The FILTREX Briquette Machine Solutions
With the global experience of over 1000 briquetting press and more than 40 years of plant engineering, Filtrex Engineering partnering with Höcker Polytechnik and C.F. Nielsen can provide a briquetteing solution in the small to medium scale.
In 2009 Agri-bio approached Filtrex with a problem of straw. Niall of Agri-bio is a tillage farmer who was getting a very low price on baled straw. Niall came to Filtrex wanting to increase the value of his straw by turning it into a retail product. This retail product is Strogs or Straw Logs, which are briquetted straw logs. Strogs can be burned in any stove and are a carbon neutral product, perfect for the green-savvy consumer.
Filtrex have the expertise to develop a system, in conjunction with international suppliers, which would automate a briquetting process.Filtrex carried out feasbility studies on the system to ensure that there was a good business case for the system. Filtrex then set about designing the custom system to the needs of Agri-bio.
Raw material of baled straw is fed into a hopper/conveyor system and the automated process begins. Hammermill, shredding, silos fans and the briquette press all work automatically to produce a straw briquette which is then cut and packaged into a retail bag complete with label and handle. The entire system is automated to reduce labour costs.
Briquetting is a process where the chosen raw material is compressed under high pressure. With a Neilsen mechanical briquetting press this pressure is in excess on 30,000PSI. If the raw material is wood, straw, miscanthus, the natural lignin content is liberated under this pressure thus binding the material into a briquette.
The high pressure during the briquetting generates a temperature increase up to 140deg C as it exits the die head causing the moisture in the raw material to evaporate. High moisture contents should be avoided as steam pockets may build up during this process thus leading to expansion which will damage the finished briquette.
Mechanical vs. Hydraulic Briquetting Presses
CF Nielsen manufacture a range of Mechanical & Hydraulic briquetting presses. Hocker Polytechnik manufacture solely hydraulic presses.Hydraulic briquette presses are designed for small to medium quantities from 20kg – 400kg per hour.
Typical applications are in areas where there waste material is briquetted to save on landfill charges. Small hydraulic presses are only designed for operating a maximum of 7 hours per day. Filtrex has supplied a large number of these systems with clients such as:
Blanchardstown Institute of Technology.
