Process Solutions for Crop Protection Agents
Hosokawa Micron offers advanced process solutions tailored to the production of crop protection agents, including herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, and biopesticides. Our equipment supports key operations like drying, size reduction, separation, mixing, and agglomeration. We design flexible systems that meet the strict requirements of high-volume production, consistent particle size, and dispersibility.
The production of crop protection agents requires specialized processing techniques to achieve the desired particle characteristics. Hosokawa provides a full spectrum of equipment capable of meeting the stringent demands of the industry, including drying, size reduction, separation, air classification, mixing, agglomeration, extrusion, conveying, and product collection.
Typical Equipment Features
Given the hazardous nature of many crop protection agents, strict regulations around safety, storage, and handling are critical. At Hosokawa, we design our equipment with these regulations in mind, ensuring compliance with safety standards and offering features like:
- Explosion-proof systems (ATEX compliant)
- Advanced process control and automation
- State-of-the-art containment solutions for operator safety
- Easy-to-clean designs, including full CIP (clean-in-place) systems
- Energy-efficient processing
- Wear-resistant designs for handling abrasive materials
- Custom features for sticky products
Process Solutions for Crop Protection Agents
Hosokawa Micron offers a range of processing technologies ideal for producing crop protection agents. These include:
- Drying raw materials:
» Thermo sensitive materials > Nauta vacuum drying technology
» Non-thermo sensitive materials > DMR flash drying technology
- Formulation:
» Buffering / feeding before micronising > Nauta mixing technology
» Batch mixing active ingredient with filler, etc. > Nauta mixing technology
» Homogenising after milling / micronising > Nauta mixing technology
- Formation of Water Dispersible Granules:
» In agglomerate form > Flexomix continuous agglomeration technology
» In extrudate form > Flexomix / Bextruder extrusion technology
Water Dispersible Granules (WDG)
Water Dispersible Granules (WDG) combine the advantages of fine powder forms with those of the liquid form. To produce high-quality WDG pesticides, Hosokawa Micron offers an integrated solution that integrates a Flexomix, a Bextruder with a fluid bed dryer, and a sieving machine. This setup enables the production of WDG pesticides with a high bulk density and uniform granule size (Ø 0.7 mm). The process is supported by fully automated controls, ensuring safe and reliable operation.
Milling & Classifying
Achieving the desired particle size and surface area is essential for the effective performance of crop protection agents. Hosokawa Alpine's range of milling and classifying technologies ensures that products meet the specific requirements for different application methods—whether as dusting agents, spraying agents, or wettable powders (WP).
- Jet Milling: For applications requiring very fine powders (e.g., water dispersible granules or active ingredients), Hosokawa Alpine's AFG fluidized bed opposed jet mills and UPZ fine impact mills are ideal. These mills provide precise size reduction to achieve fineness levels below 10 μm.
- Air Classifier Mills: For wettable powders, larger particle sizes (40-75 μm) are often required, and the ACM air classifier mill is well-suited to these needs.
Biopesticides
The biopesticide market is rapidly growing, and Hosokawa Micron's process solutions are uniquely positioned to support this shift. Our low-temperature vacuum drying and mixing technologies, developed through extensive research and collaboration with experts at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht, are highly effective for biopesticide production. These technologies enable the production of biopesticides with sensitive ingredients while maintaining product quality and consistency.
Agglomeration and Extrusion for Crop Protection Products
Modern crop protection products, particularly pesticides, are commonly produced as agglomerates or extruded products. These forms offer several benefits, including improved flow properties, longer shelf life, better dispersibility, and ease of handling.
- Agglomeration: The Flexomix continuous agglomeration system ensures uniform and efficient mixing of powdered premixes with liquid binders, forming granular particles that range in size from 0.3 to 1.4 mm. This process creates highly porous granules that ensure excellent wettability and dispersibility.
- Extrusion: For extruded products, the Flexomix is also used for humidifying the feed product before extrusion, ensuring a homogeneous moisture content. The resulting extrudates are porous and maintain the necessary flow and dispersibility properties. This step is typically followed by drying in a fluid bed dryer to achieve the desired final moisture content.
The Flexomix system is ideally suited for both direct agglomeration and humidification steps in the extrusion process. In many cases, upgrading existing equipment with the Flexomix has proven to significantly enhance yield and reduce downtime due to clogging or inefficient mixing. This versatile system is used worldwide by leading manufacturers of water dispersible granules for crop protection agents.
Hosokawa Micron's Commitment to Crop Protection Solutions
Hosokawa Micron's process technologies deliver reliable, efficient, and safe solutions for the production of crop protection agents, including both conventional pesticides and biopesticides. Our advanced equipment and systems—ranging from drying and milling to mixing, agglomeration, and extrusion—are designed to meet the unique challenges of the industry. Whether you are producing herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, or biopesticides, Hosokawa provides the expertise and technology to help you achieve the highest standards of quality and efficiency.
Explore Hosokawa Micron's customized processing solutions to optimize your crop protection product production, from formulation to final packaging.
Testing & Process Development
To help producers when developing new (bio)pesticide products or production processes, Hosokawa Micron offers extensive Test and Process Development Facilities. They offer unique possibilities for testing your product to determine the most efficient process, system or plant prior to final design.
Trials can range from laboratory-level to production-scale testing (from 1 up to 6000 litres). A team of skilled and experienced process engineers are available to help determine the most efficient process, system or plant prior to final design.
We offer process equipment and technologies from individual units to large scale bespoke system solutions. Our principle is to deliver high performance yet affordable solutions that meet our customers' demands and long term challenges.
Talk to Our Experts
Let our process specialists help you develop the optimal solution for your powder and bulk solids processing – from the first trial in our test centre to a full-scale industrial production system.
Related Process Equipment
Sustainable Process Technologies
Hosokawa Micron B.V. is committed to sustainable and responsible process technology. Our ISO 14001 certification covers key environmental aspects such as air, soil, energy, waste, water, noise and hazardous substances. With an EcoVadis Silver Medal, we rank among the top 15% of EcoVadis-rated companies in the special machinery industry.
