With the integration of high-tech and traditional powder industry, especially the application of computer-aided design/manufacturing technology (CAD/CAM) in the design and manufacture of powder granulation equipment, and the application of computer DCS control systems in the operation and management of powder granulation equipment, The adoption of some new materials (such as sodium granule materials) and new processes has provided a good opportunity for the development of powder granulation technology. At present, the development trend of powder granulation technology in China is towards large-scale equipment, compact structure, high-tech processing technology, diversified functions, high efficiency and automated control systems.

1. Large-scale equipment

With the advancement of science and technology and the development of technology, the advantages of large-scale production facilities have become increasingly obvious. Meanwhile, the application of CAD/CAM technology and precise stress analysis technology has promoted the development of mechanical structure design and processing manufacturing technology, providing a solid technical guarantee for the large-scale development of powder granulation equipment. At present, powder granulation equipment is developing towards larger sizes. The single-machine processing capacity of super-large screw extruders can reach 25 to 30 tons per hour [3]. Take the SE series screw granulator as an example. The existing equipment has a screw diameter of up to 240mm, and the single-machine processing capacity exceeds 2t/h. A super-large screw granulator with a screw diameter of 380mm and a single-machine processing capacity exceeding 4t/h is under development. For instance, in the rotary cold strip drop mold forming device, the width of the condensing steel strip under development exceeds 1.5 meters, the equipment length exceeds 20 meters, and the single-machine processing capacity exceeds 6 tons per hour.

2 Compact structure

Another development trend of powder granulation equipment is the compactness of structure. The structural design of the equipment is more reasonable, compact and in line with ergonomic principles, thereby reducing manufacturing costs, minimizing floor space and enhancing labor efficiency. Take the SE series screw granulator as an example. It adopts direct motor connection instead of the traditional belt drive, making the equipment more compact and capable of transmitting greater torque. By adopting a variable pitch design, the material conveying section, kneading section and extrusion section are designed on a single shaft, enabling the conveying, kneading and granulation to be completed in one go. These design concepts all represent the development direction of powder granulation equipment.

3 The processing technology is highly technological

With the expansion of the application fields of powder granulation equipment, traditional mechanical processing methods can no longer meet the needs of powder design technology. The processing technology of powder equipment in the future will develop in a high-tech direction. If computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology is adopted for the design and processing of screw thread profiles, special deep hole processing equipment is used to process the long and narrow holes of the cold strip drop die machine distributor, five-coordinate CNC machines are adopted to achieve the processing of spatially twisted blade profiles, and plasma cutting machines, lasers, and electrical discharge machines are used to process micro-hole templates, Sodium technology (sodium coating) is adopted to treat the extrusion screw and rotating steel belt to solve problems such as material seizing and product demolding.

4 Diversified functions

Powder post-treatment engineering is a systematic project involving numerous unit operations from multiple disciplines and categories. It requires that the selection of powder granulation equipment be good enough to reduce intermediate processes and save investment. At the same time, the market demand for products also requires manufacturers to be able to provide products in various forms. This requires the diversification of functions of powder granulation equipment. Take the QDL series catalyst dedicated extrusion and pelletizing machine as an example. This machine is based on the common single-screw granulator and has been specially improved and designed. It consists of two parts: extrusion and pelletizing, which can be completed in one machine. Meanwhile, by changing the die head template, different particle sizes and shapes of granular products can be obtained. For instance, the RF type rotary belt forming device can produce products of different shapes such as hemisspherical, thin sheet, block and strip by replacing components like the distributor and the overflow weir, which greatly facilitates users and truly realizes the diversification of functions.

5 "High efficiency"

With the improvement of people's energy-saving awareness, higher requirements have been put forward for the efficiency of powder granulation equipment. Such equipment should not only meet functional requirements, but also be energy-saving, durable, and have low usage, maintenance and repair costs to reduce product costs. Take the DLJ240 crushing granulator as an example. If a traditional electromagnetic speed-regulating motor is adopted and the speed is adjusted with a common speed regulator, the motor power needs to be 45KW. If a variable frequency speed control motor is adopted and the speed is adjusted by a frequency converter, energy can be saved by more than 30% in actual use. For instance, the NH series of dual-shaft differential continuous kneading machines, due to the adoption of specially designed high-efficiency kneading components, have their operation time halved and efficiency more than doubled compared to ordinary screw kneading machines. The adoption of these technologies all indicates that high efficiency has become one of the main goals pursued in the design of powder granulation equipment.

6 Automation of control system

With the advancement of science and technology and the development of automatic control technology, whether to adopt assembly line operation and automatic control has become an important indicator to measure the advancement of powder post-treatment technology. The control system adopts automated control, which not only ensures the continuous operation of the production process, reduces the labor intensity of the operators, but more importantly, guarantees the production process and real-time feedback, improves product quality and reduces equipment failure rate. Taking the RF type rotary belt forming device as an example, if a computer DCS distributed control system is adopted, not only can the processes of feeding, granulation, conveying and packaging be automated, but also the system status can be monitored in real time through various temperature, pressure, flow and speed sensors. When the system status and process parameters change, the changes can be promptly fed back. Issue alarm signals and adjust parameters according to the preset status to automatically adjust the system status and ensure the normal operation of the equipment. It can be foreseen that the automation of the control system will greatly enhance the technical level of powder granulation equipment in our country and become an inevitable direction for the development of powder granulation equipment.