TC Series · Industrial Drum Chipper Line

Drum Wood Chipper — 8-Model TC Series for Biomass, Pulp & Board

Q: How does a drum wood chipper work?

An infeed roller pulls the log into the machine and pushes it against the rotating drum which carries a series of flying knives the length of it. When passing through the curved end of the drums the knives cut the wood as it moves at a set angle to the bottom stationary knife. This action generates a series of chips length controlled at the end of the cycle by an auto run disc control. Chips then deposit on a discharge belt or chute until exiting the machine. Each TC Series unit uses a hydraulic auto-fed hopper, with a gravity assisted discharge layout - as opposed to similar PTO driven hand fed units as mentioned throughout the dealership, which are designed to be mounted to a tractor for landscaping purposes. Periodic servicing goes into flying knife honing and bottom knife gap calibration, etc.

Q: Drum chipper vs disc chipper — which is better for biomass?

Drum, in virtually all biomass situations. Drum geometry maintains chip size uniformity at high feed rates, takes larger log diameters, and is better with whole-tree input. Disc chippers are better with smaller diameter limbs and landscaping though show a wider distribution of chip length at high throughput in the industrial situation. Full decision factors appears in the comparison matrix above.

Q: Can the drum chipper integrate with a biomass pellet production line?

YES—and TCPEL has the complete line. TCPEL delivers a single-vendor 6-stage chain to a TCPEL hammer mill (six chamber), rotary dryer, pellet machine, cooler and packer. Since the chip size output is standardized at 30-50 mm from all 8 chipper series, the wear rate and the hammer mill input spec downstream is the same no matter which capacities you choose.

Engineered by TCPEL P45S · ISO 17225-4 compliant

The 3 t/h to 60 t/h, 55–710 kW, 30–50 mm uniform chip output industrial drum wood chipper line, available in 8 models. Designed for biomass pellet line, pulp mill, and particleboard plant customers.

8^models

TC216 → TC2116

60^t/h

Peak Capacity

60+

Countries Served

Request Quote For biomass pellet · pulp · particleboard plants

TC Series · Drum Chipper TCPEL TC Series Industrial Drum Wood Chipper for biomass, pulp and particleboard plants

Chip Output

30 – 50 mm · P45S

01 / Specification Overview

TCPEL TC Series at a Glance

Verified Parameters

Model Count

8TC216 → TC2116

Capacity Range

3 – 60tonnes / hour

Main Motor

55 – 710kilowatt

Max Log Diameter

230 – 600millimetre

Chip Size Output

30 – 50mm · P45S · ISO 17225-4

Export Reach

60+countries worldwide

Process Engineering · Drum Wood Chipper

Why Wood Chipping Matters — The Process Bottleneck Behind Pellet & Pulp Output

Whether you need a biomass pellet line, pulp mill, or particleboard plant, your incoming raw material — log / sapling / bark / wood scrap etc. — arrive in sizes downstream hammer mill / digester cannot handle directly. An industrial drum wood chipper per head at the start of your line reduces logs / saplings / branches / wood scrap to an identical 30–50 mm chip — the size class anticipated by your downstream process equipment.

When chip size is not tightly controlled, pinch points move around the line.

Three failure modes that propagate through the whole feedstock chain.

FIG 01. / Process Pinch Points

Industrial drum wood chipper operating in a biomass pellet line

01 Hammer Mill Infeed

Oversized chips bridge a hammer mill infeed.

02 Digester

Undersized fines clog the digester.

03 Knife Life

Irregular chip geometry limits knife life throughout the whole feedstock chain.

Hour-by-hour throughput of your biomass or paper products plant therefore is not a mere byproduct of equipment selection, but directly correlates with this single variable: how large is the drum wood chipper.

The Single Controlling Variable

Drum Chipper Size

Lineup Coverage

Our 8-model lineup is designed so that all chips flow into your process both reliably and consistently.

No matter whether your target capacity is as small as 3 t/h, or as large as 60 t/h, the maximum chip size remains at 30–50 mm.

— Lineup —

8 Models

Production-grade range

— Capacity —

3–60 t / h

Small to high-output plants

— Chip Size —

30–50 mm chip

Held across all 8 models

Below is the technical datasheet with the 8-model lineup, the decision guide for which type of chipper — drum or disc — is best suited to your bulk raw material, three real-world installation references, and the most common questions we get from buyers prior to purchase.

01 / Below

Technical Datasheet — 8-Model Lineup

02 / Below

Decision Guide: Drum Vs. Disc Chipper For Your Bulk Raw Material

03 / Below

Three Real-World Installation References

04 / Below

Pre-Purchase FAQ — The Most Common Buyer Questions

Validate Before You Buy

→ Send Your Wood Sample For Trial Chipping

02 / Technical Specifications & Matrix

TCPEL TC Series — 8 Models, 3 t/h to 60 t/h Capacity

Looking for a fast recommendation based on your target hourly throughput?

All Models 8 3 – 10 t/h 3 12 – 30 t/h 3 30 – 60 t/h 2 Showing 8 of 8 models

Model	Main Motor (kW)	Feeding Size (mm)	Max Log Dia. (mm)	Rotor Dia. (mm)	Knife Speed (rpm)	Flying Knives	Capacity (t/h)
TC216	55	230×540	230	600	550	2	3 – 5
TC217	75	230×700	230	600	590	2	5 – 7
TC218	110	350×700	300	800	540	2	6 – 10
TC2110	160 / 185	450×1000	400	1000	530	2×3	12 – 15
TC2113	200 / 220	450×700	400	1300	420	3	16 – 20
TC2113D	250	450×1000	450	1300	420	2×3	20 – 30
TC4113	315 / 450	450×1300	450	1300	355	2×3	35 – 50
TC2116	400 / 600 / 710	750×1200	600	1600	350	4×3	30 – 60

Engineering Note

All eight models in this lineup are scaled such that one parameter: main motor size, log diameter, or rotor diameter, scales with the others to fit your application. For example, a 600 mm (24″), 55 kW drum on the TC216 operates on a lower tip speed 550 rpm, and a 1600 mm (64″), 710 kW drum on the TC2116 on a lower-tip speed 350 rpm, because for biomass customers, chip quality (uniformity, shape, edge quality) and knife life run better at lower tip-speed when we move up to larger drum diameters. Chip-size output remains unchanged at 30–50 mm.

03 / Recommendation Matrix

TCPEL Wood-to-Chip Capacity Map

All values from tcpel TC Series technical datasheet.

0 t/h 10 20 30 40 50 → 60

TC216

Log Ø230 mm

Motor55 kW

3 – 5t/h

Plant TypePilot pellet line, R&D, compact installation

TC217

Log Ø230 mm

Motor75 kW

5 – 7t/h

Plant TypeSmall commercial

TC218

Log Ø300 mm

Motor110 kW

6 – 10t/h

Plant TypeMid commercial

TC2110

Log Ø400 mm

Motor160 – 185 kW

12 – 15t/h

Plant TypeIndustrial pellet plant

TC2113

Log Ø400 mm

Motor200 – 220 kW

16 – 20t/h

Plant TypeIndustrial pellet / pulp

TC2113D

Log Ø450 mm

Motor250 kW

20 – 30t/h

Plant TypeLarge pulp / particleboard

TC4113

Log Ø450 mm

Motor315 – 450 kW

35 – 50t/h

Plant TypeMajor industrial

TC2116

Log Ø600 mm

Motor400 – 710 kW

30 – 60t/h

Plant TypeWhole-tree, 60+ t/h plants

Select log diameter and main motor for your business based on your target exact hourly throughput.

TCPEL Engineering Team

We intentionally maintain chip-size specification at 30–50 mm across our 8-model lineup. When scaling throughput from a 5 t/h pilot line to a 30 t/h industrial plant, the rest of the process chain— hammer mill, dryer inlet, pellet die—remains unchanged in geometry. Only the capacity number changes.

TCPEL Engineering Team · Equipment Design

Spec Sheet · PDF Download

All 8 models, one technical reference document.

Full kW · rpm · rotor Ø matrix
Recommended plant-type mapping
Chip-size output verified to ISO 17225-4

Download 8-Model Specification Sheet

Equipment Selection · Drum vs Disc

Drum vs Disc Wood Chipper — Why Drum Wins for Whole-Tree and High-Volume

The correct answer to the drum-vs-disc question for biomass material almost always is: drum. Disk chippers spin a steel flywheel with knives around the edge, while drum chippers rotate horizontally with knives along the cylinder's length. The differences in how they are built dictate the feedstock types each kind can process without problems.

How They're Built Dictates What They Can Handle

Rotor geometry, not horsepower, is what determines whether your chipper holds a tight chip-length window when feedstock and throughput climb.

Drum Chipper

Recommended

Rotates horizontally with knives along the cylinder's length. Uniform geometry along the rotor produces a consistent 30–50 mm output across the TC Series even at 60 t/h.

Disc Chipper

Limited Scope

Spins a steel flywheel with knives around the edge. Knife-anvil gap varies as the disc face turns relative to the feed — producing a broader chip-length distribution at high feed rates.

Chip-Size Drift — Where It Bites

Where chip-size drift becomes an issue: a downstream hammer mill rated 30-50 mm input would choke on 70 mm slivers. Disc chippers, particularly at high feed rates, produce a broader chip-length distribution due to the variation in knife-anvil gap as the disc face turns relative to the feed. Drum chippers, with uniform geometry along the rotor length, are able to produce a consistent 30-50 mm output across the TC Series even at 60 t/h.

The Decision Matrix — Seven Factors That Separate the Two Designs

Drum (TCPEL TC)

Disc (Industry Avg)

Decision Factor

— RECOMMENDED — Drum Chipper (TCPEL TC)

— BENCHMARK — Disc Chipper (Industry Average)

Max log diameter handled

230 – 600 mm across 8 models

Typically 200 – 500 mm

Chip-length uniformity

30 – 50 mm window held across all capacity points

Wider distribution at high feed rates

Throughput ceiling

Up to 60 t/h (TC2116)

Generally lower for whole-tree input

Whole-tree / branch-laden feed

Designed for it (large throat opening, gravity feed)

Knife life suffers on irregular feed

Knife replacement cycle

2 flying knives per drum on TC216–TC218; up to 4×3 on TC2116

Disc face knives, smaller batch per change

Best fit

Pellet line, pulp mill, particleboard, whole tree chipper duty

Smaller branches, brush, landscaping

Maintenance interval

Knife rotation 200–400 operating hours depending on wood waste type and feedstock cleanliness

Disc face knife maintenance more frequent on hardwood

For biomass pellet production in particular, drum geometry combined with a consistent rotor speed (350–590 rpm through the TC Series) is what gives consistent ISO 17225-4 P45S-class chip — your pellet press feedstock specification.

Compliance Class

ISO 17225-4
P45S

Pellet Press Feedstock Spec

Comparing Drum vs Disc For A Specific Feedstock?

→ WhatsApp our application engineer for a side-by-side recommendation

Get Side-By-Side Recommendation →

04 / Application Scenarios

Three Application Scenarios — Pellet Line, Pulp Mill, Particleboard

The three main plant types into which the TC Series chipper ships vary in their constraints — chip-size variance, moisture-tolerance, throughput capacity — and consequently the model-selection reasoning also varies.

01 Biomass Pellet Production Line 3 – 30 t/h

02 Pulp & Paper Mill 30 – 60 t/h

03 Particleboard / MDF 20 – 50 t/h · Mixed Feed

Scenario 01 · Pellet Line

Biomass Pellet Production Line

The drum chipper is head of a 6-stage pellet line: chipper, hammer mill, rotary dryer, pellet machine, cooler, packer. By engineering the entire chain the TCPEL ensures your chipper output specification matches your downstream hammer mill input specification – so there's no risk of integration delays.

For a typical 3–5 t/h pellet plant the TC216 or TC217 is the chipper of choice. Industrial pulp mills from 12–30 t/h range from the TC2110, to the TC2113, and to the TC2113D, with a matching biomass pellet machine supplied downstream by TCPEL.

6-Stage Process Chain

01 Chipper

02 Hammer Mill

03 Rotary Dryer

04 Pellet Machine

05 Cooler

06 Packer

Recommended Models

3 – 5 t/h TC216 TC217

12 – 30 t/h TC2110 TC2113 TC2113D

Scenario 02 · Pulp Mill

Pulp & Paper Mill

Pulp mills require chips to be uniform. Out-of-spec chips cause lost digester yield and selectivity. The TC Series 30–50 mm chip window matches the P45S ISO 17225-4 size class used by most kraft and chemi-thermo mechanical pulp mills.

For high volumes, the TC4113 (35–50 t/h) and TC2116 (30–60 t/h) process whole-log input volumes to match the capacity of industrial digesters and maintain the proper chip specification.

Chip-Size Specification Window

0 mm P45S · ISO 17225-4 100 mm

30 – 50 mm

0102030405060708090100

Within Spec Matches kraft & chemi-thermo mechanical pulp standards

Recommended Models · High Volume

35 – 50 t/h TC4113

30 – 60 t/h TC2116

Scenario 03 · Particleboard

Particleboard / MDF

Particleboard mills prefer a slightly wider range of chip length than pulp mills and enjoy advantages of greater throughput at the expense of reduced kW/tonne. The typical fits for the lower capacity equipment is the TC2113D, and for the higher capacity equipment the TC4113, with capacity points scaled to the downstream panel press.

In addition to wood feedstocks, the TC Series smokescreen accepts stems of cotton stalks, bamboo, and non-wood fiber sources. This continues to expand the particleboard manufacturer's addressable feedstock base in markets where logs are unavailable. Benefits over a generic disc-style or drum style wood chipper running mixed feed are most pronounced on this scenario.

Multi-Feedstock Capability

W Wood Feedstock

C Cotton Stalks

B Bamboo Stems

N Non-Wood Fiber

Mixed-Feed Capable

Recommended Models

Lower cap. TC2113D

Higher cap. TC4113

Global Operational Footprint

↑ See Capacity Map above ↓ See FAQ below

The most frequent operational query we've received from our sales-specific websites in the 60+ countries where we've shipped to — including the markets below — is which model fits an hourly target. Our capacity map illustrates this in relation to log diameter and motor power, while our FAQ below keeps it simple.

Shipped To Germany Finland Russia New Zealand South Korea Pakistan India Bangladesh Vietnam Malaysia Turkey + 49 more markets

Advanced Drum Wood Chipper Engineering Tools

Drum Chip Size Compatibility Checker https://tcpel.net/drum-chipper/drum-wood-chipper/drum-chip-size-compatibility-checker/ Wood-to-Chip Throughput Calculator https://tcpel.net/drum-chipper/drum-wood-chipper/wood-to-chip-throughput-calculator/ Drum vs Disc Wood Chipper Decision Tool https://tcpel.net/drum-chipper/drum-wood-chipper/drum-vs-disc-wood-chipper-decision-tool/

Knowledge Base · Pre-Purchase

Frequently Asked Questions

An infeed roller pulls the log into the machine and pushes it against the rotating drum which carries a series of flying knives the length of it. When passing through the curved end of the drums the knives cut the wood as it moves at a set angle to the bottom stationary knife. This action generates a series of chips length controlled at the end of the cycle by an auto run disc control. Chips then deposit on a discharge belt or chute until exiting the machine. Each TC Series unit uses a hydraulic auto-fed hopper, with a gravity assisted discharge layout — as opposed to similar PTO driven hand fed units as mentioned throughout the dealership, which are designed to be mounted to a tractor for landscaping purposes. Periodic servicing goes into flying knife honing and bottom knife gap calibration, etc.

Drum, in virtually all biomass situations. Drum geometry maintains chip size uniformity at high feed rates, takes larger log diameters, and is better with whole-tree input. Disc chippers are better with smaller diameter limbs and landscaping though show a wider distribution of chip length at high throughput in the industrial situation. Full decision factors appears in the comparison matrix above.

Across the TC Series, log diameter handling spans 230 mm maximum log diameter (TC216, TC217) up to 600 mm (TC2116). For mid-range capacities, i.e. 400-450 mm, which represents most of the industrial feedstocks like pulp and pellets, the feed-size opening goes from 230540 mm on the TC216, up to 7501200 mm on the Tci616.

YES— and TCPEL has the complete line. TCPEL delivers a single-vendor 6-stage chain to a TCPEL hammer mill (six chamber), rotary dryer, pellet machine, cooler and packer. Since the chip size output is standardized at 30-50 mm from all 8 chipper series, the wear rate and the hammer mill input spec downstream is the same no matter which capacities you choose.

Knife-speed (rotor rpm) varies from 350 rpm on the largest TC2116 (1600 mm rotor) to 590 rpm on the small-frame TC217 (600 mm rotor). Larger drums spin slower to maintain the blade tip-speed and consequently the chip-quality operation in the same engineering window. It is tap-speed that is the relevant chip-quality variable not current rpm.

Between 30-50 mm on all 8 TC Series models. Compact dimensions hold the (60 x 80 mm) chip window similar to the ISO 17225-4 P45S size class — the most popular input spec for industrial pellet presses, most kraft pulp digesters… — and the same chip window for 3 t/h to 60 t/h capacity is by design, so that every downstream element (hammer mill, drier, pellet die) remains identical, no matter what the chipper model.

Still Have A Question Not Listed Above?

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