Straight answers on capacity, fuel, install & support.
General
What capacity range do you offer?
Biomass burners from 200,000 to 900,000 kcal, specified against your calculated heat demand. Tunnel chambers are typically 1,500 kg per batch, with plants configured from a single chamber upward.
What fuels can the system use?
Primary design fuel is cashew shell. Validated alternatives are briquetted mango peel (4,200 kcal/kg), rice stalk (3,800), corn cob (4,100), groundnut shell (4,500) and cotton stalk (3,900). Other residues can be assessed on request.
Can one facility process both mango and fish?
Yes, but it must be designed for it from the outset, with genuine zone segregation, separate preparation areas, dedicated tunnels and independent waste and drainage streams. Retrofitting this into a single-product facility is difficult and usually fails food-safety audit.
Do you install outside West Africa?
Yes. Installation supervision is available globally. The buyer covers return air tickets, local accommodation and board, and entry permits for the team.
What is the lead time?
Manufacture in 10–18 weeks from confirmed order and advance payment. Installation and commissioning follow, scheduled with the client.
Technical
How is temperature controlled?
Through a Delta PLC system with dedicated temperature controllers, monitoring at multiple points and adjusting both fuel feed rate and airflow. Control is closed-loop against setpoint.
Do combustion gases contact the product?
No. Heat transfers indirectly through an air heat exchanger. Combustion products are exhausted separately and never enter the process air stream.
What is the expected equipment life?
With proper maintenance, 15–20 years for the main structure. Consumable high-wear items such as burner and boiler grills require periodic replacement depending on usage intensity and fuel ash content.
Can the system run continuously?
Yes, with scheduled maintenance windows. Continuous operation requires disciplined ash removal and heat-exchanger cleaning; skipping these degrades efficiency well before anything fails.
What is the total power requirement?
Configuration dependent. The six-tunnel Banfora reference configuration draws 75.5 HP (56.323 kW) total: 39.5 HP on the burner and hot-air side, 36 HP across twelve 3 HP chamber blowers.
Maintenance & support
What spares should we hold?
The critical list covers PLC, HMI, VFD, temperature controller, SMPS, timer, relay board, line choke, vibrator, contactors, MCBs, and burner and boiler grills. A full recommended holding is supplied with each installation.
Is remote troubleshooting available?
Where the site has internet connectivity, the PLC supports remote diagnostic access, which resolves many control-side faults without a site visit.
How often is maintenance required?
Daily visual checks, weekly mechanical and control routines, monthly major component servicing. Full schedules are supplied in the documentation package.
What training is included?
Standard installation includes operator and maintenance training covering daily operation, routine servicing, troubleshooting and basic repairs. Advanced technical training is available separately.
What does the warranty cover?
Twelve months from date of shipment, with spare parts dispatched alongside the machines.
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