Welcome to the latest issue of Aquaculture Scoop. In this issue we take a look at Offshore law with an overview of the law and how it affect aquaculture. We look at stock protection and how a new revolutionary system is working. We also look at information on fish feeder technologies and a new innovation for Aquafeed.
Aquaculture Scoop is a magazine for aquaculture professionals worldwide Published by Nisa Media Ltd www.aquaculturedirectory.co.uk Find us on Facebook and Twitter www.twitter.com/aquaculturedire FISH FARM FEEDER SYSTEMS SL Read more on page 12 Stock protection: Pushing the boundaries Huon Aquaculture and Hvalpsund Net tackle the problem of seal attacks Offshore Law p.5 FFAZ Automatic Fish Feeder p.10 Issue 05 / April 2014 Offshore Law An overview of offshore law that affects aquaculture Stock protection Story: How seals attacks are being dealt with FFAZ Automatic Fish Feeder System development Innovation Aquafeed New Lean Mixing concept for Fish Feed Expo list Top events related to aquaculture from around the world, on p. 21-22 GLOBAL EVENTS: We list the world’s top industry events. PAGE 21 35
Transcript
Aquaculture Scoop is a magazine for aquaculture professionals worldwide
Published by Nisa Media Ltd
www.aquaculturedirectory.co.uk
Find us on Facebook and Twitter
www.twitter.com/aquaculturedire
FISH FARM FEEDER
SYSTEMS SLRead more on page 12
Stock protection:Pushing the boundaries
Huon Aquaculture and Hvalpsund Net tackle the problem of seal attacks
Offshore Law p.5 FFAZ Automatic Fish Feeder p.10
Issue 05 / April 2014
Offshore Law An overview of offshore law that affects aquaculture
Stock protection Story: How seals attacks are being dealt with
FFAZ Automatic Fish Feeder System development
Innovation Aquafeed New Lean Mixing concept for Fish Feed
Expo list Top events related to aquaculture from around the world, on p. 21-22
GLOBAL EVENTS:We list the world’s top industry events. PAGE 21
35
Seafood now provides more than half of the world's protein.
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SEAFOODROUNDUP
A new look for Aquaculture Scoop
Welcome to the latest issue of Aquaculture Scoop. In this issue we take a look at Offshore law with an overview of the law and how it affects aquaculture. We learn about stock protection and how a new revolutionary system is working to reduce the impact of seal attacks. We also look at information on fish feeder technologies and a new innovation for Aquafeed.
With many events coming up why not visit our website and download the latest wall planner.
Overview of International Law andTreaties that effect Offshore Aquacultureby Katherine Hawes, Aquarius Lawyers
What is meant by offshore aquaculture? When discussing the development of aquaculture, it is key to understand the different regulatory environment established by the convention of the law of the sea. The law of the sea settled the disputes about the extent of coastal states to claim sovereignty over the ocean waters. The convention divides the oceans into several jurisdictional zones which are subject to different legal regimes – the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf and the high seas.
The exclusive economic zone is the area in which offshore marine aquaculture will take place. This area is regulated by international law which states what regulations need to be complied with when considering development of offshore aquaculture.
LAW OF THE SEA
Whilst the Law of the Sea convention was not designed to be an environmental instrument, it does include International environmental controls which impact upon the development of offshore aquaculture. The main chapter dealing with marine environment is Part XII of the convention. Article 118 can be interpreted in a way that requires states to ensure that their farming practices do not threaten wild stocks or interfere with their conservation.
Article 192 of the convention imposes an obligation on coastal states to protect and preserve the marine environment – this means to take all measures necessary in order to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment, using the best means necessary within
their capabilities. Countries wishing to develop offshore aquaculture need to be aware of the pollution requirements and the impacts of aquaculture operations which can cause such pollution. The environmental controls of Part XII of law of the sea requires the coastal states to consider the environmental impact of aquaculture operations on the marine environment.
Articles 207-213 provide a list of requirements for states to adopt laws and regulations relating to the pollution of the marine environment. In addition states must ensure that their activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause pollution damaging the environment of other states. It is important to remember that pollution does recognise national boundaries. Therefore, Coastal states must ensure
Diagram of our maritime zones
Continental shelf
Exclusive economic zone
The Area
The High Seas
Territorial Sea
Contiguous zone
3nm 12nm 24nm 200nm 350nm (or 100nm from the 2500m isobath)State territory
3nm Coastal Waters
Terr
itor
ial s
ea b
asel
ine
Continental slope
Continental shelf
Continental rise Deep seabed
Common heritage of mankind(Claimable)Sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting non-living resources of sea-bed and subsoil, plus sedentary species
Sovereign rights for exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing living and non-living resources of the water, sea-bed and subsoil
Offshore Law
Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 06
that laws relating to the protection of the marine environment in order to secure development of offshore aquaculture do not lead to international disputes.
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS
With regard to the environmental aspects of marine aquaculture, several international conventions need to be taken into account:
The 1972 Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, better known as the Stockholm Declaration.
The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992, produced at the 1992 United Nations ‘Earth Summit’ comprises 27 principles intended to promote sustainable development around the world. During this meeting the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was introduced which is the most inclusive and prominent global tool dealing with the threats to marine and coastal biodiversity, and safeguarding, understanding and employing marine resources in a reasonable and eco-friendly manner.
The FAO Code of Conduct for Fisheries (1995) sets out principles and international standards of behavior for responsible practices aiming at maintaining effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources with a respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. The Code also governs the catch, processing and trade of fish and fishery products, fishing operations, aquaculture, fisheries research and the integration of fisheries into coastal area management.
Established in 1992, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Brazil, the United Nations Agenda 21 plan is a universal set of actions to be adopted by countries all over the world in order to protect the environment from the adverse effects of human intervention.
EUROPEAN LEGISLATION AND POLICIES
On a European scale, marine aquaculture is largely regulated by the regulations of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This policy brings together a range of measures designed to achieve a thriving and sustainable European fishing industry, which also includes aquaculture. The Commission has embarked on a CFP reform process (Green Paper, 2009) since the targets agreed in 2002 to reach sustainable fisheries that have not yet been fulfilled. With regard to the environmental aspects of marine aquaculture, several legislative documents are of importance:
The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) requires Member States to prepare national strategies to manage their seas to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by 2020. The
directive, inter alia, promotes the integration of environmental considerations into all relevant policy areas and delivers the environmental pillar of the integrated maritime policy for the European Union.
THE BIRDS AND HABITATS DIRECTIVES
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) is considered as a crucial ingredient of the water protection management within the river basins and focuses on coastal and inland waters. The WFD is a regulatory set of rules that elucidates and updates current water legislation by introducing common objectives within the EU for water (inland surface waters, transitional waters, coastal waters and groundwater) and establishes an integrated and coordinated approach to water management in Europe.
Katherine Hawes, Aquarius Lawyers
Katherine Hawes is the founder of Aquarius Lawyers and Aquarius Education, based in Sydney, Australia. With over 20 years' proven legal and business experience, Katherine's expertise lies in advising and representing organizations and businesses on issues pertaining to the marine environment. This includes aquaculture, marine and fisheries law, maritime security and marine resources management. Katherine is currently the legal counsel for the Association of International seafood professionals and is a director of the World Aquaculture Society. Due to her expertise, she is regularly asked to speak at large international conferences. To learn more about Katherine, visit the Aquarius website:
“a completely new direction that would improve safety for both fish and personnel”
killing the fish, as well as the impact of stress induced in the salmon by the seal attacks. Moreover the risk of attacks means that the company needs to have dedicated teams of staff patrolling the marine farm leases day and night in an attempt to keep seals away from the pens and off the collars, as well as employing extra personnel to release any seals that get into the pens. Not only is killing seals strictly forbidden in Australia, but any death of a seal would also be very negatively perceived by the public.
As a result, the company recognized that huge savings could be achieved by developing a better way to fence off the seals from attacking fish and to improve safety for personnel working on the farms. They had tried various net materials in the past, but with poor effect, and now they wanted to go into a
completely new direction that would improve safety for both fish and personnel.
Hvalpsund suggested a trial using the ultra-strong and light Dyneema® fibre for the nets – a material they have plenty of experience of working with. Some of the early tests showed that it was not enough just to spec up the twine size, however – finding the right combination of twine size and strength and combining both knotted and raschel knotless materials eventually proved to be the key. As no other salmon farm in the world had ever required nets with such high strength, the project was truly revolutionary.
“any death of a seal would also be very negatively perceived by the public. ”
By trialing different kinds of nets and pens Hvalpsund worked with HUON to determine the best system to keep seals
Stock protection: pushing the boundaries
Over the last three years Hvalpsund has been involved in developing a revolutionary new stock protection system for Huon Aquaculture (HUON). HUON is a vertically integrated company, farming, processing and selling premium quality Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout products to domestic and international markets. As the only 100 per cent Australian owned salmon farming business in Australia, HUON employs over 480 staff and will produce around 15,000T of salmon and trout this year.
HUON’s owners, Peter and Frances Bender approached the Danish net manufacturer at Aquanor back in 2011, as they wanted to find partners to develop a new system to keep out seals and birds. Seals, in particular, prove a real headache in Tasmania, costing the company in the region of $12-18 million AUD per year.
These costs come from direct losses caused by seals getting into the pen and
Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 09
Industry News
and birds away from the fish and feed. The key to the design is the use of an extra-wide, triple-collar stanchion that has specialised outer sockets to accommodate a seal fence post and bird net pole. The seal fence post allows an outer seal fence net surrounding the entire pen to rise 2.8 metres above the surface of the water.
The idea of the extra wide pen is to maintain a good degree of separation between the outer seal fence and the inner containment net. The outer seal fence net is made using 125mm black knotted Dyneema® with a breaking strength of over 1200 kg. It is also fitted with strong Dyneema® vertical ropes from which the sinker ring is suspended – by hanging the heavy sinker rings directly from the seal net it is kept as tight as possible all the time, which makes it more difficult for the seals to push the net or bite it.
The inner containment net is made with light yet strong Dyneema® which ensures good water flow through the pen and reduces fouling. As the outer seal net is permanently in place, the pen is kept as a safe work environment where daily operations or net changes can be done without the risk of seals attacking stock or personnel. The wide clearance between the outer seal net and inner containment net means that the nets can be cleaned using in situ net washers. The system also includes an ultra-light bird net that is suspended high above the surface by light, flexible poles.
“the outer seal net is permanently in place, the pen is kept as a safe work environment”
The specially - designed, injection moulded HDPE stanchions can be fitted
with walkway plates either between the inner collars or both collars. This design provides a safe working space for doing daily operations on the pens, even in bad weather. The advantage of using a pen made with only HDPE is that it requires far less maintenance than pens with steel components. HUON is also now investigating the potential for the pen stanchions to be constructed with injection-moulded nylon which, if successful, will make the stanchion even stronger.
The original trial has proved to be so successful that HUON has now decided to replace all their existing pens with the new system. However, the real benefit will not come into play until all the pens at the site are replaced – as long as some of the pens with the old design are still in use the seals will target these.
Hvalpsund Net sea farming department was established in the 1980’s and has since developed to become a supplier of total equipment solutions for land and sea based fish farming. The department’s main activity still is manufacture of cage nets, but the sale of related products such as float frames, mooring equipment and other kinds of related equipment grow every day.
Apart from the products we manufacture ourselves, Hvalpsund Net A/S has more than 7,000 product codes in stock so that any demand within the fishing and fish farming trades can be met.
You are welcome to contact our sales department for further information about these activities and other activities within Hvalpsund Net A/S.
Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 10
Fish Feeder
FFAZ Automatic Fish Feeder: System Development
Our automatic flexible fish feeders integrate seamlessly into aquaculture recirculation systems, positively impacting the overall farm economy and water quality.
We produce fish feeders of choice for ponds and pools, tailored to the relevant feed size for a variety of species including trout, carp, tilapia, catfish, koi and sturgeon.
Benefits to our customers fish:
In conventional aquaculture, the fish are fed automatically. A recirculation system equipped with a feed sprayer reduces water pollution and extends the life of the filtration system.
A modern aquaponic system is automated with an optimized automatic food dispenser.
The spreading unit considerably reduces both uneven growth and stress on feed intake.
Due to the significant savings, the feeder pays for itself in a short period of time.
Our feeders are developed with forward thinking and future proof advanced
technology. This means our feeders can be modified and improved with future developments without
sacrificing any quality. In addition to this we consult with our customers to think and engage on the considerations of use before meeting their individual needs and expectations.
We are also able to engineer new
and unique solutions to strategically enhance the
potential of your equipment and allow you to make full use of their capabilities.
FFAZ systems have been produced and continuously developed for over 25 years. It is this rich experience that distinguishes us as a technology think tank to develop innovative and trend-setting fish feed machines for you.
Being close to our customers provides perfect grounds for mutually beneficial long lasting partnerships.
International Marketing ManagerSabby MajorTel: +44 117 2306493Email: [email protected]
Designed by:NISA Media design team
Keep in touch with Aquaculture Directory visit: www.aquaculturedirectory.co.uk
Aquaculture Scoop
Aquaculture Scoop is a magazine for aquaculture professionals worldwide. Published quarterly by Nisa Media Ltd it aims to inform the industry on topics relating to aquaculture and aquaculture feed.
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Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 12
Feeding systems
FishFarmFeeder Feeding Systems SL
Basic components of the FishFarmFeeder system. Our feeding systems are predominantly composed of the following parts:
The storage hoppers are bins where feed is stored ready to be sent. They are built in a separate structure to facilitate easier transport and installation. Depending on the machine and the different pellet sizes as well as the installation space restrictions, a single machine can mount from 1 to 6 hoppers with different capacities according the customer requirements. Based on the installation location, the hoppers can be
FishFarmFeeder is a company specialized only in manufacturing feeders for fish farms, working exclusively through distributors and agents.
We produce 3 lines of feeders:
1. Centralized | Land Based2. Feed Barge 3. Self-Moving
You can see information of our company and Feeders …
large storage hoppers to a small intermediate hopper inside the machine chassis using worm screws, one per storage hopper. In the intermediate hopper different pellet sizes can be stored from each hopper.
3 hoppers in the same structure.Intermediate hopper with rotary valves
waterproof for use outdoors or when used on a barge.
2. FEED TRANSPORT
The feed is transported from each of the
Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 13
Feeding systems
feed. Depending on the machine and feed to be supplied we install blowers or compressors. The air is also cooled by a radiator to flow at the optimum temperature.
4. MATRIX
The matrix positioning system is one of the main innovations of the FishFarmFeeder systems. This design allows absolute precision and positioning speed, results unachievable by other feeder machine techniques.
This system allows feed to move from one end of the matrix to the other in less than 5 seconds (for an array of 156 outputs) meaning the feed sequence does not have to follow the order of arrangement of the array outlets, yet doesn’t incur a penalty in feeding times.
While a dose is being launched, the machine begins to prepare the next amount of feed to be sent in the intermediate hopper thus taking advantage of the maximum cycle time.
5. CHASSIS
The chassis of the machine is designed according the customer requirements and space restrictions. It can be manufactured in different qualities ranging from galvanized to AISI 316 stainless steel. It can also be designed to be water resistant for outdoor placement. In the machine chassis we have the start/stop operation buttons , an emergency stop, and the touch screen
interface that presents the most important information for the operator.
6. ELECTRICAL PANEL
The electrical panel is built with high quality and internationally branded components. This guarantees an ease of spare part sourcing, globally, for fast replacement in case of failure of any parts.
The panel’s main component is the programmable controller with high processing capacity, in permanent communication with the control PC, the servo drives and the touch screen, everything is routed through Ethernet-IP.
The bottom of the hoppers with the worm screws and geared motors
If the machine is equipped with a double shot system, we in turn install a distribution system in the intermediate hopper which prepares the 2 doses simultaneously.
3. BLOWER | COMPRESSOR
The blower system is designed to preserve at all times the integrity of the
Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 14
Feeding systems
7. SOFTWARE
Tanks preview screen.
The internally-developed software 3FS installed in the control PC allows for managing up to 5 machines. Through this software the parameters of all the connected machines are controlled, from the biological, such as conversion models, feeding plans, the ability to enable or disable pools through to alerts and alarms that can be produced on the machine.
Tank configuration screen.
The 3FS software also keeps records of all the actions that the machines, the amount of feed sent, the hour of the shot and the tank fed among many other
registered details. All these registered tables can be exported to external applications such as Excel for superior traceability. Historical feeding screen.
In addition all the alerts and alarms in the machine with the date and time at which they were produced are stored for later diagnosis.
Real-time alerts/alarms screen.
Because it is in-house developed software, any customer requirement can be implemented and it is possible to integrate our system with an existing management system in a customer’s plant.
8. INNOVATION
The matrix design system allows us to develop individual machines which can feed up to 156 tanks. With a moving time from end to end of the matrix less than 5 seconds.
We have developed 2 shot systems, the single shot and the double shot, which can feed 2 tanks at the same time. With the double shot system we reduce the cycle time each tank can be fed every 10 seconds. The feed speed is calculated for each machine we manufacture, taking into account the pellet size and the distance of the tanks. This way we obtain the maximum possible speed without compromising the feed integrity.
For more information: FishFarmFeeder Systems SLCarretera de Madrid. 15236318 – Vigo (Pontevedra), SpainTel: +34 986 481040 Web: www.fishfarmfeeder.com
EASIER TO INTEGRATE, GENTLER AND LESS EXPENSIVE MIXING CONCEPT
Dinnissen Process Technology has already built an enviable reputation for delivering sophisticated solutions for mixing powders, granules and granulates. Dinnissen is launching its new Lean Mixing concept with a new and integrated transport system that can be more easily integrated and is gentler and less expensive than the pneumatic transport systems specially usual in the aqua feed industry.
TOTAL MIXING CONCEPT WITHOUT THE DISADVANTAGES OF PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT
The Lean Mixing concept offers a total and integrated solution for mixing powders, granules and granulates, including a highly effective and efficient system for transporting the raw ingredients as well as the finished product. This new concept allows for a totally integrated mixing and transport process without having to resort to pneumatic transport with all the related disadvantages such as increased risk of product damage, higher energy costs, higher contamination risks, and extra handling. Lean Mixing utilizes big bags in which the ingredients have to be lifted only once. Once the big bags are hoisted, they are transported via an automatic route guidance system to the proper unloading position on the transfer station and unloaded. The process operator then attaches the big bags to the discharging stations in a particle-free environment, connecting them to FeederValves specially developed by Dinnissen. These cost-efficient and fully
integrated dosage valves ensure that the dosage ingredients are precisely weighed out when leaving the bag or entering the production process and can handle a wide range of capacities from 6 kg per hour to as much as 50 tons per hour.
COST-EFFICIENT AND EASY TO CLEAN MIXING METHOD
The Lean Mixing Concept also integrates the well-known double-shaft Pegasus® Mixer, which gently suspends powders, granules and granulates in the air while mixing them. The unique fluidized zone that is created in the process makes this multifunctional processing unit the perfect tool for mixing ingredients extremely accurately, gently, quickly, and energy-efficiently. After the mixing
process, the finished product goes through an automatic metal check and sieve check, after which it is transported further via an automated big bag filling system or a filling system optimized for the final packaging step. If desired, this can be carried out in a high-care environment. These processes are also carried out with the help of gravity, thereby saving energy and minimizing the use of moving parts. Last but not least, the Lean Mixing Concept is also designed to be very Easy-to-Clean, which is why the mixer, hopper, sieve, and metal check unit are all fitted with a side guidance system, making it possible to easily and quickly access and clean all interior parts and components.
HIGHER QUALITY END PRODUCT
Dinnissen’s Lean Mixing concept is easier to integrate into existing production processes and also requires significantly less space when set up in a new environment. Initial investment costs are therefore much lower. Lean Mixing consumes less energy and is easier to clean than comparable pneumatic transport systems and therefore reduces operating costs. As the transport process is extremely gentle, the materials handled, including powders, granules and granulates, suffer less breakage and damage, resulting in a higher-quality end product.
For more information about Lean Mixing go to: www.dinnissen.nl.
Innovation AquafeedLean Mixing process with innovative transport of powders, granules and granulates
the oil into the mixer and take advantage of the pellet movement in the mixer to wipe the liquid from pellet to pellet (assuming you have an adequate amount of liquid available). On hot pellets, you can also slug load if you have an adequate amount of liquid with the key being getting the liquid into the coater quickly. For smaller liquid amounts, it would be better to utilize a spraying system as the pellets will be hot and quickly absorb any droplets of oil that come into contact. Most suppliers will not admit it, but achieving accurate coatings on hot pellets below 5% addition is tough. There are occasions where customers do not have sufficient oil available for a covering of the surface area of the pellets including the ends, do not utilize the proper liquid addition techniques, and are attempting to use a
technology not ideally
suited for accurate coatings resulting with a salt and pepper appearance at atmosphere. In some instances, they attempt vacuum infusion with the inclination that vacuum will solve their coating issue. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
What oil amount do you consider vacuum? The correct answer is it depends on the hardness of the extrusion. We feel a coater should provide a wide range of coating/mixture capability both atmospherically and under vacuum with hot and cold pellets. Usually, up to 12% you are atmospherically adding the oil on extruded pellets before you consider
Vacuum infusion is a commonly utilized avenue for achieving oil infusion and coating of pellets. The requirement for vacuum is product dependant based on the amount of oil to be utilized. Flexibility from a vacuum infusion mixer is becoming more important as customer and consumer expectations are rising. This means accurate liquid coatings along with powder coatings and appearance are critical to product acceptance. The information below is based on our experience with vacuum infusion mixer/coaters.
Liquid additions are a challenging subject. Temperature of the pellets and the absorption rate of the pellets should be considered when determining the best avenue to utilize. For example, on cold pellets, you can simply slug load
Vacuum Infusion
For more information:
A&J Mixing International Inc.8-2345 Wyecroft RD Oakville
Ontario Canada L6L6L4
Tel: + 1 905 8277288Web: www.ajmixing.com
Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 18
Vacuum Infusion
Weighing of liquids in itself has excellent payback. Most customers buy their liquid by weight, so if you sell by weight, it negates the effect of the liquid bulk density changes, which on some oils can be as much as 3%.
Sizing of your system will be dependant on the number of coatings, vacuum required for all coatings or not, powder additions, and your hourly production rate required. For example, if you can mix all of the liquids for application under vacuum and draw vacuum once and spray liquids once, the machine is a smaller size as your cycle time is shorter. Typically, this is not the case. Typically, draw vacuum, apply the first liquid, apply the second liquid, then release over 20 seconds. Once to atmosphere, you can add another liquid and/or a powder coating. As you start adding up the time required for each step in the process, the size of the mixer increases.
It will benefit your coater provider to have an understanding of the complete range of coatings you desire. You do not run the mixer while drawing vacuum or releasing as you are just wearing down the kibbles and creating fines. We feel it is important to draw vacuum as fast as possible and start applying liquids to avoid the flash off of moisture in the pellets. For our systems, we design with a vacuum accumulation tank and the vacuum pump to draw vacuum on the mixer in 30 seconds to -920 millibar. We are unique in this approach. There are others in the
industry who feel you have only the vacuum pump directly on the coater.
The mixer coater you choose is critical. We utilize a twin rotor high performance mixer with an ability to mix to Cv of 5% with 30 seconds of mix time. The rotors have the ability to create an amount of voids in dry powders equivalent to the batch size with each revolution. This is important for accuracy on the smaller coatings as defined above, as well as a benefit for getting the larger coatings completed fast. The rotor does not generate any heat or shear and we design out the pinch points. Unique to our design is we manufacture to ASME pressure vessel standards which resultsin the mixer drawing vacuum consistently from batch to batch, year after year.
vacuum. If your pellets are too wet when coated to go straight to packaging or the liquid addition amount causes pooling in the bag, you should use vacuum.
A good general rule is if you can’t get it on, you can’t get it in meaning if you do not have enough liquid to coat the complete pellet, vacuum is not the correct choice. On the smaller oil additions, you are not achieving an enrobing or coating of the pellets, you are endeavoring to achieve the most accurate mixture possible by presenting the kibbles into the spraying zone numerous times per minute allowing the nozzles to have the best opportunity to get droplets of oil onto each kibble. A high performance mixer coater will be well worth the investment for a broad range of coatings and powder additions as each step is completed with a minimal amount of residency time in the machine with the rotors turning. The longer you operate the mixer rotors, the greater the opportunity for generation of fines. We have added 22 grams of fan enzyme on pellet mill pellets very close in size as those utilized in horse feed. The enzyme was cut 5:1 providing us with ½ liter to spray, achieving a Cv of 6.4% when spraying the liquid over 20 seconds atmospherically in our atmospheric coater. Under vacuum with extruded pellets, we have produced 40% feeds.
Our approach to liquid additions is to provide a series of spray systems based on your profile of liquid additions. For example up to 5%, 5% to 10%, then above 10% to maximum liquid addition requested. A typical arrangement is to have liquid pressure vessels mounted on a frame which is on load cells. We then use an air over principle to empty the liquid tanks. This ensures you have the proper pressure in the pipes for efficient nozzle performance and the complete volume of liquid per your recipe is added to the pellets. When the tanks are empty, we blow to clear the pipe and for an additional 10 seconds to eliminate any drops and clean the nozzles. Over 10% we utilize a clog free mass flow distribution pipe which is designed to slug load the liquid into the mixer in 30 seconds.
supplier can ensure all of the components fit together properly and perform a shop check out of the equipment before it arrives at your facility. Your supplier should also advise you of what your obligations for the system are as well. There will still be a few days with factory personnel on site for starting up your system, but the duration of the start up can be minimized if a shop checkout is performed.
A&J Mixing International have authored a Consumers Guide for Choosing a Vacuum Coater as an educational service. Our approach to systems and mixers is unique as we customize our equipment on a regular basis. We are innovators, not copiers. The guide is available free of charge upon request via e-mail.
In closing, your system should provide you with a complete range of coatings with repeatable, predictable performance while achieving an excellent return on your investment. An efficient well built system will not only provide you with longevity but also the lowest cost per ton to produce.
Aquaculture Scoop April 2014 Page 19
Vacuum Infusion
hopper, divide by two, adjust the coatings and finish off the pellets that were in the hopper. This allows you to use all of the pellets produced rather than relegating the remainder for rework or disposal.
Powder coatings after all of the liquids have been added to the pellets is popular. This can be achieved in the mixer coater utilizing a feeder system which cascades the powder over the pellets in the machine. Utilizing the movement created by the rotor above, you can achieve an accurate distribution of the powder across the batch of pellets.
It is very important to utilize excellent quality valves and ancillary components in your system. They require a little more in initial investment, however the longevity of each component will provide you with an excellent return on your investment. The old adage – you get what you pay for applies here.
Choosing a supplier who is providing you with a complete coating system, including controls is an asset. With the system, one
The coater is a low profile with approximately 250 mm available over the rotor to the outlet of the spray nozzles for accurate liquid additions. This also results in a smaller cavity to evacuate air. We provide minimum two hinged and clamped side access doors for cleaning, inspection, and maintenance of the machine. Discharging the mixer is via two flush mounted port doors, one per side of the mixer, typically located in the middle section of the mixer. We provide a small transition hopper to a vacuum rated valve. Another unique feature to our system is we draw vacuum on this transition hopper which keeps the discharge doors from being pulled into the mixer creating a breakage point for pellets. It also adds to the longevity of the gasket materials and door arrangement. By keeping the mixer as low profile as possible and our discharge transition small, we can utilize smaller vacuum pumps and our systems will utilize less building space. Vacuum is pulled between the two vacuum rated Orifice Gate valves mentioned above. These valves are customized for us.
For added efficiency of the system, it is important to have a hopper on load cells located above the mixer coater sized to hold two batches of pellets. Once the hopper is holding two batches, we will start the batching sequence by weighing a batch of kibbles into the mixer which is also on load cells. As part of the control system, we will then monitor the weight of kibbles in the hopper and if there are no changes over an n minute period, the system will ask if we would like to initiate an end of run sequence. This is also a unique feature of our systems. We take the weight in the
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AQUACYPRUS 2014May 15th - 17th The Chateu Lambousa HotelGirneCypruswww.aquacyprus2014.com
Aquaculture CanadaJune 1st - 4th St. Andrews, NBCanadawww.aquacultureassociation.ca
Future Fish EurasiaJune 5th – 7thInternational Izmir Fair Centre, Hall2IzmirTurkeywww.future-fish.com
WORLD AQUACULTURE 2014June 7th – 11thAdelaide Convention CentreAdelaideAustralia www.was.org
4th International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and BioproductsJune 15th - 18th Santa Fe Convention CenterSanta FeNew MexicoUSAwww.algalbbb.com
IIFET 2014 Australia -International conference on Fisheries and aquaculture EconomicsJuly 7-11th QUT Gardens PointBrisbaneAustraliaWeb: www.iifet2014.org
Tenth International Conference on Recirculating AquacultureAugust 22nd – 24thThe Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in RoanokeVirginiaUSAwww.recircaqua.com/icra.html
September
10th International Conference on Recirculating AquacultureSeptember 2nd - 4th WanchaiHong Kongwww.seafoodexpo.com/asia
WorldFood IstanbulSeptember 4th - 7th Istanbul Expo CenterCNR ExpoIstanbulTurkeywww.ite-turkey.com
