Quick Facts
| Where | Sichuan, China |
| When | 2024 |
| What | Φ3.5×60m ceramsite rotary kiln + full line |
| Output | 150,000–180,000 m³/year |
| Key number | 12% less fuel, 165,000 m³ in year one |
The Feedstock Was Wet and Unpredictable
Sichuan shale and clay. Moisture around 18–22%. Plasticity that changed batch to batch. The customer needed ceramsite that would expand properly—not over-burn, not under-fire—and they needed it on a site that didn‘t have much room.
Their old setup used more coal than they wanted and still struggled with inconsistent pellet quality before the kiln.
What We Built
A complete line around a Φ3.5×60m rotary kiln. The process: crush, batch, mix, pelletize, dry, preheat, calcine, cool.
The parts that solved their problems:
Three-stage preheater using kiln exhaust gas—this is where the 12% fuel savings came from
Variable speed drive (0.5–2.5 r/min) so operators can adjust when feedstock moisture shifts
Dam ring and segmented lifters in the expansion zone to hold pellets at temperature longer
L-shaped layout to fit the narrow site, with pelletizing right next to the kiln feed end
PLC control with trend logging—operators can see what happened, not just what’s happening
From Contract to Stable Output
Signed early 2024. Sixty days to manufacture. Full assembly and no-load test before shipping. Our engineers spent twenty days in Sichuan—installation oversight, commissioning, and training. Stable production came within three weeks.
Numbers That Matter
| Target | Actual | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual output | 150,000 m³ | 165,000 m³ |
| Bulk density | 500–700 kg/m³ | 520–680 kg/m³ |
| Coal consumption | 38 kg/t | 33.5 kg/t |
| Kiln uptime | 85% | 90% |
The customer put it simply: “Less coal, more consistent pellets. That’s what we needed.”
Why Henan Hongke Heavy Machinery
Rotary kilns, Rotary Dryers, ball mills, crushers, and the lines that connect them. One-stop solution, turnkey delivery. We build for your material and your site—not for a spec sheet.
Questions We Get Asked
My shale is wetter than 22%. Can this line handle it?Probably, but the preheater and dryer sizing change. Send us a sample and we‘ll tell you what needs adjusting.
How do you keep the expansion consistent?Temperature control in the expansion zone, plus residence time. The dam ring and variable speed drive give operators room to adjust. PLC trends help them see drift before it becomes a problem.
Lead time?About 60 days for this configuration. Longer for custom layouts or special refractories.
Got a ceramsite project in mind? Send us your feedstock specs and site plan. We’ll tell you what we‘d build and what it would cost. Straight answers, no sales script.

