Fw: Hay Pelletizer / Biomass Machine follow-up (2)

[Snow Ranch]

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But then I switched over in favor of an expanded rotary design.   A six-foot, single extrusion row, propane tank unit would have 102 holes/ plate x 12 plates...or 1,224 holes.

 

My rotary design below has only 416 holes in comparison, but the overall design is far simpler to set up on PTO with a junkyard axle, shafts, bearings, and some welded plate.

 

 

(Mounting holes are not drilled on the corners until the last minute when prototype is being assembled.

A 2" hole is left for the axle shaft and some variance.  Plate is 12" x 12" square to avoid lathing a circle.

Rollers can run around the circle and unit will just have square corners in all.)

 

 

Machining Costs:

 

Extruder plate 12x12", annealed 303 stainless steel
$1140.70, delivered in 28 days or $3987.33 delivered in 14 days.

 

Since not a mass production unit, I'd go with just purchase of plate stock and self-drilling or hiring a local machine shop on it.  Just drilling on a 1 square foot plate is all it is.  I'm trying to keep things simple and cheap to build here.  No exotic cuts, square broaching, sinker EDM, CNC, and all that.  

Do-It-Yourself Materials:

 

1/2" thick T304 Stainless Steel....12"x12", $158.30

or

1/2 inch THICK  A36 Steel Plate....12x12"   $26.34  (Will rust, though, but not if heavily used. One can always change the plates.)