A good pellet system of animal feeds needs to have a regulated supply of steam, which is essential to a good pelleting operation. In fact, it doesn’t matter what kind of conditioner you have if the quality of steam is poor. Steam conditioning is a very important element in achieving high quality pellets and elevating production rates at a low cost. The use of steam can increase the production of a pellet mill in almost all feeds. 

Conditioning the feed is an important part of feed processing. When mash feed passes through the conditioner, it is exposed to high pressure steam. This steam provides the heat and moisture required for starch gelatinisation, particles adhesion and removal of pathogens in the mash. The steam temperature, the steam quality and retention time in the conditioner are three important factors that can influence pellet quality, defined with the so-called pellet durability index (PDI) and the hardness level of the pellet.