On-site pelleting: Krone presents the world's first pellet harvester

Krone Premos 5000 is the name of the world's first mobile pellet harvester that produces pellets as it picks the stalks from the swath. The pellets are then conveyed by a belt to a trailer which hauls them directly to the retail customers who use them as feedstuff, bedding and fuel.

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Derived from the Latin word 'premere' (pressing), Premos 5000 has a hopper capacity of 5,000 kg (up to 9 m³) and an output of up to 5,000 kg/h which is 3 to 5 times the output of most of today's pelleting systems.

This is how pelleting works: The material is picked up by the 2.35 m pick-up, then a rotor feeds it to a conveyor belt that offers an 800mm flow width. The belt feeds the material through two rollers (800mm wide, 800mm diameter) which act as ring dies with rows of teeth alternating with rows of holes. The rollers work together pressing the material into the holes and the 16 mm diameter extrusion molds. The finished pellets are then fed by augers inside the rollers on to a conveyor belt which takes them to a hopper that is integrated here. This innovative system eliminates any energy-intensive pre-treatment (chopping, milling). In fact, the energy demand is just half the demand required by stationary pelleting systems.

Pelleting generates temperatures of 80°C and pressures of up to 2,000 bar. In these conditions, the moisture content is 12-15 % which allows the material to form lasting pellets. In material where moisture levels are low, operators can spray the material with small amounts of water or molasses to encourage effective bonding. They can also use an integral intelligent wetting system which maintains an optimum moisture level.

For this reason, the pellets made by Premos are as easy to handle as heating oil. At a 600-700kg/m³ bulk density (3 to 4 times the density of straw bales), an amount of 2.5 kg pellets substitutes for about 1 kg of heating oil, a rate that translates into massive savings in comparison with oil and other fossil fuels.

Naturally, it is possible to use the pellets also for bedding and as feedstuff. Experience shows that 250 g of straw pellets absorb about 1 l of water which means that manure volumes can be reduced by about 40 %. Pellets are rich in crude fibres and make good animal feed. They also offer the advantage of being easy to dose. In addition, being heated to 80°C they are germ-free.

Summary: Premos 5000 (System Kalverkamp) is the world's first full pellet harvester which produces pellets from stalks and stems right in the field. The machine harnesses renewable resources and secondary raw materials and helps reduce CO2 pollution. Another advantage of Premos 5000 is the fact that it can also be used outside the harvest season, if buyers opt for a bale splitter for stationary use all year round.

Furthermore, the machine operates extremely efficiently. It uses only half the energy normally used for pellet production by stationary plants. Secondly, designed to the concept of a tanker harvester that produces the pellets at the moment of harvest, the machine takes the stress out of logistics as it eliminates the entire and complex harvest chain (baling, bale collection, haulage, handling, storage and pelleting).