the bottleneck to the hammer mill
- Hot, humid ambient conditions limit the cooler and therefore the line
- Post-pelleting liquid application and screening add their own constraints
Step 4 — Write one capacity basis into the RFQ
- Reference recipe, pellet diameter, conditioning temperature and target moisture
- Guaranteed capacity at that reference and expected capacity on the hardest recipe
- Separate rated capacities for intake, grinding, mixing, pelleting, cooling and load-out
- The test method and acceptance criteria for capacity at commissioning
Capacity bands and where they usually sit
| Band | Indicative annual tonnage | Typically considered by |
|---|---|---|
| 5 TPH | 12,000–30,000 t | Single-site producers, regional mills, first commercial plant |
| 10 TPH | 25,000–60,000 t | Growing integrators, mid-size commercial mills |
| 20 TPH | 50,000–120,000 t | Multi-species integrators, established commercial producers |
| 50 TPH | 125,000–300,000 t | Large integrations, national feed producers, export-oriented plants |
Ranges depend entirely on shifts, uptime, recipe mix and pellet diameters. Use them for orientation, then size from your own demand data.
Questions buyers ask
Should capacity be quoted as nominal or guaranteed?
How much growth headroom should I plan for?
What is the most common capacity mistake?
Continue the decision
Define this capacity in a structured RFQ
Write the requirement once and send the same document to every supplier you are considering, including one you already prefer. FeedMatch sells nothing and takes no part in the contract.
Define this capacity in a structured RFQScope and neutrality
- FeedMatch Group is an independent, supplier-neutral procurement platform. It does not manufacture, install or commission feed-processing equipment and is not an EPC contractor.
- FeedMatch does not sell feed, ingredients, premixes or additives and does not act as a trader.
- FeedMatch is not a bank, lender, credit provider or financial adviser. Financing, where relevant, is arranged by independent third parties.
- Calculator outputs and planning ranges on this site are indicative inputs for your own evaluation, not quotations, nutritional advice or performance guarantees.