Production Line 01

Pin-Mixer Granulation Line for Heat-Sensitive Biostimulants & Biologicals.

Renovo Sustainable Products operates a pin-mixer granulation line paired with a fluidized bed dryer at its 20,000 sq. ft. toll-manufacturing facility in Cookeville, Tennessee. The line builds dense, uniform granules from 400 microns to SGN 250 for microbial inoculant carriers, biostimulants, peptide-based fertilizers, and premium fine-particle specialty products. Bench (100 g – 5 kg), pilot (500 lb – 1 ton), and commercial (20+ tons) scales run on the same equipment.

400 µm
Min Size
SGN 250
Max Size
Specifications

CONCRETE
NUMBERS.

The pin mixer + fluidized bed dryer pairing is engineered for materials where drying temperature is a process-critical constraint. Specs below are headline ranges; actual targets are dialed in during feasibility.

Granule Size
400 µm – SGN 250
Bench Batch
100 g – 5 kg
Pilot Batch
500 lb – 1 ton
Commercial Batch
20+ tons
Moisture Target
<1%
Particle Shape
Spherical, uniform
How the Line Works

FOUR STAGES, ONE SPECIFICATION.

Material enters as a powder or slurry and leaves as a uniform, dry, QC-released granule. Every stage is instrumented and documented.

01

Formulation & Binder

Bench-scale formulation (100 g – 5 kg) selects binder chemistry compatible with heat-sensitive actives. Analytical lab confirms recovery and viability before scale-up.

02

Pin Mixer Agglomeration

Pin/paddle agitation builds dense, small, uniform granules with short residence time. Spherical particle shape and tight size distribution.

03

Fluidized Bed Drying

Low-temperature, low-impact moisture removal to <1%. Controlled air flow protects polymer coatings, microbial cells, and peptide-based actives.

04

QC & Release

Sieve analysis, crush strength, bulk density, moisture, and viability/recovery testing. Every batch ships with documentation tied to spec.

Applications Served

WHO RUNS ON THIS LINE.

The pin-mixer line is the right choice when actives are heat-sensitive, when target particle size is fine, or when polymer coatings must survive the dryer.

Agriculture — Biologicals

  • Microbial inoculant carriers
  • Biostimulant granules
  • Peptide-based fertilizers
  • Polymer-coated controlled release (NATRiX)

Specialty Fine Particle

  • Premium specialty granules 400 µm – SGN 250
  • Seed-coat-compatible formats
  • Polymer-encapsulated actives
  • Spherical, uniform agglomerates
Agriculture Vertical Compare: Disc Granulator Line
Why This Pairing

Pin mixer + fluidized bed dryer. Not interchangeable.

Pin mixers build dense, small, fast-formed agglomerates with short residence time. That output profile responds well to gentle fluidization and would be over-tumbled in a rotary drum.

Fluidized bed drying applies low temperature and even air flow across the granule bed, preserving polymer films, microbial viability, and peptide integrity. A rotary drum dryer would expose the same product to higher thermal load and mechanical attrition than these actives can survive.

Renovo runs both this line and a separate disc granulator + rotary drum line. The pairing match is what makes commercial-scale heat-sensitive granulation economically viable in a single facility.

FAQ

QUESTIONS BUYERS ASK

What is a pin mixer granulator?

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A pin mixer is agitation-agglomeration equipment: a horizontal shaft carrying pins or paddles spins at high speed inside a cylindrical chamber, mixing powder with a liquid binder into dense granules in a short residence time. It produces smaller, faster-formed granules than a disc granulator, which makes it the right tool for fines and heat-sensitive materials.

How does Renovo keep biologicals viable through granulation?

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Heat is the failure mode, so the line removes it. The pin mixer's residence time is 4 to 18 minutes, and drying happens inline in a fluidized bed at 40 to 120 °C rather than in a rotary drum. Moisture drops below 2 percent without a thermal spike, which is what preserves viability in microbial inoculants and peptide-based products.

What products run on the pin mixer line?

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Microbial inoculants, biostimulants, peptide-based fertilizers, micronutrients, and premium fine-particle specialty granules. The line covers SGN 30 to 100 with granules at or below 1.0 mm — the fine end of Renovo's envelope. It also handles dust-control granulation where the goal is to bind a powder rather than build a large particle.

What is the minimum batch size on Renovo's pin-mixer line?

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Bench-scale formulation work starts at 100 grams and runs up to 5 kilograms for screening and binder development. Pilot campaigns on the pin mixer + fluidized bed dryer line run 500 pounds to 1 ton. From there the same process scales into commercial campaigns of 20 tons or more without changing the granulation mechanism.

Can the pin-mixer line process microbial inoculants without killing them?

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Yes. The pin mixer's short residence time combined with the fluidized bed dryer's low-temperature, low-impact moisture removal is the reason this line exists. Drying temperatures and air flow are controlled to protect viable cells, spores, and peptide-based actives. Renovo's analytical lab confirms viability and recovery on every campaign.

What granule size range does the pin-mixer + fluidized bed line produce?

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The line targets granules from roughly 400 microns up to SGN 250. Pin/paddle agitation builds denser, smaller, faster-formed granules with high uniformity and spherical particle shape. This range covers premium fine-particle specialty granules, biological carrier matrices, and seed-coat-compatible formats.

Why pair a pin mixer with a fluidized bed dryer instead of a rotary drum dryer?

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Pin mixers produce dense, small, uniform agglomerates that respond well to gentle fluidization. A rotary drum dryer would over-tumble these granules and apply more thermal load than heat-sensitive actives can tolerate. Fluidized bed drying keeps temperature low, removes moisture evenly, and preserves polymer coatings and biological viability.

What is the difference between pin granulation and disc granulation?

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Pin (or pin-paddle) granulation uses agitation pins inside a high-shear mixer to build dense, small, uniform granules in short residence times. Disc granulation uses a rotating inclined pan and gravity to roll material into larger, layered granules. Pin mixers favor fine specialty product. Disc granulators favor higher tonnage and larger SGN.

What kinds of products typically run on this line?

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Heat-sensitive biologicals and biostimulants, microbial inoculant carriers, peptide-based fertilizers, premium specialty granules, and polymer-coated agricultural products. Anything where dryer temperature is a process-critical constraint is a candidate for the pin mixer + fluidized bed dryer pairing.

Can the pin-mixer line apply controlled-release coatings?

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Yes. Renovo applies polymer, oil, and dust-control coatings as a downstream unit operation. For agricultural controlled-release work, formulations using Renovo's NATRiX carbon-urea matrix are coated and dried on this line to preserve the polymer film and the biological release mechanism.

What analytical testing is performed on pin-mixer line product?

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Renovo's on-site lab runs sieve analysis, crush strength, bulk density, moisture content, uniformity coefficient, and product-degradation simulation. For biological campaigns the lab also confirms recovery and viability of the active. Every batch ships with QC documentation tied to the formulation specification.

Does Renovo accept feasibility work for new formulations on the pin-mixer line?

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Yes. Most engagements begin with a paid feasibility study: bench-scale formulation (100 g to 5 kg), binder selection, and analytical validation. If the chemistry is heat-sensitive or biology-dependent, the feasibility runs on the pin mixer side from day one so the data scales cleanly to pilot and commercial.

Are pin-mixer line engagements covered under NDA?

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All engagements run under NDA. Formulations developed under a Renovo contract remain 100% client property. Renovo also develops its own proprietary formulations — including the publicly-introduced NATRiX carbon-urea matrix — but that internal R&D is firewalled from client work.
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