BIOMASS SHREDDER — BIS DRAFT SPECIFICATION AND TEST CODE
About BIS and Purpose of Draft
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s national standards body, develops technical standards to ensure safety, reliability, and quality across industries. This draft document (FAD 20 (27726) WC) lays down requirements and test codes for biomass shredders, used in the bioenergy and pellet production industry. The purpose is to:
Standardize biomass shredders for uniform performance.
Ensure durability, safety, and efficiency in operation.
Support India’s initiatives like SAMARTH Mission, promoting agro-residue use in thermal power plants.
Description
Biomass shredders reduce raw crop residues—such as rice straw, wheat straw, mustard stalks, and other agro-wastes—into smaller pieces for efficient processing into pellets. This step is critical to ensure compatibility with hammer mills, pelletisers, and downstream biomass handling systems.
Key Point Summary
Draft Indian Standard for Biomass Shredders.
Covers scope, materials, construction, performance, workmanship, testing, and marking.
Ensures uniform particle size (≤ 75 mm) and efficiency.
Mandates safety guards, emergency stops, lubrication, and feed control mechanisms.
Provides detailed test procedures for load, no-load, endurance, and efficiency evaluation.
Enables manufacturers to qualify for BIS Certification Mark.
Scope
The standard specifies:
Materials of construction (steel grades, alloy steels, cast iron, etc.).
Performance parameters (shredding capacity, efficiency, energy consumption).
Testing methods for evaluation.
Certification marking for compliance with BIS Act, 2016.
Terminology
Biomass Shredder: Size reduction equipment for cutting, tearing, and shearing biomass.
Feed Mechanism: Controls uniform feeding and regulates rate.
Rated Shredding Capacity: Throughput at declared efficiency.
Shredding Efficiency: % of biomass shredded to desired size.
Material
Key components and materials:
Base frame & hopper: Mild steel IS 2062.
Cutting blades: Alloy steel (ASTM A387 / ISAR 550 / IS 18809) or D2 steel.
Rotor shaft: EN8 steel.
Gearbox casing: Cast iron IS 210.
V-belt: IS 2494 (Part 1) compliant.
Performance Parameters
Shredded length ≤ 75 mm.
Efficiency variation ≤ 5%.
Blade/rotor life cycle must be reported.
Tests for capacity, efficiency, specific energy consumption, and power requirement.
Constructional Requirements
Hopper ≥ 5 mm thickness with regulating device.
Shredder casing ≥ 12 mm thickness.
Statically & dynamically balanced blades.
Gear, belt, or chain power transmission (as per IS 2535).
Observation Data Sheet: Safety, adjustments, lubrication, anti-corrosion.
No-load & Load Test Sheets: Power, feed rates, efficiency, GCV.
Long-run Test Sheet: Breakdown logs, repair logs.
Observations
BIS mandates safety-first design (guards, emergency stop, anti-vibration).
Efficiency and SEC benchmarks ensure lower operating cost.
Servoday’s shredders already comply with most draft BIS requirements.
Conclusion
The BIS draft standard for biomass shredders ensures performance reliability, safety, and uniformity across manufacturers. This will directly support India’s bioenergy growth, carbon reduction goals, and farmer income generation.
This draft is for comments only, not yet an official BIS standard. Manufacturers and stakeholders must wait for final publication before claiming compliance.
