US Patent is a Huge Victory for Vagn

In recent years, Dana Technology from Funen has specialized in equipment for the production of wet food for dogs and cats. Most recently, the company has secured a US patent for a new machine that makes better use of mechanically separated meat.
 

- It is a major victory for us to obtain a patent for our new technology in the US. The patent protects the very way in which we manufacture the product. This is important when you make equipment that can be sold in many countries, says CEO Vagn Hansen. 
 

The company's new machine pumps the raw material between two heated plates, while a rotating wheel kneads the mass until it acquires a firm, meat-like structure. The pieces are then cut for use in wet food pouches and cans for pets such as dogs and cats.
 

- Bags, rather than cans, for example, are particularly popular because they contain just enough for the whole day. This drives a large market in Europe, the Far East, South America, and the US, says Vagn Hansen.
 

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Dana Technology's technology means that the company's customers can make better use of the raw material.
 

- Customers want to upgrade their raw materials in order to achieve a higher price for the finished product. They can do that with our machine. It's basically the same meat, but now it has a texture that is easier to sell. If they can get just 10 percent more for the meat they use, then it's interesting. It's an upgrade in quality, and that's why they choose our solution, says Vagn Hansen.

European patent moves slowly

According to Vagn Hansen, the pet food segment is growing by approximately 10 percent annually globally, and he intends to pursue the patent in the United States and other countries.
 

"If we see anyone advertising something similar in the country covered by the patent, we can take legal action against them. This also applies to Chinese companies. We haven't applied for a patent in China ourselves, because legal proceedings there are almost impossible. But we can keep them out of other markets," says Vagn Hansen.
 

The European patent is also in the process of being developed, but progress is slower.
 

- Authorities in Europe are not nearly as quick as those in the US. I have experienced it taking three years longer before, he says.
 

He is not aware of any machine patents that cost less than half a million kroner.
 

- On top of that, there is maintenance, so you have to be very sure that you have something that can be sold. But once you are on the market, it is often too late, because then the idea is known, and you may not be able to get a patent. But we didn't know that the machine would be used so widely, and this shows that the potential is often greater than you think when you first start out, says Vagn Hansen.
 

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Source: DI BUSINESS