The Customer
A Cheshire-based feed mill and leading national supplier of ruminant animal feeds, serving more than 4,400 customers across the UK. ISF has supported the site for almost 20 years, delivering engineering solutions that keep production moving efficiently and reliably.
The Challenge
Our customer’s existing PTN pellet press had reached the end of its working life. Age, wear and increasing breakdowns began to impact reliability and production output.
As a critical part of the process line, the pellet press plays a central role in pelleting meal before transfer to the cooler and onward dispatch. Any disruption at this stage affects throughput across the mill, so the customer needed a robust replacement delivered with minimal downtime.
Our Brief
The customer asked ISF to replace the ageing pellet press and integrate a more reliable solution into the existing process line. Alongside improving performance, the project needed to reduce maintenance complexity and avoid unnecessary disruption to daily mill operations.
We worked closely with the customer to plan the upgrade, schedule the installation and keep production downtime to an absolute minimum.
Our Solution
We began with a site visit to assess and carry out a detailed survey. Our design team then drafted project plans tailored to the site layout and operational constraints.
We replaced the old press with a refurbished Andritz/UMT machine. By standardising the machine with others already operating in the mill, the customer reduced the range and quantity of spare parts they needed to hold in stock, simplifying maintenance and improving long-term efficiency.
Our fabrication team manufactured a new steel plinth and designed and built bespoke inlet and outlet chutes to integrate the upgraded press seamlessly into the existing process.
To give us enough room to remove and replace the old press, we planned to remove the back wall of the mill, along with various gantries and walkways. However, following further inspection and careful measurement, we identified an alternative installation route via the front-loading station. This approach avoided removing structural elements at the rear of the mill and significantly reduced disruption.
Our installation engineers strengthened the loading platform with temporary support legs to safely accept the additional 5.5-tonne load. With just 75cm of clearance along the removal route, the lift required precise planning and skilled execution by our engineers.
To manage the weight and lifting height safely, we sourced a 15-tonne forklift. Ahead of the installation, one of our engineers, Billy, completed a B2 forklift conversion course through our approved training partner, The Safety Maintenance Company. This proactive approach allowed us to carry out the lift in-house, rather than hiring a driver, and we upskilled the team.
The Result
Our installation team completed the project within the agreed five-day schedule, with the new pellet press fully commissioned and operational by day three. Our engineers remained on site for a further two days to complete snagging works and cosmetic finishing.
The upgrade delivered immediate, measurable improvements:
- Increased production from 9–10 tonnes per hour to 11–12 tonnes per hour
- Improved reliability and reduced unplanned downtime
- Streamlined spare parts management
- A future-proofed pellet press line aligned with the rest of the mill
The project demonstrates ISF’s ability to deliver complex upgrades through careful planning, in-house expertise and long-standing customer partnerships.
To discuss your next mechanical upgrade, get in touch with the ISF Team.
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