RBS Baked Pet Food Systems: Optimized, Automated Solutions for Baked Pet Treats and Baked Kibble (Part 1)

While baking pet food is a costlier, lower throughput process than high pressure extrusion, it promises much higher profit margins. Pet food owners perceive baked pet foods to be healthier and more humanized, so they are willing to spend more on them. Baked pet food production lines can produce kibble and treats, making them more flexible than high pressure extruded systems. That flexibility also enables innovation in new product development.

Baked kibble and treats share the same five production steps: mixing, feeding, forming, baking and drying. With baked kibble, outputs are higher and involve fewer shapes and ingredients than treats, so production is geared for greater throughput. With baked treats, outputs are lower but involve more shapes and ingredients, so production is geared toward greater flexibility.

Accordingly, your system and production processes will depend on your product portfolio. As the only OEM that offers a dedicated pet
food system from mixing through baking, RBS can help you select and optimize a baked pet food system for your current and future
product mix.
 

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AUTOMATED, BAKED SYSTEM SOLUTIONS

Backed by 130 years of baking industry experience, RBS has been developing baked pet food systems and solutions for over 20 years. Our move into the baked pet food market was a natural evolution, as cookie and pretzel production are very similar to baked pet food production. And just like our cookie and pretzel systems, RBS baked pet food systems are engineered for sustainability, energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

For most RBS customers, the introduction to our baked pet food systems and solutions begins at our state-of-the-art Science & Innovation Center. This unique research and development facility allows our customers to test products and processes on RBS equipment before purchasing. Our engineers will work with you to demonstrate our process machinery, validate product ingredients, produce market samples and more. It's a key part of the RBS system selection and optimization process, and it allows us to educate our customers on the many equipment considerations at each production stage.

RBS MIXING OPTIONS

PICTURED: A batch mixer, dough feeder and kibbler feeding a rotary moulder.

All RBS automated baked pet food systems start with either a batch or a continuous mixer. Depending on your products, each has its pros and cons. Batch mixers are generally best for low-to medium-capacity production lines, especially those with multiple recipe changeovers. In contrast, continuous mixers enable a much higher throughput and are usually the preferred choice for high-capacity lines. Continuous mixing offers several important benefits over batch mixing, including a fully automated system that reduces labor, saves energy, improves consistency and simplifies your mixing process.

Marketplace

Baked Pet Kibble Systems

Baked Pet Treat Systems

RBS DOUGH HANDLING OPTIONS

The selection of a batch or continuous mixer will affect your dough handling equipment choices. With a batch mixing system, the larger batch sizes need to be broken down and metered into the forming equipment, a process that requires larger and more feeding equipment. With a continuous mixing system, the dough stream is discharged in smaller sizes, which enables smaller and less equipment. RBS has a portfolio of dough handling equipment for batch or continuous systems.

RBS DOUGH FORMING OPTIONS

PICTURED: Co-extruded pet treats produced on an RBS pet food line outfitted with a Low-Pressure Extrusion System.

RBS baked pet food systems are available with a variety of forming equipment options. Representing the industry standard, our rotary moulders can handle higher fat doughs and are flexible enough to produce kibble and treats. RBS wirecut machines are great for softer cookie-like products and bars.

Our low-pressure extruders can produce unique shapes and are ideal for rugged-looking kibble or kibble with a 60% or higher fresh meat content. Co-extrusion and sheeting systems are available for filled and cracker- type products.

PICTURED: An RBS rotary moulder producing baked pet kibble.

Source: Reading Bakery Systems