Animalfeedmill

The half-day 2025 Feed Mill of the Future Conference, organized in partnership with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) at the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) 2025, brings together leading feed industry experts to examine emerging feed mill technologies and processes that will impact animal feed manufacturing in the years ahead. Organized by Feed Strategy and Feed & Grain magazinesFeed milling professionals will leave with a better understanding of how innovation and early adoption will help achieve their sustainability, productivity and profitability goals of tomorrow. The conference is presented by Feed Strategy and Feed & Grain magazines.

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It takes only seconds to touch up a slightly worn drill bit and get back to drilling. A completely messed up drill bit takes a minute or two. A normal jobber's length drill bit can be sharpened many, many times.

Ideally you should cut large chunks, not dust. Sharpen it after couple of holes. The bit can bite extremely well at times, make sure you secure your work piece and your drill should be up to the task. If you are using handheld drill, hold it tight. Once I managed to wack myself with the steel profile with a corded 650W drill at probably 20-30 rpm. Be careful.

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I recently bought some Damascus 1 inch ring stock (304 and 316 stainless). I sliced off about 8 mm of it using a bandsaw. I then stuck it in a vice and attempted to drill through it. I have tried silver/cobalt drill bits, masonry bits (didn't even scratch the surface), carbide tipped Forstner bits, and even regular wood drill bits.

Brady Gaalswyk is a second-generation owner and co-president at Easy Automation. Before joining Easy Automation in 2019, he was involved in the feed ingredient transportation industry. Today, Gaalswyk leads the sales and finance teams and focuses on finding and capturing technology and capital opportunities in agricultural industries. He works directly with customers to push the innovation boundaries and find powerful solutions for their facilities.

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If your final bit is seriously large, then you might need a fairly large pilot hole, in which case you should choose a smaller bit to make a pilot hole for the pilot hole :) The smaller bit will have a much smaller flat chisel end, and so will be scraping less metal around, allowing you to cut more.

You've discovered that the Lowes drill bits work best for this particular material. The only problem is that they're getting dull. If you don't know how to sharpen a drill bit, it's time you learned. All you need is a bench grinder, your two hands and your normal protective equipment.

What I ended up doing, and this might sound crazy -- I used a 6mm OD Ti tube stock I had lying around and chopped it into dowel-length pieces. Ti is hard compared to well-behaved steel, but it was surely better behaved than these dang dowels. Corrosion should be not an issue. Got the job done.

Once you get it dialed in, it's sheer pleasure. You're banging holes out very fast, using little oil, the bits aren't dulling and aren't even getting warm. (yes, all the drill press' power is being turned into heat, but the long chips like spaghetti noodles are carrying it away). That's your happy place.

Registration is open. To attend, first register to attend IPPE. See www.ippexpo.org, and visit the Education Programs/Paid Conferences for details. Onsite registration will also be available.

Feed millingtechnology

Ben Allen is the CEO of BinSentry. He has led multiple hardware, software and ag tech companies with a history of maintaining strong relationships with investors. Prior to joining BinSentry, Allen was the head of global market development at Indigo Ag, an ag tech startup he helped grow from US$300 million in 2017 to US$3 billion in 2021. He also led the effort to scale Agri-Trend’s Agri-Data software organization, resulting in its acquisition by Trimble.

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Liam Cassidy, Knobelsdorff senior executive director of automation, brings more than 23 years of industrial experience, specializing in automation systems and digital transformation. He excels in designing solutions that boost productivity and output. Known for a customer-centric approach, Cassidy fosters strong partnerships. His expertise includes PLCs, MES/SCADA, and Industrial IoT. A skilled project manager, he has led major U.S. companies to enhanced revenue, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Feedmill operation PDF

The event will be held at the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) as part of the feed education program.

The conference is organized and presented by Feed Strategy and Feed & Grain magazines, in partnership with the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) at the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).

Alternatively, grind it out with an abrasive, given the size of the part you are working with, and probably having work-hardened the surface already.

In terms of speed and pressure, I've been doing most of my stuff by hand, so I don't know what speed and pressure I'm using - but my friend pointed out what others here have stated, that you should aim to be getting spirals of metal being cut off. I try to start with light pressure and build up pressure and speed until I see that happening. I'm not saying my style is perfect, but I've learned a lot over the last few years.

Formulation software will play a critical role in addressing modern sustainability challenges in the feed industry. Learn how traditional optimization techniques can be adapted to incorporate environmental factors alongside cost-effectiveness and nutritional requirements. Format Solution’s Ian Mealey explains how formulation software models sustainability scenarios and integrates environmental criteria into recipe optimization. Applications provide data transparency and reporting for informed decision-making, as well as apply advanced optimization algorithms to meet your company’s — and your customers’ — sustainability targets. Discover how to use feed formulation software to balance cost, nutrition and the environmental impact in feed manufacturing, positioning your business for a sustainable future.

The 2025 Feed Mill of the Future Conference will be held on January 28, 2025. The half-day event brings together leading feed industry experts to examine emerging feed industry trends and new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), that will impact how animal feed is manufactured in the years ahead. Feed milling professionals will leave with a better understanding of how innovation and early adoption will help their business achieve its sustainability, productivity and profitability goals.

Feedmill process flow chart

What am I supposed to be using? Should I invest in a solid carbide bit? After a lot of googling I think the only thing I haven't tried is a tile bit. Any suggestions?

I had luck with HSS drills. You need to go with very slow rotation and steady pressure. HSS bits can take a bit of wobble so no need for CNC. For 1 inch I will not be so confident to use a hand held drill.

Building a new facility with brand-new technology and equipment is a significant capital expense — one not realistic for most feed manufacturers. Feed producers need to optimize their facility to meet the changing demands of their market, now and in the future. Easy Automation’s Brady Gaalswyk provides feed mill managers with actionable strategies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, to enable them to meet changing market demands with their existing infrastructure. His presentation offers practical, cost-effective solutions for immediate implementation, making it invaluable for those seeking to improve productivity without major capital expenditure.

Standard high speed steel bits are good. 316 and 304 stainless are not hard, they are tough and work harden rapidly . Cobalt is a common alloy in high speed steel, no particular advantage. High pressure , low speed plus cutting oil should be used. As several answers have noted , I will repeat; If bit turns and does not cut shavings, it has work hardened the stainless making cutting very difficult . Best to move to another spot. Also, drill a small diameter hole first , the drill the final size. the cutting oil makes a difference I have used old high sulfur oil. Worked well but now illegal per EPA.

Uses offeedmill

Dr. Jamie Gruich is an educator and cybersecurity expert with more than 30 years of diverse experience. An instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, he holds a Ph.D. in educational administration, an MBA, and degrees in computer information science and business. His accolades include the 2023 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award and the 2022 Cisco Instructor Excellence Award. Gruich played a crucial role in securing the NSA’s Center of Academic Excellence designation for his institution and represented the U.S. in international cybersecurity collaborations. His extensive career spans government, private and public sectors, including executive roles in cybersecurity and finance. Gruich’s expertise encompasses computer networking, programming and system administration, with notable contributions to U.S. Navy systems.

Some excellent answers there, but I just want to give a bit more detail and explanation of bit diameters and pilot holes.

First find a way to clamp your workpiece securely without damage to the part or importantly you. is is 95% of any metal working job and is bound to take 90% of the time.

Any decent quality HSS-E or HSS-Co drill with the right geometry will work 135degree tip,lower helix angle so more and shallower "theads" (or just read label if suitable for stainless steel). don't cheap out. the $20 for set will not work on anything but the mildest of cheese steel and aluminium. Start of with firm pressure and increase until it cuts curls, about ~900 rpm for 1/8 ish, 500rpm for 1/4ish and will do for most sizes you will be able to cut , drop to 250 for 1/2 and up but that is unlikely to go great unless you have a proper drill press (meaning massive), cutting fluid.

Machinery's Handbook (or other resource) will have correct feeds & speeds for your material. In drills that translates into RPM (for a drill size) and plunge rate. Once you have the drill at the RPM the book actually says for that metal and bit, an attentive operator has a reasonable chance at finding the correct plunge rate/pressure, just by noting what force makes it cut "like butter" vs fail to cut.

Read up on the ways to hurt yourself with a drill press ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ri6poVpQM8&list=PLN8VIbn37NRnW-Kyo0FeaP0fkxLDLtBFc&index=1 this is something to watch out for regardless of material.

Drilling stainless steel successfully is more about technique than the drill bit. Of course, using a completely wrong drill bit will not work (a forstner or wood bit on steel, much less stainless steel? - madness. A tile bit? More madness.)

Describing the details of how to sharpen a standard HSS bit with a bench grinder is beyond my skills here, but it's well worth learning. When one of my bits stops cutting, I put it aside and sharpen it before using it again. That has made so much difference to my work.

No matter what I use, after two or three holes the drill bit is toast and won't even grip the steel. I'm running my drill press on the lowest setting while using cutting fluid like it's water.

Feedmill Manager

FeedMill Machine

Always use a center punch to start off!and let the clamp float to center. (a center punch is the shallow angle, a pointy one is a prick punch small tap with prick punch then a good whack with the center punch

That's why you kept destroying better and better bits, you kept trying to re-drill the same place you'd already work-hardened.

Then a friend whose dad had been a tool maker taught me how to sharpen HSS bits with a bench grinder, and pointed out the different aspects. Right at the tip of a large bit, you'll see that it does not go to a sharp point - it's more of a flat chisel. This doesn't cut, just scrapes the metal aside. If you need to use a large bit for the final hole, then start with a bit that is just a little bit wider than the flat chisel end of your large bit, to drill a pilot hole.

I just found this thread, while being stuck with the same problem. I was trying to make M5 holes in a bunch of M6 304 dowel pins I bought off amazon. I needed 304 to avoid corrosion with a 304 matching part. I was still in the process of setting up my shop after moving, so I had a go with a handheld drill (what the heck).

I had a bag of 10 brand new M5 cobalt drills from a dedicated shop, not amazon. It was a total nightmare. The frustrating part was that some pins would drill just right through (with nice chips flying out etc), while others would just stop as soon as the bit would hit the dowel. I tried smaller bits (M4 or M3), no luck. Everything was nicely clamped (except the handheld drill, of cource), no issues with walking etc. I wonder if these pins were a "mixed bag" -- some were hardened more than others (and I did not mean to buy hardened pins).

But work fast. If you're "not cutting" for even a second, you are "work-hardening" the material. Too much of that and you're done. You'll need to find another spot, find another part, switch to waterknife, or do something thermally to remove the work hardening. But the latter may destroy the properties of the metal.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with feed mill control systems offers manufacturers real-time adjustments to optimize production efficiency. CMP Automation’s sales territory manager Matthew Boland discusses the practical steps to prepare your systems with essential infrastructure for AI integration, from robust OT networks to advanced sensors. He will also discuss the gradual evolution toward autonomous, or “lights-out” facilities, examining the path from current ERP interactions to future self-optimizing systems. Attendees will gain insights into immediate steps for preparing their feed mills for AI integration, positioning operations for increased production, reduced waste and consistent quality.

Feed millingprocess

The future of the feed industry lies in automation. Feed mill automation is crucial for enhancing efficiency, consistency and productivity. Liam Cassidy, Knobelsdorff senior executive director – automation, explores the benefits of enhanced automation systems, including reduced operational costs, improved product quality, and real-time monitoring and data analysis that leads to better decision-making and optimized performance. Cassidy will demonstrate how the application of the latest advancements in automation technology allows feed manufacturers to stay competitive and achieve operational excellence.

Ironically the Lowe's drill bits worked the best. As I attempt to go up sizes moving from an eighth to a quarter to 5/8 to 1/2 in to 7/8 to 1 in I seem to dull the outer edge of the drill bit.

For any given metal, there is one correct/ideal feed (the depth of cut) and speed (the linear rate of cutter movement through the material). If you're in the ballpark, fine. If you're not near, well, you found out.

I feel your pain at starting small and going up in size gradually and being frustrated that it's dulling the outer edge of the bit. Been there, done that.

Seriously though, I had to cut 13 holes (some square to capture carriage bolts) in 50 sheets of metal. CNC plasma cutter ate it for breakfast, though I would've rather used a waterknife. Less rework.

Ben Allen, CEO of BinSentry, explores the transformative impact of artificial intelligence and automation on feed mill operations. Discover how early adopters are leveraging these technologies to significantly cut costs and enhance operational efficiency, creating immediate and long-term advantages. The presentation will outline how AI improves customer interactions, leads to substantial cost reductions, lessens pressure of labor shortages and streamlines production processes. He will also discuss the adoption of vendor managed inventory (VMI) practices, traditionally seen in retail, and how they are being integrated into animal feed operations to optimize inventory management.

Ian Mealey is the product marketing director for Format Solutions, a Datacor company. His career began after earning a degree in agriculture and joining a graduate program, then progressing from formulator to formulations manager. Mealey has excelled at Format Solutions in various roles, including implementation, software product design and consultation. He has collaborated with clientele across sectors like feed, pet food, aqua, premix, and food and beverage.

Repeated attempts in the same spot with the wrong drill bit or wrong technique will make it harder - literally. Stainless steel work hardens. That means if you deform it, it gets harder. For drilling, that means you have to use enough pressure that you are taking a thick enough chip to remove the hardened layer, or your drill will stop cutting as the workpiece becomes harder than the drill is. If that stalls your drill, you'll need a more powerful motor or lower gearing.