Topic: Drying-grinding machine (AS-4)
Question 1. How long this machine had been manufactured and operated? If it was created not long ago – do we have the higher risk of its breakdown?
Response: The experimental model had been designed in 2005, thus, AS had been examined enough in principal. Except this, the main grinding joint of AS-4 had been verified around-the-clock for many years. To prove that: we can give the warranty of 3 years and more on the machine AS-4 for the additional payment. Onto February 01, 2012 we had manufactured 40 machines, supplied 37 machines, and among them 30 had been operating successfully.
Our machine had been operated at our site inPskovfrom February 2009. First realized project (Gornozavodsk) started in August 2009. Also see the section “Opinions”
Question 2. What is the maintenance duration of the grinding parts of the drying-grinding machine (AS) and where to buy them?
Response: The maintenance duration of the grinding parts depends from the quality of the used raw materials. They can process to 2500 tons of the carpenters wastes and chipped wood into ready pellets and briquettes, and 500 tons and more of the bark raw material. For example: At the factory in Yurje one set of hammers had been operated for 6 months with the production capacity in 350 …. 500 tons per month. We supply the component parts on a constant basis, except this – they could be manufactured by the Purchaser themselves. The required drawing is included into the machine manual.
Question 3. We are XXXX km apart from you. Which spare parts for AS will be required with the time being, where and how to obtain them?
Response: Except the grinding parts, in course of time you have to replace or reinstall the bumper decks of rotor (approximately in 4 years), rotor shaft bearing, rubber ends on blades of the rotary dischargers and the impeller sizing screen. Practically all the parts except the impeller of the sizing screen could be self maintained; moreover all the spare parts could be also supplied by us. The cost of such parts is such insignificant in ratio to the economic efficiency of the pellets, briquettes, wood flour production and other products that it could be neglected.
Question4. Inyour advertising it was indicated that AS has a higher energy efficiency than the drying-grinding line based on the drying drum and hammer grinder, as a example we take ABM-1,5. We made the calculations ourselves but could not find the difference. Probably, we left out of consideration something else, didn’t we?
Response: The summarized connected power of the machine AS-4-1000 operating on sawdust intakes 104 kW, on wood chips is 139 kW, the total line ABM-1,5 consumes 140,5 and 198,5 kW correspondingly. Therefore the electricity saving will be 26 and 30% accordingly (you can calculate per year). As we say, no comments. Also see the description of AS in the products catalogue and chapter in the article “Useful Information”.
Question 5. Is AS able to produce the wood flour of 180 types (or any other type) with the humidity of 2% for the wood-polymers composites?
Response: Yes, it is able. Moreover, the required size of particles of wood flour could be fixed from the control board without stopping the machine!
Question 6. What is the specific consumption of the power in the production of wood flour?
Response: Following the official information of the equipment manufacturers of the drying-grinding of wood flour – AS is the most energy saving equipment for such production for today. Particularly, the power consumption for the humid wood flour production of 180 type will be near 240 kWh/t. To compare: The producers of the impeller mill notify that their machinery consumes 300 kWh/t. For hammer grinding machine 600….1000 kWh/t is the standard.
Question 7. Is the AS potential to grind and dry the straw (peat, corn ears, cane, bulrush, flax shive, tomato halm, plant sapropel, humid sunflower pellets, lignin)?
Response: Yes, it does. The AS shows the highest efficiency of the peat and lignin grinding and drying.
Question 8. What should be the initial relative humidity of wood for AS to start operation?
Response: Any. We tried to grind and dry the wood chips being lifted from the water – and had success. Naturally the efficiency of the machine upon that was also nominal.
Question 9. How many persons need to operate the AS?
Response: One person. Now we had elaborated the control computer system which will exclude this operator too.
Question 10. Do you make the maintenance service of the AS?
Response: Yes, we do. But till today all the consumers had maintained AS themselves, nobody applied regarding this matter.
Question 11. Some of your competitors state that the real efficiency of AS is significantly less of the declared. Is that true?
Response: No, this is not true. As a rule, in our documentation we ought to indicate the lower efficiency, but making the installation and operation of the line following the manual, we found the real efficiency would be usually higher of that declared for 10 …. 20%. That could be proved by numerous instruments and comments of the Consumers. You will find confirmation visiting the several active plants. Regarding the competitors manifests - ask them to designate the facts (addresses of the plants with lower declared capacity).
Topic: Equipment specification.
Question 1. What are the fire hazards of your equipment?
Response: Due to the use of AS in processing the biomass - the fire hazards of the total production of the pellets, briquettes, wood flour, feed pellets and other products had been decreased to minimum. The construction and flow chart of the machinery provides that.
Question 2. Is it possible to produce the pellets (briquettes) of European standards with your machinery?
Response: We give the warranty that all produced pellets and briquettes will correspond to the most rigid European standards complying the technology and use of raw materials conditions.
In other words: our equipment completely provides such quality indicators of the pellets and briquettes as humidity, density and other physical properties. As far as the initial raw material properties do not deteriorate, so such indicators as a heat capacity, ash content and other chemical properties will correspond to the quality of the initial raw materials. You can check that by yourself visiting our factory inPskovor one of our Customers active production, welcoming for a guided tour.
Question 3. Which types of press (presses of what manufacturer) do you usually assemble on your factories?
Response: That depends from the desirable capacity of the plant or other requirements.
With the plant capacity producing to 4 t/hour of pellets we, as a rule, offer the pressure machines of our own manufacture (exclusion will be the German dies). With the capacity exceeding 4 t/hour, we would offer to assemble the best import pressures and dies produced by company “CPM” (Netherlands). Collecting sets for briquettes plant we, first of all, would advise the power presses of a world known leader in this sphere and our partner – the company C.F.Nielsen (Denmark).
Question 4. Is that true that all domestic presses for wood pelletizing had been reconverted from the pressure machines pelletizing feed or grass flour?
Response: Yes, it is true. But pronouncing that fact some of the machinery Sellers blow things out of proportion and misinform the Consumers. The myth consists in the fact that not only domestic presses but also the imported had been initially elaborated for palletizing the feed stuff, grass and etc. Is that a problem? Certainly, not. Only the beginner could believe in that myth being not well aware of the pelletizing technology. The truth is that there is no difference between the pelletizing of grass, feed stuff, sawdust and any other biomass. Simply wood is more hard to pelletize, the load on press is much higher. Two resolutions exist: otherwise the press output or durability of its details should be increased, or on the contrary, the supply of raw materials should be less, i.e. the power of press expands to the safe level on the details loading. That is!!! Think – who stand to gain the myth – and it became clear for you!
Question 5. What should be the area required for the equipment?
Response: That depends from the several factors: 1) plant capacity 2) type of installation 3) scheme of equipment location. At first, obtain the overall sizes of the typical line among the big number of the variants offered by us. Doing this, you have to consider that the occupied area for the pelletizing lines will depend from the height of the room. The higher is the area, the less would be the location territory. The precise dimensions will be clarified during the design preparation according to your specification.
Question 6. Is it possible to pelletize peat (straw, flax shive, grass, hull, lignin and etc.) on your equipment?
Response: Our equipment can pelletize any organic raw materials (biomass). It is harder to pelletize the wood especially of the deciduous types. That is why the capacity of the equipment on peat, hull and other raw materials is higher of the nominal. If you would like to observe practically the pelletizing process of your raw materials, you must supply 3…4 m3of the desired raw materials to our factory inPskovand we show you the whole process at your presence. Now we have difficulties only with the raw materials containing phenol-formaldehyde resins (waste of wood board and etc.)
Question 7. Could the line be installed in the unheated room?
Response: Yes, it could. But, operating in the negative temperatures the thermostats should be installed in the control boards.
Question 8. How many operators are required for the service of the whole line?
Response: That depends from its capacity and type of the machinery units. At first see the flow sheet of the different schemes. “Green figures” are the operators.
Question 9. The offered equipment by the companies “A” (“Э”) seems to be equivalent to your machinery. What are the principal differences and what are the advantages of your equipment?
Response: Our factories are running– this is the main distinction. All things! We can prove that!
Topic: Delivery terms.
Question 1. Could you supply the equipment on leasing?
Response: Yes, this is possible. Detailed information you can see in our catalogue.
Question 2. Could you supply the equipment abroad ofRussia?
Response: Yes, we can deliver the equipment to any place. The comprehensive geography you can observe at page “Our works”.
Question 3. What are the terms of the equipment manufacturing?
Response: The term lasts usually 3 months (for the machine AS - 2 months). If we accepted several orders and a big capacity plant (4 and more t/hour) than the term of the manufacturing could be extended to 4 and even 6 months. But the equipment can be delivered by parts; first batch will be supplied in a month from the moment of its manufacture starting. Except that, we usually provide the groundwork drawings to the Customers during the first month, the foundation flooring could be done during the followed supplies of the machinery. Thus the time will be saved.
Question 4. Is it possible to make payments by the finished goods?
Response: Theoretically it is possible, as far as the briquettes, pellets, wood flour are highly disposable goods. But practically, unlikely because not marginal. Do not forget that for the equipment manufacturing you need finance. If you did not financing, than we must find that source, i.e. you offer us to provide the credit-financial activity. It is not our function. Except this, take into consideration the transport forwarding expenses which make the sales of the finished products better as close as possible to the production. From our side it might be possible to relieve the amount of the first advance payment for to ease your finance burden.
Question 5. What are the approximate expenses for the delivery of the equipment?
Response: Delivery depends from the capacity and completing units of plant and also your place of location. To be oriented: the sets of the assembling units producing 1 t/hour based on the machine AS-4 will fit 2 trucks12 meterslong. The approximate transportation cost amounts 30 Rubles/km.
Topic: Installation, assembling, training, excursions and seminars.
Question 1. Do you have the facilities to make the front end engineering designs, installations (supervision) and commissioning and start-up the production?
Response: Yes, we do. Moreover we are specialized on making it. But, in case of the significant distance proximity of the Customer (especially abroad), it makes economic sense to involve a domestic specialized installation company for the commissioning and operating of the machinery at place of plant location. In this regard we provide the required documentation. Except this, one should take into consideration that the assembling of the equipment runs up to 97%, so the installation works are not the topical issue. Main target is strictly to follow the demands and directions stated in the equipment specifications.
Question 2. How can we see the machinery and (or) observe the factory, if yes, than where?
Response: Start to examine the pictures gallery (section “Our work”) and video films. You can also see the samples of wood pellets and working factory in Pskov (as per booking: last Tuesday of each month – free of charge, any other working day – for a fee, this fee will be credited in case of the contract assignment on machinery and our services). Also you can visit factories in other regions, includingUkraineandBelarus. For another thing, follow the announcements at our websites. Together with our partners we organize regularly seminars and tours toEuropetoo.
Topic: Economics.
Question 1. Would you purchase the pellets and briquettes produced by us on your machinery?
Response: “SpiKo” factory is the producer of the machinery, so we do not purchase pellets and briquettes. But we can provide not only the purchasers information of the briquettes and pellets inEurope, but also the open offers from the serious European purchasers. Naturally, if you acquire the machinery from us.
Question 2. Do you help in estimation of the economic value of the wood pellets production (briquettes, wood flour, feed pellets)?
Response: The simple calculation program of economic profit of the pelletizing production could be downloaded from the page “Files”. Also you can purchase the ready made business plans from us, more fundamental estimations we advise to be provided by our Partner – LLC “Portal-engineering”.
Topic: Miscellaneous
Question 1. What would be better to produce – briquettes or pellets?
Response: Better to produce briquettes and pellets and produce them in multi quantities! If to be serious the answer won’t be quite so simplistic! First of all market orientation is very important. Easy to sell the pellets to the biggest Consumers (boilers, TPP and etc), but the private consumers (cottages, furnaces, saunas, chimneys) prefer the briquettes. Secondly, you have to proceed with the existing volumes of the raw materials, if the volume forms 2 t/hour, then more expedient will be the pellets production. If the initial product quantity will be 1,5 t/hour the briquettes choice is evident. Also the production of wood flour and wooden-polymer composites (“Slurry pulp”) would be more attractive due to higher commercial viability. Specially this would be challenging for the enterprises located far apart from Europe, because pellets and briquettes mainly purchased by the European market, and wood particles compressed into mouldings with resin could be sold in full volume domestically not depending from the place of the production location. One more growth of this business is the production of the charcoal from the briquettes. The earning capacity is more durable, the sales are secured (see details in the section “Useful information”). And at last we have the ready-made solution – plant producing both the briquettes and pellets.
Question 2. How to become your representative (dealer)?
Response: As far as this point became very popular we had decided to devote the whole web site page, see “About the factory – representatives”.
