10/11/2023

Famsun SJPS Series Twin-screw Extruder

FAMSUN Pet Food division is committed on machinery research, manufacturing, project engineering, factory construction and integrated solutions in pet food industry, create values for customers. As a leading integrated solution provider in pet food industry, FAMSUN undertakes pet food (dry food, semi-moist, extruded treats) and cat litter turn-key project. FAMSUN leads the market by technology, with experienced elite team and European & USA technical experts, through continuous innovation, to provide customers with professional, safe, systematic extruded pet food production solutions, customized environment-friendly and intelligent factory with high standards, high quality, high efficiency. They won the trust and praise from their partners/customers worldwide.   The SJPS SERIES TWIN EXTRUDER is one of the highly efficient pet food extruders in Famsun's portfolio. Specially designed for formulations with a high content of fresh meat, we detail some of its advantages for pet food producers: Easy operation PLC and touch screen for convenient control; by-pass provided for avoiding blockage; easy operation, precise and reliable.   High efficiency Optimal chamber groove and screw flight profiles, minimum SME input; efficient DDC conditioner and jacketed barrel with stabilized and facilitated extrusion, maximum energy utilization; unique suspending cutter, adjustment without down time.   More flexibility Modularized barrel and screw structure with many add-ons, adaptable to varied high-fat or -moisture formulations; controllable temperature, pressure and density, minimizing reconfiguration acquired.   You are invited to know more about FAMSUN PRODUCTS.   Source: All Pet Food    

16/08/2023

Chain process, constant improvement: extrusion, binders, palatability, and more

By María Candelaria Carbajo

Precision, a key factor in extrusion Extrusion occupies a central place in pet food production, but it is not the only thing that matters: it does not make sense to focus exclusively on it if accurate and integral material and ingredient management is not achieved throughout the whole production process. Being the most common method of producing dry pet food, it involves several operations, such as mixing, heating, kneading, cutting, and shaping. Here the key is to obtain perfect homogeneous mixtures of the ingredients used in the formula. Some criteria for an effective and successful process Nutrition and extrusion Nutritional quality is the main point, which is obvious but impossible to forget. The first and most important thing in a pet food formula must be nutrition, so the final product, regardless of the chosen production process, must be complete and balanced. With this in mind, one must consider how the selected ingredients react in the extrusion process. Depending on its nature, this can be easy or rather challenging. Secondly, we can talk about product uniformity and texture. To pets, consumers and judges of our offers, product palatability is crucial, as no nutrient can nourish without good palatability. Additives and binders We can also mention additives as one more component of pet food formulas that can have various purposes. Some can be: guaranteeing longevity and food safety, maintaining texture and color, and preventing water activity, ingredient deterioration, and oxidation, among others. In addition, they are specially used to increase palatability and flavor, an important sensory characteristic for both dogs and cats. In fact, it's what defines whether or not the pet chooses our food. These can impact first-choice palatability, which means they make it the first food chosen or achieve a continuous choice effect, a preference sustained over time. These types of ingredients added to formulas are widely used. However, that does not exempt them from being controversial in a context in which those who make purchasing decisions prefer to know all the ingredients that their pet food contains and where this type of addition is increasingly rejected, often due to ignorance. Marketing and sustainability For the last couple of years, there are two additional points gaining more and more ground: marketing and sustainability. On the one hand, marketing is a crucial tool to get our product, with a great process and palatability, to reach the right hungry mouths. To design a great product to remain stored in our warehouses is completely pointless. And, on the other hand, considering (or not) the environmental impact can be, nowadays, one of the factors that take off or bury a brand's name. Today's consumers want to buy what takes care of everyone's future.   Different factors, some products, only one goal Producers are deepening their research and experimentation to answer with the best possible quality to new market demands. Currently, we can summarize these needs in the following most significant challenges: Fresh refrigerated meat, neither frozen or dehydrated Higher quality – use of mechanically deboned skeletal muscle and primary organs, not by-products Unadulterated materials Non-traditional, grain-free, or alternative ingredient formulas More food shapes, like croutons or bone shapes, and not just brown and round Higher rates of meat inclusion (30-75%) The truth is, with every new trend, new challenges arise. The greater inclusion of meat, for example, presents, from a manufacturing point of view, a challenge in terms of extrusion. But no matter how big the hurdle, staying on top of trends and meeting customer expectations is most important.   Conclusion The improvement of production practices and, consequently, of the characteristics of final products depends on the processes chosen and the ingredients used. A crucial point, within a sea of ​​innovative technology, attractive proposals, and emerging raw materials, is to remember, depending on the type of food produced, and determine what nutritional benefit we seek to achieve, either in a final product or with the addition of certain additional components. As an industry, we must have the ability to review and attack challenges from all angles, and for successful development, we already know the keyword: innovation. Looking carefully at the path traveled in recent times, we do not doubt that experts from various areas are working to improve and overcome any obstacles in terms of formulation requirements, hardware development, process controls, and specifications of a final product, with the objectives in mind of increasing productivity, minimizing costs, successfully satisfying our customers, maintaining the highest quality standards, eliminating human error, improving efficiency and optimizing security.   Source: All Pet Food Magazine

30/05/2023

Taking Pet Food to a Premium Level

Flexible pet food solutions Pet owners often want to give their pets high quality, premium food, just as they would care for a child's diet. Nutrition, process control and food quality are complex and sophisticated topics and in order to stay ahead in the competitive pet food market, you need reliable technology that enables you to benefit from new business opportunities and create new food formats. With roots that go back to the very start of the food processing industry, GEA is in the privileged position of having over 80 years' experience. We have become true specialists in the areas we are active in, like spray and freeze drying, evaporation, filtration, meat preparation, extrusion and packaging for wet, dry pet food, treats and pet food ingredients. Serving the pet food industry Each solution is tailored to specific process needs, factory conditions and business objectives. We design our equipment to boost process efficiency, while offering safety and flexibility in terms of product development. We have a unique understanding of the pet food market and have installed numerous complete lines worldwide, all developed hand-in-hand with customers.  Our technology covers a multitude of pet food areas, including  Pet Food Ingredients Wet Pet Food Dry Pet Food Pet Food Treats Freeze-Dried Pet Food Whether you need a single machine to boost existing line performance or a complete solution for a new factory, GEA is the right partner for you. By GEA Source: All Pet Food   

26/05/2023

Scott Krebs appointed President of Wenger

In this position, Scott will drive strategic objectives and lead the Wenger team in the US, Denmark, Brazil, and all other countries. In close collaboration with the Marel leadership team, he will drive cross-selling of Marel solutions to customers in the Plant, Pet, and Feed business segment. 'I am very excited to welcome Scott to the role of President of Wenger. Scott has more than 30 years of experience in the field of extrusion technology and is well-known and respected for his many great achievements within Wenger, especially leading the successful build-up and growth of Extru-Tech, a company that is part of Wenger. With Scott on board, we ensure a continuation of the successful Wenger strategy and that we continue to strengthen our position and customer relationships in the Plant, Pet, and Feed business segment', says Arni Sigurdsson, Chief Business Officer and Deputy CEO. Scott joined Wenger in June 1991 and has since had a long and admirable career within Wenger, from an entry position as Project Engineer to the most recent executive role of President, Extru-Tech, a subsidiary of Wenger, focused on extrusion systems to produce human food, pet food, aquatic feed, and animal feed products. Scott has demonstrated excellent customer focus, operational and people leadership, and P&L management, and has been instrumental in building and improving the competitive position of Extru-Tech, resulting in more than 50% of profitable topline revenue coming from aftermarket services. Scott holds a bachelor's degree of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kansas State University, and he lives in Sabetha, Kansas, US, with his family. On this occasion, Marel would also like to extend a special and personal thank you to Jesper Hjortshøj for his dedication and valuable contribution in leading Wenger as interim President since the acquisition in July 2022. Jesper will continue to support Scott and the Wenger team during the transition and return his full focus to his leadership role as VP of Business Development at Marel. A standalone platform for new and attractive growth markets Wenger will operate as a standalone business division and leverage Marel's global reach and digital solutions to grow and expand the business. Marel will provide strategic direction and is committed to invest in the business and manufacturing capacity to drive commercial synergies and accelerate growth. Wenger enjoys a diversified and loyal customer base ranging from blue-chip pet food processors to startup companies in plant-based proteins. Over 60% of Wenger's revenues derive from pet food, where the company has a leading global position, and over 40% of revenues come from aftermarket services. This has resulted in Wenger's healthy profitability with an EBIT margin of 14-15%, strong cash flow and solid return on invested capital. Q3 2022 was the first quarter where the newly acquired Wenger business was consolidated in Marel's segment reporting under the name of 'Plant, Pet and Feed,' which also included Marel's own sales of retail and food service solutions into this market segment. By Marel All Pet Food 

22/02/2023

The leading Extrusion Seminar in Pet Food and Aquaculture is Back

In conjunction with the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Extrutech is ready  to offer a in person seminar of high academic value. The seminar will count with theorical and practical activities which will be announced in due course that same day, and are included within the contract. The seminar will be held at the Hotel Coral and Marina, located at Carretera Tijuana-Ensenada Km. 103 N.° 3421, Zona Playitas, 22860 Ensenada, B.C., México, (a few steps from the UABC Pilot Plant). The Hotel offers preferential rates, exclusive for those attending the seminar, prior reservation providing the code: "Extru-Tech Seminar 2023". These RESERVATIONS can be made until Friday, March 17th and are subject to availability. All seminar attendees must be duly registered in advance. Spaces are limited! So, we invite you to contact your Coordinator Isabel Gajardo if interested on attending About Extru- Tech Founded in 1985, Extru-Tech® has installed numerous extrusion systems worldwide designed for the production of human food, pet food, aquatic feed and animal feed products. Extru-Tech® also maintains the reputation of supplying the extrusion industry with superior quality replacement parts. Extru-Tech® currently produces and markets one of the industry's most complete lines of extrusion processing systems. In addition, they offer a full line of ancillary equipment and customized equipment solutions for specialized processes To know more about Extru- Tech we invite you to visit the company´s WEBSITE. Source: All Pet Food

28/11/2022

Pet Food: High quality cuisine for your pet

Pet food ingredients GEA technology plays a vital role in the preparation of high-quality ingredients for pet food. Microfiltration and ultrafiltration are used for the purification, fractionation and concentration of essential pet food components and flavorings from meat and plant extracts. Nanofiltration is sometimes incorporated to achieve better separation and concentration of key ingredients. The integration of reverse osmosis and evaporation provides an energy efficient, optimal dewatering step to prepare purified ingredients for economical spray drying.  Manufacturers need to create ingredients of high quality with specific flavor characteristics. To meet these requirements our spray dryers and FILTERMAT® dryers are designed to operate at low temperatures, with a wide range of products, even those containing high concentrations of oils and hydrolyzed proteins, while preventing product deterioration during processing. GEA spray dryers produce powders that are optimized for extruded or pelletized products. Meat preparation technology for wet, dry and raw pet food Whether you need an automated meat preparation line, or a single machine that offers flexibility and versatility in batch production, GEA has the technology to help you. We have dedicated equipment for grinding, mixing, batching and handling. And equipment that combines cutting, mixing and emulsifying in one. This is complemented by automation and packaging solutions in line with the latest retail trends.  Dry pet food extrusion The deep knowledge of technologies and processes learned from the world of food combined with the trend of humanization that is spreading in the world of pet food has led our technicians to the development of cooker extruders able to produce products with the highest levels of digestibility and nutrition. Our cooker-extruders combine the delicacy of cooking in a vaporization tank with the power and sanitization of the heat treatment of the extrusion, allowing us to obtain products that meet the most stringent quality requirement.  We design and manufacture tailor-made extrusion lines for the production of any kind of dry pet food such as kibbles, pillows and various kind of treats. Our flexibility and knowledge of technology allows us to offer machines with high production capacity, solid and durable and able to adapt to any new product development or market need. Freezing solutions for pet food Before freeze drying the raw meat, cooked meat or kibbles need to be frozen. This is done by using Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) technology developed by GEA. Our full line of IQF tunnel freezers are designed to provide your bulk product with superior frozen quality. They are characterized by hygienic design, high yield and minimum energy consumption. The full and gentle fluidization during the freezing process ensures safe product handling and preservation of the product shape, colour and texture. IQF tunnel freezers can be configured to match the specific pet food application and customer requirements so that they are perfectly integrated into the processing line for pet food production. Freeze drying solutions for pet food Freeze drying is a form of dehydration in which pet food has its intrinsic moisture removed through sublimation. This preserves the overall structure and size of the final product, including its vitamins, proteins, flavors and colors. GEA scope of supply includes processing solutions for a variety of pet food products including freeze dried raw meat, cooked meat, kibbles, snacks and treats. The freeze-drying technology for raw pet foods allows them to keep their original properties, texture and uncooked appearance.  GEA's RAY™ technology a highly efficient and economical batch freeze drying process. It has negligible power loss (less than 0.1%), low energy consumption, uniform drying, high sublimation capacities and a modular design. Small RAY™ cabinets can be de-iced in just 10 minutes whereas larger units benefit from the GEA's Continuous De-Icing System (CDI) to further reduce downtime. Pet food packaging solutions Packaging plays a critical role in the distribution, preservation and presentation of pet food. Differentiating your product on the shelf can be as important as the product's taste itself. GEA offers thermoforming equipment and vertical form fill and seal equipment that helps you meet today's operational challenges such as variety, process flexibility, uptime, reducing the cost per kilogram and per pack, food safety and the environment. Start to finish pet food solutions Whether you need a single machine to boost existing line performance or a complete solution for a new factory, GEA is the right partner for you.   Multipurpose line for extruded dry pet food We design and manufacture tailor-made extrusion lines for the production of any kind of dry pet food such as kibbles, pillows and various kind of treats. Our flexibility and knowledge of technology allows us to offer machines with high production capacity, solid and durable and able to adapt to any new product development or market need. By GEA  Source: All Pet Food   

11/11/2022

Benefits of meat treats and snacks for dogs

ANDESFOODS, produces food and snacks for pets that meet all the nutritional requirements, processes and quality standards that canines need, with 100% human-grade ingredients, that is, as a food for people would be produced. Within our developments , one of these products are toys, snacks and edible treats, made from meat.  Its elaboration uses meat of natural origin obtained from the skin of bovines. Through a careful process we select our raw material verifying that its origin and suppliers are certified, guaranteeing a high quality standard. The rigorous cleaning, washing and drying process implemented in our plant avoids any risk of microbiological contamination. In addition, during all phases different quality controls are carried out that guarantee the safety of our products. The result is healthy and fun products, in various shapes, sizes and flavors that our pets love and also help them entertain themselves. In order to please all dogs, even the most demanding, we incorporate rich flavors and other ingredients that are commonly used in the production of food for human consumption, that are safe to be used in dogs as well, and that become in a very good option for our pets. Additionally, these snacks provide a series of benefits for our dogs and even for our relationship with them: Satisfies the instinct to chew: Canines have a great need to chew on objects, especially in the early stages when their teeth and gums are developing, for that reason we frequently find furniture, shoes and other belongings broken by bitten. To quench their instincts and prevent them from biting what they should not, snaks and meat treats are a practical and inexpensive solution for our dogs. Improves oral health: When biting, the meat exerts a mechanical effect on the teeth that helps to clean the tartar that is formed by the accumulation of dental plaque after eating food. Humans remove this plaque with daily brushing, however, this is an uncommon practice in pets, so it is necessary and helpful to use these chew toys to help their oral health. The use of baits, frequent dental cleanings at home (with veterinary toothpaste and brush) and regular visits to the veterinarian ensure good oral health for our pets. Reduces stress and anxiety: Some dogs develop stress and anxiety because they spend many hours alone or without attention from their love, for example while they work. Toys, snacks and meat treats are ideal for entertaining canines for hours, who are looking to devour the meat immediately. Just as when we give entertainment toys to children, we must take precautions and above all follow the recommendations of the manufacturers of treats and snacks for pets. It is recommended to choose the appropriate size, depending on the breed and age, the toy should be larger than the size of its muzzle to avoid choking. Additionally, it is recommended to discard if it has not been used within 24 hours, since being in the ground regularly, it may be subject to contamination. As we see, offering a meat toy to our dog can bring several benefits in addition to being a very fun option for our 4-legged friends! by AndesFoods

08/08/2022

Great expectations: Manufacturing high quality pet food to please even the most finicky consumer

Dogs onboard the SS Normandie, a 1930s luxury French cruise liner, were offered a five-course menu, including a vegetarian option which their owners could choose for them. These pampered pets had their own private kennel, communal water fountain, fixed deck times, an onboard veterinarian and pet-sized life jackets. This historical factoid reveals an unchanging insight: that owners see their pets as one of the family and want what they define as the best for them when it comes to their health and wellbeing. What has changed: this sentiment and aspiration now extends well beyond the 'leisure' classes given that companionship-seeking is on the rise and more people have access to disposable income. This is not only pushing up pet ownership but also the desire for high quality pet foods and snacks. Lifestyle changes driving growth in the dynamic pet food industry The growing trend towards the humanization of our pets – which simply means that owners see them more and more as human and not animals – is the greatest driving factor in the pet food industry, particularly in the emerging markets. 
Several key lifestyle and socioeconomic trends, which are expected to deepen, are encouraging pet ownership, such as:  longer life expectancy delayed marriage & child rearing reduced fertility rates increased social atomization Long valued for the affection they happily give and receive, pets are contributing to peoples' overall health, wellness and happiness – and in some cultures they even confer status. The extent to which pets have become so important is reflected, for example, in the number of cat cafés that have popped up – first in Asia and now around the world. In Taiwan, for instance, more single people are living in small apartments and unable to buy their own pets, escaping their solitary life by visiting cat cafés where they can enjoy giving and receiving a little affection while partaking of a coffee, tea or snack.  Pet food sales have grown most in the emerging markets of Asia and Latin America in recent years. And around the world, small dogs are in particular demand, with a 25% rise in global population between 2013 and 2018. However, cats are becoming increasingly popular because busy, on-the-go lifestyles mean more people prefer to spend their spare time relaxing at home; and because felines are more independent and require less outdoor activity, they are a more practical choice for many. Fitting perfectly into these lifestyle changes is the greater availability of pet food sold online. Competitive pricing, loyalty discounts, free-shipping and delivery and personalization options, are a dream for pet owners, particularly those in urban areas. In the U.S., for example, e-commerce for dog and cat food grew by 10% between 2016 and 2018. Pet food product and format trends Pet owners' preferences are diverse, however high-meat, high protein content options as well as single meat source and nutrient-dense choices are popular, as are 'free-from' assurances and clean-label products made from the finest quality ingredients, including human-grade pet food. The environmental footprint of products is another aspect consumers are keeping an eye on which is driving the use of alternative proteins, such as insects. The first insect-based dog food in the UK went on sale in early 2019, preceded by similar product launches in the U.S. and mainland Europe. Transparency and traceability are also greatly appreciated, particularly in the shadow of albeit rare, yet life-threatening contamination scares and recalls.  According to Euromonitor International, producers should consider the following when developing pet food products: Focus on innovations that entice pet owners Increase product segmentation to cater to specific breeds, according to age and lifestyle  Move towards premiumization and the use of high quality products with functional ingredients that promote good health or boost energy Link products to nationality/culture by using locally-sourced ingredients Introduce new textures and formats that are more lightly processed or natural Most pet food, including treats – particularly for dogs and cats – belong to one of three categories: wet, dry or raw. Meat, meat byproducts, cereals, grains, vitamins and minerals are the most common ingredients. Greater focus on pet health and wellness has resulted in explosion of new formats, such as: Purees, liquids and pastes: allows pet owners to hand feed their pets to foster more intimacy Soups and broths: appeal to fussy cats Gently baked products: ideal for owners looking for more lightly processed and easy to digest options. Require longer cooking times but at lower temps Cold-pressed: food is pressed and cooked quickly at a low temperature to preserve more nutrients. Provides pets with a raw and completely natural diet, and in a convenient dry food format Freeze dried: moisture is removed from ingredients without the application of heat, preserving the most nutrients and qualifying it as raw pet food, in a convenient, dry format Efficient GEA technology for producing high quality pet cuisine With more than 80 years of experience in the food processing industry, GEA offers efficient processes and technologies for both automated and batch pet food processing. Our human-grade food solutions support manufacturers already at the ingredient level up to plant installation and includes technologies for dry, wet and raw pet food production, as well as packaging – ensuring products are attractive, have a long shelf life while minimizing transport costs. GEA meat preparation technologies prepare ingredients for wet, dry and raw pet food processing. We offer dedicated equipment for pre-crushing, grinding, mixing, batching, emulsifying, pumping and handling, as well as machines that combine cutting, mixing and emulsifying in one. In use since the 1950s, extrusion remains the most common production method of dry pet food, with products generally achieving a shelf-life of 10 to 12 months. GEA dry pet food capabilities (e.g. pillows, kibbles, dental sticks and biscuits) covers flour handling, as well as meat preparation and the entire extrusion process, encompassing drying, flavoring and cooling, as well as final product handling and packaging, including thermoforming and vertical form fill and seal equipment.  In line with consumer demand for more lightly processed and natural pet food, freeze dried kibble, snacks and protein bars can be categorized as 'raw pet food' given the temperature remains below 40 Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). Freeze drying halts the biological action of decay, thus preserving more of the natural enzymes and vitamins in these foods. They also retain much of their original, uncooked appearance, making it not only an appealing but also a tasty and nutritious option for pets. Likewise, freeze dried foods are lightweight, have a long shelf life and can be stored at room temperature. Manufacturers can also add a 'kill step,' known as high-pressure processing or high-pressure pasteurization (HPP), which some opt for, thus avoiding any issues with bacterial contamination. Humanization and pet nutrition: finding a middle ground It is well-established that pet owners are increasingly scrutinizing labels to ensure their pet food choices are meeting their expectations for high quality and functional ingredients. And yet, they often do so filtered through the lens of their own tastes and health sensibilities. This can make it challenging for manufacturers to create clean label products that also have scientifically proven health benefits for pets.  Since 2018, the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., for example, has warned of a connection between heart disease and dogs that are fed grain-free diets. The focus, as most vets will agree, should be on whether or not a pet food product provides complete versus supplemental nutrition. As more scientific research becomes available, it stands to reason that pet owners will reach for products from brands that can back up their claims and products with scientifically-based studies on pet nutrition. Source: GEA Technologies by ALL Pet Food 
 

01/08/2022

Lifland- Iceland’s top feed factory rises from the sea

Tailoring the design When Thorir Haraldsson decided to modernize his operation, he knew he needed an engineering partner he could trust. 'I contacted a number of suppliers,' explains Haraldsson, Director of the Lifland animal feed mill, 'and ANDRITZ was the only one able to come to our site to design, deliver and commission a complete process line factory from the ground up. No one else had all the capabilities I needed.' The ANDRITZ team arrived in Grundartangi, on the coast of an inlet just north of Reykjavik. Together with Haraldsson, they discussed the barley, wheat and vitamin formulations Lifland intended to use. Raw material storage, silo sizes, and cooler systems were all defined, and ANDRITZ proceeded to design a state-of-the-art feed facility, including all of the elevators, conveyor systems and ancillary equipment necessary for a fully integrated factory. The Rise of a Modern Feed Mill When the team of engineers and electricians arrived from Denmark, Lifland had constructed a new quay in Grundartangi harbor from crushed lava stones, and less than a year later, in October 2010, the completed plant was inaugurated with a celebration of 400 visitors, including several government ministers. Together, Lifland and ANDRITZ built Iceland's largest feed mill, capable of producing 12 tons of feed per hour. With the help of training and commissioning assistance from ANDRITZ, Lifland's technicians were soon producing at full capacity. An advanced double cooler system made it possible to change recipes in minutes -a significant advantage for processing a broad range of feed products for Icelandic horses, cows, sheep, pigs, broilers, and layers. By the end of the first year, Lifland had produced a full 24,000 tons of feed. Fortunately, Haraldsson had the foresight to request a facility with sufficient space to expand, and in 2015 an additional process line was designed and installed. Other fine-tuning and upgrades were done simultaneously on the first line, which had been operating around the clock, five days a week. 'This meant that any maintenance work had to be completed on the weekends,' says Haraldsson. 'With the second line, we can now produce almost twice the volume while working just two 16-hour shifts per week.' Thanks to the combination of high performance, low energy consumption, and rapid changeover times, the Lifland fac­tory's products are now extremely competitive in terms of price and quality. The new line is used primarily for broiler and layer feed, while the first line continues to change recipes for additional products including, most recently, cattle feed. 'I'm very pleased with how this partnership worked out,' concludes Haraldsson. 'When I first stood here and pointed to where I planned to build, the ANDRITZ staff looked at me and said, 'But it's just the sea! Where is the land?' Here we are today in that same spot, producing 40,000 high-quality tons per year in the middle of a fast-growing new seaport. It's a very exciting time.' Source:  ANDRITZ All Pet Food

25/04/2022

FAMSUN Pet Food Plant Solution: Creating Life’s Simple Happiness at Industrial Scale

Living in a world that becomes ever more complicated and accepting that the pandemic will be part of today's life for years, many people help themselves become happy again by connecting with simple things like cats and dogs.
 
Life accompanying beloved pets brings many benefits to pet owners: from physical health to mental wellbeing. That is why the population of pet owners rises continuously amid COVID-19. And that is also the reason why FAMSUN and pet food producers worked hard to bring modern industrial pet food production systems around the world in the past years - serving the needs of millions of pets and pet owners and protecting what's good in life through health, nutritious and tasty pet food. Innovation: Driving changes for better Pet parents today care more about the nutrition, health, and well-being available for their pets. For example, nutritious and fresh-ingredient food such as high fresh meat products is a popular splurge item. Many owners are willing to pay extra for innovative choices that can solve allergies, picky eating habits, immune issues. Some are willing to pay extra for 'green' products that are sourced and produced responsibly and are aligned with their family sustainable actions. At FAMSUN, we move fast to innovate and provide competitive, sustainable, and tailored pet food processing solutions that help producers and investors to seize new market chances and become differentiated in the marketplaces. Our experts of FAMSUN R&D institutes in the USA, Denmark, and China, who have dedicated themselves to the pet food industry for decades, are constantly working on innovations to increase pet food plants' capability and make them process smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. FAMSUN has been researching high and ultra-high fresh-meat pet food production technology for years. In 2019, we succussed launched the dry pet food line with up to 70% fresh meat on the market. Since then, our experts have worked on improvement to meet the higher addition demand – and 2021 marks the breakthrough of our solution with several 90%-meat pet food processing lines starting operations in China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America. FAMSUN develops specialized equipment such as FE series single-screw extruder, R series twin-screw extruder, CYPZ vacuum coater, etc. for pet food production. These machines are flexible to meet different customized pet food formulas, and the base materials of all product-contact surfaces or parts are food level. FAMSUN CYPZ vacuum coater, especially, allows producers to differentiate their products at the line end through applying different functional liquids onto the food pellets, be it oil/fat to improve energy, flavors to improve palatability, or functional improvers to achieve health. By introducing FAMSUN innovative and exclusive technologies such as quick-start, waste-controlled preconditioner, intelligent dryer, clean energy machines, and digital services of Manufacture Operation Management (MOM), Manufacture Executive System (MES) and traceability system, as well as advanced Lean Manufacturing and Pull Production concepts, FAMSUN modern industrial pet food solutions provide producers the most possible ways accessing to efficient, responsible, and excellent operations. At FAMSUN, food quality and safety are the two most essential elements in its solutions. From raw material receiving and fresh meat liquid preparation to product packaging and delivery, every process, equipment, and part of its machines and systems are specially designed to meet the two criteria. We also provide tailored cleaning and disinfection guidelines for every plant to drive biosecurity practices in the pet food industry. Integration: Turning complex into simple As an integrated solution provider and a technology partner in the farm-food industrial chain, FAMSUN offers a package of technologies and services from consultation, design, civil construction, manufacture to logistics, installation & commissioning, training, and service to its customers. With end-to-end systematic consideration, design, and execution, producers only have to learn how to operate and manage an advanced modern plant to its best performance and explore its capability to develop and produce competitive products. In addition, FAMSUN's digital and intelligent services and collaborative innovation help drive simplicity and excellence in the whole plant's operation and management. So far, FAMSUN has delivered more than one million annual production capacity to over 150 pet food producers, including Gambol Pet Group, PureNatural in China, Maxipet in Portugal, AVI-Products in South Africa, BioAlimentar in Ecuador, etc. These producers manufacture over 500 pet food brands to help millions of pets live longer, healthier, and happier lives with their owners. Together, we can nourish, spark and protect what's good in pets and create pieces of simple happiness in life at scale. By Famsun Source: All Pet Food 

13/01/2022

FAMSUN is an integrated solution provider of plants, equipment and services in the farm-to-table industry chain.

It is the food standard factory invested by Tekirdag Un company in Turkey (Europe side), which is fully designed and constructed according to UN food standard. This project use FAMSUN latest twin screw Extruder, steam type Dryer and Paddle mixing system, and pneumatic transporting which are all designed by FAMSUN USA R&D Institute. The success of this project will surely enable Tekirdag Un to offer higher quality, green and safe food to the world. by All Pet Food

19/11/2021

AVI-PRODUCTS- Second largest Pet Food manufacturer in South Africa

A production line with annual capacity 80,000MT was built up by FAMSUN in 2020, currently, AVI is the second largest pet food manufacturer in South Africa. Over the last decades through innovation and efficiency, pet food has proven to be an essential part of the solution to make the pet food production chain more sustainable. FAMSUN is always working with pet food industries players to meet the sustainability challenge – produce more, using less, at an affordable cost. by All Pet Food 

08/09/2021

Extrusion in pet food, process parameters to achieve the best results

From an engineering point of view, extrusion is a continuous molding and firing process that proceeds by the action of friction and shear forces on a superheated fluid, at high pressure, contained between a sleeve and a movable thread that expels it in a supported and controlled by an orifice of a determined size, generating at the exit of the equipment an expansion and molding process that is completed by a cutting system that provides the final desired size to the cooked mixture. Extrusion is a clean process, it uses very low amounts of water, it is very energy efficient and of very high productivity, it has an extra advantage that the mechanical development of the machinery is robust and durable. Conforming all this an accessible, well-known, durable and very efficient technology to produce large volumes of balanced feeds. There are extensive specialized articles on types of extrusion and how to assemble them in a plant in the best way, I refer them to those articles since it is not our purpose to treat the process of selection and installation of equipment but how to use it in the most appropriate way once we have it ready at the plant. From an operational point of view, extrusion must simultaneously comply with these attributes of the product and the production process Working flow in ton / h of dry matter Product safety Product dige1)stibility Appearance: shape and size Hardness and Palatability   Work flow The work flow of an extruder is the great concern of plant and production managers. While it is true that the maximum flow rate of a given extruder is determined by its design, it is also true that to reach the maximum design flow it is necessary to control certain process parameters, the ones that have the most impact are: Die exit area: it is the number of holes in the die that determines the available exit area, if this area is very low the internal pressure rises and can produce refluxes that destabilize the extrusion, in extreme cases there are reverse flows that make the flour comes out through the extruder inlet and not through the die. It is recommended for pets to work in the range of 200mm2 / ton to 400mm2 / ton. The lowest values ​​for products with high protein content, the highest heats for products with high starch content. Wear level of the extruder threads and their sleeves: to guarantee friction and shear it is necessary that the extruder does not present wear on its parts in contact with the product. In addition to reducing energy transfer, wear severely reduces the carrying capacity of the thread, generating backflow and instability. It is recommended that the clearance between the thread and the sleeve does not exceed the range of 3mm to 6mm depending on the type of extruder and its configuration. A more practical approach indicates that the extruder tip should be replaced every 3 to 4 months if the machine is used at maximum flow for about 20 hours a day. Product safety The extrusion process handles extreme pressure and temperature conditions, so the product that comes out of the extruder is usually considered sterile. In order to adequately monitor the pressure and temperature conditions inside the extruder barrel, very robust and expensive probes are needed, which in any case have a large number of failures. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor the temperature of the conditioner. There is scientific evidence that above 71 ° C in the presence of a minimum of 18% humidity, pathogenic bacteria are completely eliminated in the conditioner. This temperature is much simpler to measure. A key point in this parameter is to eliminate cross contamination, both by dry flour that has not yet passed through the conditioner and by flour residues that are usually projected from the conditioner. For this problem, it is recommended to work at a steam pressure not exceeding 1.5 BAR. On the other hand, all possible leaks of powders in the system that are easily sucked by the pneumatic transport system at the exit of the extruder must be sealed, which has the appropriate conditions to develop microbiological contamination and re-contaminate the product. Product digestibility Although the digestibility of the product is largely influenced by the digestibility of the protein sources used in the formulation, it is true that the digestibility of carbohydrates is regulated almost exclusively by the extrusion process. Native (raw) starch is not usable by the digestive system of dogs and cats, but gelatinized starch is, a cooking process that is exclusively handled by the extruder. An indirect measure of the digestibility of the product is the degree of gelatinization of the starch at the exit of the extrusion system, which should not be less than 85%. Another parameter that impacts on digestibility, due to a question of accessibility, is the degree of expansion of the product, which is also controlled in the extruder, if the product is very compact, it is difficult to chew and digest, reducing not only digestibility. chemical but also biological. To guarantee an adequate degree of expansion, it is advisable to work on the exit area, conditioning temperature and humidity level in the extruder / conditioner and a quality measure, which is the density of the product. Die exit area, not to exceed 400 mm2 / ton in economical products, reduce as protein and fat content increases to increase expansion. Conditioning temperature, it is recommended to work at a minimum of 93 ° C to guarantee the rapid gelatinization of the starch. % humidity in the conditioner: the total level of humidity in the conditioner must be at least 24% to allow an adequate expansion of the product. Density: all the above parameters can be controlled in a simple way with a single measurement in the extruder that is the density of the product at the exit of the equipment, this parameter is suggested not to exceed 400 g / L at this point in the process to guarantee adequate digestibility of the product. Appearance: shape, size and color Although they are parameters that are defined during the food development process, they are operationally controlled in the extrusion system. The shape is fundamentally related to the wear of the extrusion dies, if they are made of a high hardness material (55 to 60 Rockwell C) they tend to last approximately 5000 ton of production before they wear out, softer materials wear out much more quickly. The size is also influenced by the wear of the die, but fundamentally it is controlled by the cutting speed of the extrusion system. The higher the cutting speed, the smaller the product size. An additional parameter that can influence the size of the product is the speed of rotation of the thread, in extruders with a variable frequency drive that allows handling different speeds, it is verified that increasing the speed of the thread increases the expansion and therefore the size. Hardness and Palatability The hardness of the product is closely related to its texture, and this property has a direct and very important impact on palatability. The texture is the internal structure of the croquettes, their spongy shape product of the expansion. The arrangement and size of the expansion bubbles determine the type of hardness (texture) of the food, which can be measured with a texturometer, or empirically by pressing the croquettes. It is well understood that hard products are less palatable, mainly for dogs. In the case of cats, they prefer crunchy products, but not hard, all these parameters can be conveniently measured with a texturometer. A microscopic analysis of the interior of the kibbles is also recommended to verify the size and spatial arrangement of the expansion cells (bubbles). It is not easy to define a group of parameters to suggest for these measurements, and the limits must be constructed for each particular case. If it can be said that the densest products tend to be harder and have a very closed texture that is not suitable for chewing and the expression of odors and flavors that reduces the palatability of the product. Another impact of the closed texture on palatability is that very dense croquettes with a very compact cell structure have problems absorbing surface liquids, which is why they have a negative impact on the process of applying fats and flavorings, reducing the palatant effect of these two. ingredients. One of the parameters that has the greatest impact on the texture of the product is the configuration of the extrusion thread, since this configuration governs the amount of mechanical energy that is transferred to the product during cooking. Mechanical high-energy settings are best suited for low-starch, high-fat products, and vice versa. It is complex to be able to make cheap and premium products with the same thread configuration, even more so when fresh meat is included in the premium products. As can be seen from this short list of parameters, extrusion has a huge impact on quality, sensory characteristics, and industrial performance. Beyond the extrusion technology available, properly calibrating both the mechanical and operational parts of the extruder gives us the ability to significantly modify the characteristics of the product and the general result of the operation. Keeping the parts free of wear, calibrating the temperature sensors and flow meters, regulating the humidity of the product, controlling the thread configuration properly, have proven to be the parameters that most impact on achieving adequate quality and stable and efficient operation.   Source: All Pet Food

03/09/2021

GEA launches its new xTru Twin 140 extruder completing its range of highcapacity output equipment

The new top-of-the-range machine is equipped with an advanced profile; powered screws provide users up to 40 percent increased capacity with the same efficiency, quality and footprint as previous models. Additionally, this high-capacity technology can be applied to the other models of the GEA xTru Twin extruders too – models 70/92/112 – and retrofitted to older machines to increase their capacity without changing the floorplan of the factory.
The GEA xTru Twin extruders offer the flexibility to produce a wide range of products including: cereal-based snack pellets die-cut, 2D, 3D, multilayers, square shape, punched and direct expanded; breakfast cereals; dry pet food; and any other extruded food product. The latest xTru Twin 140 has a production capacity of over 3 tons of pellets and 10 tons of pet food kibbles an hour.
More capacity but same footprint ... same machine!
To achieve the additional capacity GEA engineers have used their experience and know-how to increase the crosssectional area, rotation speed and pitch of the screws on the new machines while maintaining the extruder footprint and screw length. This also allows customers to upgrade existing machines without buying a new one or changing the plant layout.
Increased quality, hygiene and safety
Other key features of the GEA xTru Twin range include: A high-speed premixer for perfectly hydrating flour; a large, curved mixing vessel that facilitates good water absorption and adhering to the requisite hygiene standards; a vertical forced feeding screw to control the dough's movement into the cooking screw; a powerful, variable speed motor with a safety clutch; a high-torque, double cascade gearbox that ensures excellent power reserves and safety. With its co-rotating, fully intermeshing twin screws, a modular barrel assists in properly cooking cerealbased dough.
Driven by customer demand
GEA embarked on the process of developing the new technology in response to customers' requests and the market's need for a single, high-capacity machine capable of producing a wide range of innovative food shapes.
Thanks to this new technology's flexibility, customers can develop new products and get them to market quicklyand profitably. The upgraded GEA xTru Twin 92 high-capacity extruder offer users up to 40 percent higher capacity with the same efficiency, quality and footprint.   The new xTru Twin 140 extruder completes GEA's high-performance extruder range. Aditional information GEA Snack Pellet Processing Brochure GEA pet Food Processing Brochure   Source: Gea Group  

01/09/2021

Pet Food - What are the real effects of extrusion?

By Luciana Chippano

In this article we analyze what are the effects of extrusion on the different nutrients with more presence in food to deepen our knowledge about this technique. We have used the extrusion method in the pet food industry for almost 70 years. Almost 95% of the production is carried out in this way. Even so, the production process that it entails requires certain processes that must be correctly synchronized to achieve consistency and quality in each batch produced. The truth is that, as it is a process that involves heat treatment, extrusion can have both beneficial and detrimental effects, if done in the wrong way, on the final product. Some of the effects that are sought through this process are the increase in palatability and the elimination of undesirable nutritionally active substances and the improvement of digestibility, among others. On the other hand, some of the most likely negative effects are the reduction of the quality of the proteins due to, for example, the Maillard reaction, a poorer palatability and the loss of thermolabile vitamins. The reason this method is so widely used is because of its versatility in blending, detoxifying, sterilizing, and texturing a wide variety of foods and ingredients used in food formulas. As we know, the combination of humidity, pressure, time, temperature and mechanical shear is the key to the process. So let's analyze the effects of the extrusion process on Pet Food.   Effects of extrusion on starch Pet food formulas typically contain up to 50% starch, which is derived primarily from grains. The starch found in cereal grains is organized in concentric layers of semi-crystalline or amorphous regions in the endosperm. Extrusion cooking can cause the swelling and breakage of the cereal granules, the modification of the crystalline spectra, the increase of the solubility in cold water, and the reduction of the viscosity of the starch and the partial or complete release of amylose. and amylopectin. When the extrusion process is carried out with a low moisture content, the starch granules can be partially transformed by the application of heat. This results in loss of crystal structure and granular shear, leading to the formation of a homogeneous phase called starch melting or gelatinization. This gelatinization affects the viscosity of the mixture and the food and, consequently, the physical and chemical characteristics of the extrudates. High screw speed (400 rpm) during pet food production has been shown to reduce viscosity. During the extrusion of starches, factors such as temperature, the level of humidity before extrusion, the content of amylose and lipids, can lead to structural modifications of the starch granules. However, these changes may differ between cereal and potato starch. Gelatinization has been shown to improve faeces and tapioca starch digestibility, but no effect on the digestibility of wheat starch, for example, has been seen. Other studies have shown that retrograde starch (AR3) in certain foods is easily fermented in the large intestine, producing short-chain fatty acids; but not all retrograde starches are equally fermentable, and in these cases an improvement in intestinal health is seen, a reduction in transit time and an increase in the weight of animal feces.   Effects of extrusion on lipids   The nutritional value of lipids from sources such as tallow, poultry fat, vegetable oil, and marine oil can be affected during extrusion as a result of hydrogenation, isomerization, polymerization, and lipid oxidation processes. The rate of oxidation is affected by many factors, such as the type of fat and its content, humidity and the degree of expansion. Fat unsaturation increases the challenge of proper preservation. In addition, some trace elements such as iron, and the use of biological antioxidants can play an important role in post-extrusion oxidation. In various studies, no effect on digestibility has been seen in cases where lipid complexes were formed during extrusion. For their part, inactivated lipase and lipoxidase, when present in food, result in less fatty acid oxidation.   Effects of extrusion on protein   The protein component of pet food usually constitutes between 25 and 70% of the dry matter. The effects of extrusion on the protein component can be beneficial or detrimental to the nutritional characteristics of foods. As for the positive effects, mild denaturation of proteins can make them more susceptible to enzymes and thus improve their digestibility. Undesirable effects of heat treatment include the destruction and racemisation of amino acids, the destruction of bonds between peptides and extra-peptides, and a number of other chemicals. Various studies found that the digestibility of crude protein in dog and cat food is not affected by the extrusion process. In fact, if done correctly, extrusion improves the degree of inactivation of protease inhibitors in wheat flour and thus increases the digestibility of legume proteins. In addition, the effect of processing various plant and animal protein sources on digestibility in dogs has been studied, and it was stated that diets with extruded feed, even with different vegetables as protein sources, provided adequate levels of protein and amino acids. digestible.   Effects of extrusion on vitamins   Many vitamins are sensitive to chemical treatments. Its stability depends on the chemical structure of each vitamin in question and can be reduced or modified by exposure to heat, light, oxygen, moisture and minerals. Vitamins differ greatly in structure and chemical composition, so their stability during extrusion is variable. However, the known extrusion effects are more negative than in other cases, mainly for vitamins of group B, A and E. In pet foods, extrusion cooking has been shown to be detrimental to vitamin concentration, with oxidation being the main degradation mechanism. The temperature of the extrusion process can be a decisive factor for the retention of vitamins, since it has been found that in an extrusion with temperatures between 130-135 ° it leads to greater losses than with temperatures of approximately 107 °.   Conclusion   Extrusion is a process extensively known by the industry, but still complex, which involves interrelationships between the parameters of the process and the product that affect the reactivity of nutrients and, consequently, the quality of the final food. The most important process variables are temperature, residence time and humidity, and in this article we have discussed the research done on the most important components of pet food. As a manufacturer, you now have this information available to improve your extrusion processes, avoid harmful effects and provide pets with a product of better nutritional quality and palatability.   By: All Pet Food

24/08/2021

Maximum flexibility with a single screw extruder

More than ever, today's consumers view their pets as members of the family. Just as a father or mother wants the best food for their children, pet owners want the same for their pets. The humanization of our pets has been the turning point that has generated the greatest change in how we see and how we relate to these new members of the family. Millennials, without a doubt, are the most influential in all these changes because they are more informed and are much more demanding, especially when choosing food for their pets. They not only hope that the food meets all their nutritional and quality expectations, but also that their pet will enjoy their food a lot. If they observe that their pet does not like the food, not only do they not buy it again, they also share their experience by word of mouth and viralize it through social networks, affecting the manufacturer's sales. Although the Latin American pet food market is generally characterized by a higher level of consumption of affordable and premium foods, the consumption of super premium foods has been gaining strength as a result of consumers being more informed and, therefore, they increasingly demand better quality ingredients and sources of nutrition with greater nutritional contributions, in addition to more sophisticated ingredients. There is no definition of a super premium food, but what is certain is that pet foods that are marketed as super premium use increasingly complex ingredients. On the label it is usually crossed with the selection of raw materials, concepts such as organic, holistic, 100% natural and ketogenic, among others. But, in addition, the offer is expanding to much more sophisticated levels towards extruded foods with high levels of addition of fresh meat, with a very large variety of protein of animal origin such as chicken, salmon, turkey, duck, rabbit, lamb among others; and in the case of vegetables such as berries, apple, carrot, chard, peas, etc. As well as food for certain health conditions of pets such as obesity, sensitive skin, allergies, diabetics, neutered, gastrointestinal, liver, urinary problems, others. In this diversity of products, there are super premium grain-free or grain-free foods, which, despite having no real nutritional reason for having this condition, are produced simply because consumers seek them. Manufacturers often combine this genre with some of the sophisticated raw materials they offer such as those mentioned above. Manufacturing super premium foods, whether with or without grains, can pose significant challenges at the production level. Achieving a nutritionally complete meal requires a greater number of ingredients to obtain the proper balance, particularly with regard to amino acids and essential fatty acids. Extru-Tech has developed state-of-the-art technology to produce high-quality, aseptic foods that meet the nutritional requirements of pets and the high expectations of owners, and has extensive experience working with the largest and most important North American pet food producers. In practice, it is often thought that formulating one type of food or another, reaching all segments and using a wide spectrum of raw materials, has to do only with a formulation issue. But the truth is that the problem is much more complicated than that. The more complex the formula, we find that not all extruders on the market are capable of processing them properly and delivering a food of high nutritional quality, where the croquettes have the texture, hardness and above all the palatability that the owner of the pet expects to find, when it gives the food to its gift. There are two extrusion technologies. One is single screw and the other double screw. Much has been written about the differences between the two technologies and it is true that they do. However, you have to look at both extrusion systems from different angles to know which one is best when deciding on the investment. - When analyzing the differences in the production of food for human consumption, without a doubt, the twin screw extruder has great advantages and greater flexibility over that of a screw. - In the production of pet food and aquaculture food, today there are no significant differences in terms of product quality between Extru-Tech technology with its single screw extruder and those with double screw. What's more, it has great advantages such as: From an investment cost point of view, single screw extruders are cheaper. The cost of production in a single screw extruder is also lower, since it uses a considerably smaller motor, even producing in some cases, greater production capacity with the same product quality. The cost of maintenance and spare parts is also notably lower in single screw extruders. -Variety of products At Extru-Tech we have the technology to produce a wide range of foods in the same single screw extruder, for example:  Pet food • Croquettes from 1 to 4 colors and multiple shapes simultaneously. • Bi-colored and marbled foods. • Food from inexpensive to super premium with the addition of high levels of fresh meat • Short and long semi-wet treats or prizes of 1 or 2 colors  Aquaculture Feed • Floating, slow and fast sinking • Shrimp foods • Micro pellets from 0.7 mm diameter upwards With Extru-Tech technology and technical support, you will be assured of producing the best quality and most palatable foods in any category, with the lowest production, operation and maintenance costs on the market.     Source: Extru- Tech

25/06/2021

Tips to improve Ferraz Equipment

With this in mind, we are preparing short videos with tips on how to operate equipment, like mills and twin-screw extruders, for example, and help you in this important maintenance and performance process. Subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel where we constantly publish videos with usage guidelines, suggestions and information about Ferraz equipment, in addition to the services and training we offer. See the latest videos published: Source: Ferraz Máquinas e Egenharia LTDA.

17/06/2021

Innovation on the Pet Food and Treat Production with Twin Screw Extrusion

The The planned expansion is based on the global increase in pet adoption, increased awareness of the importance of nutrition for animal health and a continuing trend to view pets as one more member of the family. These patterns have created great opportunities for pet food producers, especially in specialty markets. These include premium, natural, grain-free, organic, or protein-enriched food niches, as well as wellness niches that focus on skin care and allergy management, digestive health, and urinary tract, puppy and kitten care, or senior pet nutrition. Within these niches, there are also micro-markets for specific activities or breeds of dogs and cats. These opportunities, combined with the emergence of new technologies, enable the levels of creativity and innovation unheard of for pet food and treat manufacturers.   Twin Screw Extrusion Opens a door to New opportunities Not too long ago, the common practice for pet food production aiming for cats and dogs was to mix basic grains with water, process them in a single screw extruder and coat the finished product with oil, essential and tasty nutrients. The increasing sophistication of the market and the emergence of more studies supporting the importance of nutrition for dogs and cats - together with the trend towards a humanization of pet food - have led to the adoption of Twin screw extrusion technology replacing single screw extrusion. This change is explained by various reasons. Twin screw extruders enable complex, high-level processing tasks with precise control of mix intensity and product quality. The twin screw platform offers a greater degree of process flexibility thanks to independent screw speed and production functions, along with the ability to perform several different processing functions at the same time. We can have a much better control of the processing parameters (including inputs of heat, shear or mechanical energy) improving the quality and consistency of products, as well as protecting volatile ingredients to preserve their effectiveness. The gradual introduction of new ingredients for pet food manufacturing has shown that twin screw extruders can competently process a wide variety of raw materials and mix formulations that are difficult to process in single screw extruders without the aid of equipment. or additional readjustments. Today, market demands go well beyond the previous "meat-like" requirement. Ingredients in pet food and treats can include vegetables (squash, beans, carrots, or broccoli), alternative proteins (yeast, nuts, algae, or insects), and fruits (blue and lingonberries, melons, or apples). Feed with a high meat content is also very popular. Other areas of opportunity reside in nutraceuticals for pets, capable of providing nutrients, vitamins or medication in an animal-friendly format, as well as meat substitutes. While these new products can ensure high profit margins, they require scalable and reliable processing with precise process control to protect the integrity of sensitive ingredients. For this reason, the twin screw extruder has become an indispensable tool for pet food manufacturers who want to meet the demands of those "pet parents" looking for premium pet foods and treats with clear labels, healthy ingredients, advanced nutrition and miscellaneous attributes that mimic the quality and visual appearance of human food.   Development of New Products for specialized Markets It is important that producers take into account the niche market they are targeting before developing their products to design ones that are attractive according to the preferences of pet owners. In today's marketplace, pet food and treats are expected to offer animal welfare benefits, healthy ingredients, and quality protein sources. Niche products have additional requirements that require testing, evaluation and refinement of recipes and ingredients during the R&D process. A conventional R&D center will handle design, laboratory testing, prototyping, small-scale batching, and industrial simulation. In this process, the twin screw extruder offers the flexibility to quickly change production parameters (screw configuration, barrel length, residence time, shear, expansion) and process controls (liquid and vapor injection, flow channels). heating and cooling) to quickly adjust the properties of the products. This also allows tests to be completed with the least possible residue, which is an important factor when working with high-quality ingredients, vitamins or nutraceuticals. Furthermore, while real-time operating conditions can be monitored from the operator panel, all data is logged for future review and analysis. Twin screw extruders often have features that make it easy to access the product and clean (Clextral has automatic barrel opening) to, in addition to saving time, allowing developers to effectively test various recipes in each rehearsal session. This flexibility will also benefit manufacturers when products are moved into a real production environment, as it will allow the processing of several different products on the same production line and extruder with minimal downtime for product changes. A key advantage for supplying products to small niche markets.   From the Laboratory to the Production line After a product has been developed in the test center, scaling is a critical step to ensure that the product derived from the extruder on the production line exhibits the same attributes as the product derived from the R&D unit. Therefore, the design of the extruder is an important factor. Clextral extruders feature proven homothetic designs to ensure predictable scaling. Producers should rely on the specialized knowledge, experience, technical assistance and training provided by their extrusion equipment suppliers to optimize product quality and consistency on the production line. These extrusion experts are continually testing and improving processes and recipes to support their customers, so they should be seen as key players on the development team.   Preconditioners improve Product Quality and increase Production Preconditioners have long been used to increase extruder output by pre-processing the grain and initiating the gelatinization of the starch. This process decreases the required residence time within the extruder for a higher production volume with less wear and tear on the equipment. Today, preconditioners are used to offer additional benefits: • Initial mixing of all ingredients to ensure uniform distribution and hydration before extrusion. • Improved thermal energy transfer to the product to preserve its nutritional properties. • In the case of products with a high meat content, the introduction of the meat in the preconditioner provides a longer residence time for mixing with the dry ingredients in order to ensure the homogeneity of the products.   Twin Screw Extrusion Technology can meet present and future needs Twin screw extrusion offers numerous advantages for pet food producers, as this technology provides a complex mixing and processing system for the production of sophisticated products within a hygienic, flexible and infinitely repeatable platform. In addition, considering that the market is constantly evolving, the twin screw extruder can be easily reconfigured for the processing of new products that meet consumer expectations. Key benefits: Greater consistency in production and product quality control. Maximum productivity thanks to continuous processing, more agile startup and shutdown between faster product changes, and advanced automation. Unbeatable flexibility with the ability to process a wide variety of raw materials. Optimized environmental impact thanks to saving water and energy. Simple and easy maintenance and cleaning.   How to Succeed in Specialty Pet Food and Treat Markets It is important to study trends, consumer wishes, and competition to determine those products that the pet food market demands at all times. A healthy food or treat does not guarantee success if it does not satisfy the needs or attract the interest of the consumers to whom it is directed. With the twin screw extrusion platform, producers have flexible development and production tools capable of optimizing their processes and facilitating their adaptation to changing market needs. This technology not only enables producers to capitalize on emerging trends and opportunities, but also ensures their reactivity to succeed in the Pet Food market. Author: Hadrien Delemazure - Feed Extrusion Expert  Source: Clextral Inc.

12/02/2021

Ferraz launches its news Twin-Screw Extruder: Model E-150D

Before with a line of twin screw extruders with capacities ranging between 400 and 8,000 kg/h, Ferraz now is launching its extruder with the highest production capacity - up to 10,000 kg/h: the Ferraz E-150D. The E-150D twin screw extruder has more advanced technology than single screw extruders, with features such as: Greater flexibility in the configuration of different thread profiles and greater ease in changing and replacing them; greater versatility. .Possibility of working with diets that have higher levels of ether extract, as it offers greater pressure and expansion of the product. Works very well with the addition of fresh meat. Easier cannon cleaning - smooth, non-fluted or helical liners. Variety of products: beef, bi-colored, nuggets, among others. If your focus is on premium, high premium and super premium rations, we have a right twin screw extruder for your production, talk to us! [email protected]

25/11/2020

What are the benefits and challenges of Cold Extrusion in the Pet Food Industry?

Extrusion, as you know, is a process whose objective is to achieve the cooking of the mixture of raw materials and ingredients, giving it the shape of a croquette to facilitate its subsequent handling. In this article we will talk about cold extrusion specifically: what are its benefits for food and the advantages and disadvantages of the process. What is cold extrusion? Cold extrusion is a process by which the temperature of the food does not increase and products of high density and humidity are obtained, such as cookies, muffins or sweets. The main difference is, as the name of this process indicates, in the temperature. Since in the "traditional" extrusion more than 100º C is needed to achieve the desired result. Currently, at an international level cold extrusion is used for the production of: • Candies
• Supplements
• Medicines Furthermore, the results can be obtained in different formats: • Cool
• Damp
• Half damp
• Dry
• Freeze-dried
• Dehydrated What is the current context of this process in the Pet Food Industry? This process is gaining popularity as consumer preferences shift to products processed at lower temperatures in order to maintain nutritional value. Its growth is related to the increase in demand for pellets (small portions of various agglomerated or compressed components) as a result of the growing need of owners to provide their pets with more and more quality and nutritional content, not only with balanced feed, but also in sweets, snacks and supplements. What is the advantage of using Cold Extrusion? One of the main advantages of this extrusion process is that it can be used to handle heat sensitive ingredients and components, as can be the case with some vitamins and minerals. Mainly, cold extrusion is used for the manufacture of products in cases where it is necessary to finish the product before cooking or drying. It can be, for example, a cold extrusion of a co-product (two products combined in one) or a product with a high content of fresh meat. This happens because ingredients with a high level of proteins, amino acids, fats and fatty acids perceive a reduction in pH when processing the matrix thermally. With cold extrusion, it is possible to control the reduction in pH (which prevents certain microbes and pathogenic bacteria from replicating), providing a stable pH level in the products to avoid reactions such as protein denaturation, moisture purging or discoloration. In addition, this process avoids the use of water, an element that increases the chances of producing yeast and / or mold, and for which a considerable amount of preservatives is added to reach the expiration date of 24 months. Some of the ingredients and raw materials that are most used for cold extrusion products are pieces, bone material, liver and / or lung of fish, pigs, cows and poultry. In summary, the advantages of cold extrusion are: • Nutrients are not subject to high levels of mechanical shear and temperature, thus maximizing nutrient supply and minimizing costs, as hot extrusion adds nutrients to compensate for damage caused during the process.
 
• Crumbs can be obtained easier as heat damage does not occur?
 
• The cost of a final product is reduced by the lower use of energy and miscellaneous inputs. • A larger quantity of "wet" ingredients can be incorporated, allowing more fresh ingredients to be used.
 
• A lower level of lipid oxidation is obtained, which makes the final product more nutritious and durable.
 
• There is the possibility of joining two formulas to adequately respond to a need for a particular species or breed. • For carnivorous species feed, it is not necessary to use starchy ingredients, thus reducing feed costs. What are the disadvantages of cold extrusion? One of the main challenges to face has to do with the temperature of the material being extruded, which can affect the viscosity or consistency of the product, and the ability to maintain its shape. On the other hand, you also need to pay special attention not to lose the stability and moisture of fresh meat before processing begins. This can happen due to time delays between processing, extrusion, and final cooking of the product. Regarding post-extrusion and processing stability, it is essential to control oxidative reduction and associated reactions prior to the final cooking step. Brief explanation of the cold extrusion process The idea of cold extrusion is to form a dough in the shape of a tube or dense rope from the extruder of a diameter approximate to the one that is wanted for the finished product. These "strings" of product that come out of the extruder are transported to a machine that turns them into small granules, which will subsequently be subjected to the drying process. Conclusion Cold extrusion presents the opportunity to create more profitable products that provide better nutritional quality and, in turn, contribute to a more sustainable aquaculture industry, all by improving the health of the species. This process can be very challenging depending on the desired formula and nutrient goals in the finished product. Undoubtedly, companies and producers of sweets, supplements, and snacks for the pet food industry that adopt cold extrusion from now, will open a wide range of possibilities with innovative, nutritional, and sustainable products. What do you think of this production process? Tell us, we are interested in your opinion. By: All Pet Food Image source: Pet Food Processing  

19/10/2020

Magnum ST Extruder by Wenger Manufacturing

The Magnum ST Series by Wenger Manufacturing redefines versatility for smaller extruders, with no loss of capacity. The ability to use higher Specific Mechanical Energy (SME) settings to take extruded products to the next level makes this solution especially innovative. Wenger's extruder boasts speeds of up to 1,200rpm and power levels to 165kW hr/t SME at volumetric capacity. Benefits of the Magnum ST Extruder include potential for lower bulk density, higher absorbency levels of liquid coating, smaller cell structure, enhancement of textural properties and higher cook levels.
  by All Extruded  

25/09/2020

Yemtar Provides Feed for Cats and Dogs

Yemtar, one of the leading Turkish feed machine manufacturers, is undertaking a social responsibility project for cats and dogs. Within the scope of the project carried out with the slogan 'We are Responsible to Them', food for cats and dogs is left in many points of Bandırma, Turkey. Serving in the feed machinery sector for 40 years, Yemtar is adopting a social responsibility project for cats and dogs in Bandırma. Offering machines that produce the most suitable food and feed for the natural feeding of animals, the company leaves cat and dog food in many points of the city. In the statement made by the company officials, the project was announced as follows: 'In our 40th year, with our motto, 'We Feed Like Nature' we hanged cat and dog foods at many points all around our city. Please join us, spread love and happiness to our little friends and feed them with our small gifts.' by Yemtar  

12/06/2020

Talking about Extrusion Process in Rongorongo Live with Osvaldo Muñoz

Yesterday morning we had the pleasure of having a friendly chat with Osvaldo Muñoz through Rongorongo Studios in the UK, about one of the hottest topics in aquaculture and pet food processing nowadays ... Extrusion Being one of the most respected voice regarding processing and extrusion process, not only in Latin America but globally, Osvaldo Muñoz, Extru-tech` Sales Director for LATAM , agreed to speak with Roger Gilbert, CEO of Perendale Publishers ltd., Editorial that counts among its publications with International Aquafeed Magazine, among other publications, and with Ivan Marquetti, Regional Director of International Aquafeed and All Extruded magazines and Online Platforms, regarding general aspects of Extrusion and its nutrition and processing benefits for the aquaculture and Pet Food industries.  It was a bilingual interview (English and Spanish), so we invite you not to miss any detail of the interview, which touches very innovative aspects of Extru-tech and Extrusion Technologies     by All Extruded

10/06/2020

Wenger Technical Centre Expansion and Renovation on track for 2020 On-time Completion

Aerial photography reveals steady progress on the construction with the new concrete foundations, stem walls and floors providing a visual for what the perimeter of the new tech centre will look like. The new construction will make the facility more scalable and extend its lifespan long into the future. The modernisation will include enhancing preventative measures for food safety, and the added square footage will make the centre more versatile. Expansion of the world-renowned Wenger Technical Centre in Sabetha, KS, USA, is keeping pace and hitting construction milestones, even in the face of obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic. 'The pandemic has not disrupted plans or impeded progress with the upgrade,' says Brend King, Vice President and Technical Centre Director. 'We have excellent momentum—construction of the new building is hitting every milestone while the Technical Centre is still fully operational inside.' Work already was well underway on the $13 million renovation when COVID-19 abruptly forced businesses to shift operations protocols. The new building is being constructed around the old—the modernised, tension fabric structure will completely enclose the existing facade. That original steel structure then will be taken down, revealing capacity that is 40 percent larger and able to fit full-scale, commercial versions of nearly every piece of equipment Wenger manufactures. The new structure is scheduled for completion in July and demolition of the old building will begin in August. While the pandemic did slow progress slightly at the beginning, Mr King says they've amended schedules when needed and have been recouping lost time as work moves along. Meanwhile, testing and R&D projects continue inside the building, though protocols have been modified due to COVID-19. Wenger clients depend on the Technical Centre as a low-risk testing environment for new products and processes. 'Clients need us to continue functioning so they can meet their objectives, and we are committed to remain open and operational during this unpredictable time,' Mr King says. 'Our ingenuity drives us, and with persistence and flexibility we've found ways to work around the COVID-19 curveballs and stay open for business.' For the time being, Wenger is unable to allow customers physically in the facility, but the team shares photos and video and provides detailed data sheets to show customers how the extruders and formulations are set up. They also send samples of the end product. 'Thankfully, this is temporary,' Mr King says. 'Customers have been very understanding and cooperative with these less-than-ideal, but necessary, changes to protocol. We're tremendously proud and grateful to have earned trust in the industry so that clients are comfortable letting us conduct runs on their behalf,' Mr King says. And in those instances where clients must be present, Wenger has shifted projects to a timeframe when restrictions are loosened. Justin Moore, Extrusion Coordinator for Companion Animals and Aquafeed, and Topher Dohl, Extrusion Coordinator for Human Food and Industrial, have focused on scheduling and communication with customers to keep them apprised and meet everyone's needs. Mr King says the shuffling of schedules has opened up time to focus on Wenger R&D projects, allowing the team to gather data to validate assumptions and theories. 'We've made some incremental steps on R&D processes we've been working on internally—and we look forward to sharing these exciting innovations.' It also has allowed Wenger to finish internal projects early to leave more time for client projects pushed to a later date. The general contractor PMI Nebraska LLC, along with CL Construction of Lincoln, Neb., worked through difficult weather and muddy conditions this winter and spring to keep the project pushing forward. Wenger also is working with Pinnacle Electric, PCI Mechanical, Schenck Process, Scott Equipment and IPS on various aspects of the project. As for COVID-19 precautions, Wenger is following public health expert advice and implementing measures related to social distancing, hand washing, and sanitising high-touch areas. They take temperatures in the morning and limit contact among employees. 'Safety is always a top priority at the Technical Centre, pandemic or not; and because many of our processes deal with food products, our standard safety practices match up well with public health guidelines for COVID-19,' Mr King says. 'It was easy to build social distancing measures onto the sound health and safety practices we already had in place.' by Perendale Publishers  

03/06/2020

Extrusion Systems for Pet Food and Aqua Feed. Single or Twin Screw?

Introduction The Extrusion process is a thermo-mechanical process that consists of forcing a product to pass through one or more holes of a specific size under pressure and temperature thanks to the Archimedes screw concept (also known as "endless screw"). The extrusion processes in the processing of extruded pet food and aquaculture, aim to achieve the cooking of the mixture of raw materials and ingredients giving it the form of croquette (pellet / kibble) that facilitates its subsequent handling. The most important things that take place inside the extruders are the gelatinization of starches and texturization of proteins, both processes help to the greater digestibility, as well as to form a structure and texture that hosts other ingredients, minerals, fats in a stable and uniform way. For a good gelatinization of starches and texturization of proteins moisture is needed (the one that is added in the form of liquid water and steam in pre conditioning and / or extruder), temperature is needed, part of the temperature input is given by the addition of steam, but the most important is carried out by the mechanical and friction work produced by the screws. And mechanical energy is also needed, granted by the shearing action of the screws. Today there are two technologies available for extrusion, these are single screw (SSE) and twin screw (TSE). In this article we will talk about the features, advantages and disadvantages of each of these technologies. Single Screw Extruders In Single Screw Extruders we observe as a characteristic that the advance of the screw moves the materials through the channel by developing a 'drag flow', whose speed is directly proportional to the speed of the screw. Due to the constraint of the die in the discharge of the extruder, there is a "backpressure flow', which goes in the opposite direction to the drag flow. Therefore, the 'flowrate" in single screw extruders (SSE) is equivalent to the drag flow rate – backpressure flow rate. The flow dynamics in the screw channel shows us that the fluid particles travel at different speeds and that they do not interact in their entirety, resulting in a dispersion of dwell times and an uneven mixture. Consequently, the heat transfer as well as the entry of mechanical energy in the cooking section are very limited. In addition, the length of the shear depends on the space, which generates heterogeneities of the melting properties (cooking duration, temperature and pressure). In short, Simple Screw Technology (SSE) features: A single process section. Dependence on performance and screw speed. A single operating point (performance combined with maximum screw speed and die opening area). Limitations in mixing, which limits heat transfer, mechanical energy input, and generates heterogeneities in particle fusion (cooking duration, composition, temperature and pressure). The higher the screw wear, the lower the extruder performance. A reduction of 10-20% can be observed during the life of the screw. 'Lubrication factors' in the composition of the mixture generate runoff, which reduces the performance of the extruder and the addition of mechanical energy. Twin Screw Extruders Twin Screw Extruders (TSE) have multiple process sections in series, (melting/cooking, vapor/gas extraction, vapors/positive displacement pumping), thanks to the different restrictions generated by the work of the screws. The process sections show high levels of mixing, good heat transfer and important shear work (addition of mechanical energy). In the TSE, a very intense mixture is observed in the coupling area of the screws (macro mixing and micro mixing). Consequently, the heat transfer coefficient in the sections is very high. Homogeneous fusions can be obtained, with a very good link of lipids. The expansion after traversing the die develops consistently, leading to an excellent density, texture and shape of the product, as well as a uniform final density and color. In short, Twin Screw Technology (TSE) features: Multiple process sections in series. The performance and speed of the screw are unlinked. Therefore, for a mixture formulated, the TSE are characterized by its many operating points. In addition, the screw profile can vary extensively to modulate the addition of mechanical energy. The mixing process is very intense, which gives great benefits in relation to the quality of the product. The slippage of the mixture is compensated by the positive displacement pumping of the screws. Less sensitivity to changes in raw materials. Increased tolerance to changes in moisture, fiber aggregates and fats. Better quality and consistency of final product. Greater overall process flexibility. In Aqua Feed, the best possible uniformity and high level of degassing decreases the chances of pellets floating when Sinking Aqua Feed is produced. In Aqua Feed it allows us to produce, thanks to the action of the two screws, micro pellets up to 500 microns (0.5 mm). In the particular case of the Twin Screw Extruders of the French Company "Clextral" (top image of Clextral extruder), the proven advantage of being able to achieve the high quality of food by working with 2 to 3 % less humidity is achieved, implying significant energy savings in the subsequent drying process. Conclusion Both extrusion technologies are widely used in the pet food and aqua feed production sector. Single Screw technology typically requires a lower investment cost, and somehow lower spare parts costs. While the Twin Screws requires a higher investment that brings as advantages the possibility of working with a wider range of raw materials, with more fibers, more vegetal proteins and higher fat content. Author:  Eng. Diego Clivio More info: www.cliviosolutions.com

01/06/2020

An Extruder for Maximising Production of Fish Feed and Petfood

The extruder OEE NG from Amandus Kahl GmbH & Co KG has set about capturing the market for the production of pet food and Fish feed of the highest quality. The German machine manufacturer Amandus Kahl has been manufacturing a new extruder for the production of Fish feed and Pet Food since 2019. The extruder OEE 25 NG (New Generation) was introduced onto the market with a screw diameter of 250mm and a resulting capacity of up to 10t/h. The 2020 series will be expanded by two extruders with screw diameters of 200mm and 150mm for smaller production volumes. The new equipment and technology level of the Kahl Extruder OEE NG  After more than 20 years of experience with extrusion machines, customers now receive a completely new extruder to meet the growing demands in the production of Fish feed and pet food. During the design phase, the focus was on producing a user-friendly machine with new performance standards. A double-jointed connection enables a fast tool and knife change. The design was also a focal point - the extruder OEE NG is manufactured with a frame-mounted touch screen to control all relevant operating data, settings and options even during operation. The machine also features the proven Kahl stop bolt technology for successful mixing and venting in the irst cylinder section.  Special process zones for compaction, cooking and kneading ensure high lexibility and a wide range of adjustment options. The Kahl extruder can also be ideally adapted to changing formulae. Fine control measures, such as the possibility of adjusting  the screw speed, adding steam or water to the extruder barrel or individually adjustable heating and cooling jackets have also been taken into account in the design. A comparison of the screw diameters of both Kahl extruders clearly shows an increase in throughput: Thus, a capacity range of 10t/h is achieved in large industrial applications. The advantages and options of Kahl machines at a glance The already mentioned fast knife and die change provides high eficiency. Furthermore, the possibility to change the distance between knife and die during operation allows a lexible deinition of the desired extrudate size. Amandus Kahl produces the requested machine as a single unit or turnkey extrusion line. In both cases, no expensive additional equipment is required to inluence the expansion behaviour. This saves not only investment costs, but also operating costs. Amandus Kahl deines the speciic project together with the customer and inds the most suitable solution for a successful production. Apart from the actual extrusion, turnkey extrusion lines include all process steps such as grinding and mixing of the components. Steam conditioning, drying, coating, cooling and packaging are also performed by machines from Amandus Kahl. Quality made in Germany - Successful for 140 years Founded in 1876, Amandus Kahl has been successfully manufacturing machines and plants for conditioning and pelleting of various raw components and product mixtures for more than 140 years. Ever since the company was founded, the pelleting press has been at the centre of production. Thanks to its lat die, it has established itself as a unique selling point on the commercial market in countless industrial sectors. The high quality is also relected in every other machine and plant 'Made in Germany'. In addition to pan grinder mills for energy-eficient wood crushing, cooling and drying plants or expanders in various designs, Amandus Kahl customers can obtain extruders for various industrial sectors such as the food or animal feed sector for different production capacities.     How to contact us Have you seen the new Amandus Kahl website? It provides a comprehensive overview of the broad machine portfolio and shows in which industries Amandus Kahl machines and plants are already successfully used today. Find out more at www.akahl.de, contact us via the contact form or write an e-mail to  [email protected].  by Amandus kahl Source: All Extruded

21/05/2020

Exact control of the product flow entering the extruder

We would like to make a presentation of the LIW "Loss In Weight" equipment of the prestigious JESMA Company for measuring the flow of product entering the conditioner / extruder. As you know, the good operation of this equipment ensures a gradual and exact feeding of the material that enters the conditioner and thus the extruder. If this equipment does not operate properly, the quality of the final product can be very compromised since density variations and fluctuations in this area are very frequent. Variations in the feeding and erroneous readings of the product flow that enters causes erroneous additions of steam and water producing variations in the working conditions of the extruder (SME - Specific Mechanical Energy). An accurate and reliable product flow measurement system that reaches the conditioner will allow an addition of water and steam in the appropriate proportions and therefore a continuous process of higher quality, without depending so much on the intuitive adjustments of the operators. Enclosed the updated presentation of this type of equipment, including models, capacities and prices.
We are available to tell you more about these teams. See presentation Source: www.cliviosolutions.com

15/04/2020

Live Webinar Series- Wenger Manufacturing

In times like these, we must all learn new ways to reinvent ourselves. When everyone is advising us to stay 6-ft apart, we need to find opportunities to be now more connected than ever before, yet being apart. With that in mind, we have proudly designed a season of webinars to help maintain the connection and relationship flow with our clients and future clients, through what we do best, besides state-of-the-art extruders and dryers, by mentoring and educating through science and R&D. This series of webinars will happen weekly for 4 weeks in a row and will provide insights to a very trendy topic in the food industry, which Wenger has been a key value-adder on for nearly 50 years now: Textured Plant Proteins - How, what they're made of and more; long-term advice in order you take away your own next competitive edge plan. We're fortunate to be almost sold out in less than 24 hours. The new era starts on April 23rd - 10AM Central US & Canada. Tune in! Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.

22/03/2020

Wenger Manufacturing Announces Multimillion-Dollar Expansion of Innovation and Development Centre

Wenger Manufacturing, Inc, has begun work on a US $13 million renovation project to expand and modernise the Wenger Technical Centre in Sabetha, USA. The Wenger Technical Centre is a facility dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement of extrusion process systems for food, feed and industrial applications. The Wenger Technical Centre houses full-scale extruders, dryers and ancillary components to provide a real-world development environment for extrusion-based products and processes. A recognised proving ground for innovation and training, the centre is used by clients, academia and other industry partners for accelerating product development and operational training. 'This renovation is a strategic reinvestment into a facility  that has long served our industries as the critical hub for innovation and continuous improvement,' says Lafe Bailey, Co-CEO and President of Sales and Corporate Development. 'The Technical Centre has held global importance to the extrusion industry since 1954, and we are committed to both renewing, and expanding, the roles and responsibilities that the Wenger Technical Centre holds in the industries we serve.' The new construction will increase the existing 22,000-square-foot centre's capacity by 40 percent, making the facility more scalable and extending its lifespan long into the future. The modernisation will include enhancing preventative measures for food safety, and the added square footage will make the centre more versatile. It will expand the scope of market-facing services while also further enhancing existing innovation projects already active in the Wenger pipeline. 'As our industries face increased scrutiny over food safety, the new Wenger Technical Centre will provide a lowrisk environment to evaluate prototypes and make sure new products and processes adhere to safety and quality standards,' says Brend King, Vice President and Technical Centre Director. 'We're very excited for this expansion as it will allow us to continue helping clients—and Wenger—move ideas from concept to market more quickly.' by Wenger Manufacturing 
 

26/11/2019

Twin Screw Extrusion

Wenger revolutionises twin screw extrusion with unique models dedicated to pet food and aqua feeds Traditional twin-screw extrusion design has served its purpose as the pet food and aqua feed industries developed. Yet both industries now stand at a tipping point where new trends are pushing the traditional systems beyond their limit. Flexibility is key and what the new generation Wenger twin screw extrusion systems are built on. The Thermal Twin® extrusion system is tailored for pet food manufacturers, so they can develop a wider range of products using an extensive choice of ingredients while preserving ingredient and product identity. The Aquaflex® extrusion system is tailored for aquatic feed manufacturers to maximise their investment by giving them the capability to manufacture a wide range of products such as floating, sinking, shrimp, and micro feeds in different product sizes while utilising a broad ingredient selection. This flexibility is possible given these systems are engineered with a specialised screw profile design to deliver higher volumetric capacity and the capability to operate using a wide range of thermal and mechanical energy cooking conditions. Thermal and mechanical energy are the main energy sources utilised in the extrusion process. A review of current extrusion processes in the industry indicates the ratio of consumed thermal to mechanical energy ranges from 1:1 to 2:1. This ratio determines utility costs as well as maintenance costs, specifically the costs to replace worn rotating elements. A recent study compared energy input and operating cost for three extrusion system (See Table 1). It was observed that even though the total energy input (thermal + mechanical) was higher for a thermal twin screw extrusion system, it was less expensive to operate over time compared to a standard single screw and twin-screw extrusion system. An extrusion system with the ability to vary this energy utilisation ratio and shift to the most favorable energy sources from a cost standpoint, brings increased flexibility to the cost of operating the system. Wenger extruders are engineered to operate in thermal to mechanical energy ratios from 1:1 to as much as 14:1. This is achieved with a twin-screw profile that allows up to four-to-six times more steam injection into the extruder barrel. Additionally, these systems are coupled with a high intensity preconditioner (HIP) which provides less product moisture variation and increases the starch gelatinisation compared to other steam conditioning designs (See Table 2). As a result of a wider energy utilisation ratio and a specialised twin screw profile, coupled with a preconditioner which delivers less product moisture variation and increased cook, the flexibility of the Thermal Twin® and Aquaflex® extrusion systems become key to increase product offerings. Thermal energy is considered a more natural way of cooking when compared to mechanical energy. This translates to less shear and more gentle kneading to continuously develop the visco-elastic dough product matrix. With a Thermal Twin® extrusion system, pet food manufacturers can go beyond the traditional dry expanded and offer high carb, baked, soft moist, vegetable bit inclusion, and high meat pet food. Furthermore, specialty treats (short and long), retort-stable wet food, engineered ingredients (up to 200% percent% wet meat slurry content), and textured vegetable/meat protein products can be manufactured with this type of system. With an Aquaflex® extrusion system, aqua feed manufactures can expand their offering to shrimp, floating, micro, sinking, and fish soluble inclusion feed. New generation twin screw extruder design and thermal cooking allow for a wider ingredient utilisation such as novel animal and vegetable protein sources. Not only is there a wider ingredient selection to work with, inclusion levels of ingredients such as fresh meat and slurries are two-fold in new generation Wenger twin screws extruders when compared to single screw and traditional twin-screw extrusion systems. Higher inclusion levels suggest all animal protein could be supplied in the form of fresh meat for pet food and fish slurries for aqua feed instead of rendered meals, which translates to premium, clean label products. Additionally, product appearance (smoother surface), palatability, digestibility, and ingredient retention rates are enhanced when quality fresh ingredients are processed using a new generation twin screw extrusion system. A recent case study in pet food palatability showed higher consumption ratio and first choice preference with pet food manufactured with a new generation extrusion system compared to traditional extrusion platforms. Nutritional studies in Brazil, Europe, and the United States indicate that there is less protein degradation and lower fat rancidity levels when thermal energy is emphasised over mechanical energy during the extrusion process. Protein digestibility of up to 95 percent was observed for product generated on a Thermal Twin® extrusion system using fresh meat compared to 80-85 percent protein digestibility of a product using rendered meat meals. Additionally, significant higher retention rate of important ingredients when thermal energy inputs are emphasised (See Table 3). In two separate case studies in India and Vietnam using a new generation twin screw Aquaflex® extrusion system, a 10 percent formula cost reduction was observed producing shrimp feed and tilapia feed without compromising product integrity. Pellet durability indices above 99 percent were recorded in both studies, where product size ranged from 0.6 mm up to 2.2 mm in shrimp feed and 1.8 mm up to 7.0 mm in tilapia feed. Additionally, an average equipment wear cost of US$1.05/mton was achieved using the new generation twin screw. Significantly lower compared to a single screw (US $2.10/mton) and traditional twin-screw extrusion system (US$3.41/mton). Overall, the new generation twin screw extrusion systems simply outperform the single screw and traditional twin-screw systems. The flexibility that has been engineered into these extrusion systems supplies pet food and aqua feed manufacturers the precise tool to maximise their investment and optimise cost of operation. Moreover, it can help achieve premiumisation and clean label products by allowing a wider range and higher inclusion level of fresh ingredient utilisation. by Adrian Martinez-Kawas, PhD, Wenger Manufacturing

04/11/2019

Twin Screw Extrusion

Wenger revolutionises twin screw extrusion with unique models dedicated to pet food and aqua feeds Traditional twin-screw extrusion design has served its purpose as the pet food and aqua feed industries developed. Yet both industries now stand at a tipping point where new trends are pushing the traditional systems beyond their limit. Flexibility is key and what the new generation Wenger twin screw extrusion systems are built on. The Thermal Twin® extrusion system is tailored for pet food manufacturers, so they can develop a wider range of products using an extensive choice of ingredients while preserving ingredient and product identity. The Aquaflex® extrusion system is tailored for aquatic feed manufacturers to maximise their investment by giving them the capability to manufacture a wide range of products such as floating, sinking, shrimp, and micro feeds in different product sizes while utilising a broad ingredient selection. This flexibility is possible given these systems are engineered with a specialised screw profile design to deliver higher volumetric capacity and the capability to operate using a wide range of thermal and mechanical energy cooking conditions.Thermal and mechanical energy are the main energy sources utilised in the extrusion process. A review of current extrusion processes in the industry indicates the ratio of consumed thermal to mechanical energy ranges from 1:1 to 2:1. This ratio determines utility costs as well as maintenance costs, specifically the costs to replace worn rotating elements. A recent study compared energy input and operating cost for three extrusion system (See Table 1). It was observed that even though the total energy input (thermal + mechanical) was higher for a thermal twin screw extrusion system, it was less expensive to operate over time compared to a standard single screw and twin-screw extrusion system. An extrusion system with the ability to vary this energy utilisation ratio and shift to the most favorable energy sources from a cost standpoint, brings increased flexibility to the cost of operating the system. Wenger extruders are engineered to operate in thermal to mechanical energy ratios from 1:1 to as much as 14:1. This is achieved with a twin-screw profile that allows up to four-to-six times more steam injection into the extruder barrel. Additionally, these systems are coupled with a high intensity preconditioner (HIP) which provides less product moisture variation and increases the starch gelatinisation compared to other steam conditioning designs (See Table 2).  As a result of a wider energy utilisation ratio and a specialised twin screw profile, coupled with a preconditioner which delivers less product moisture variation and increased cook, the flexibility of the Thermal Twin® and Aquaflex® extrusion systems become key to increase product offerings. Thermal energy is considered a more natural way of cooking when compared to mechanical energy. This translates to less shear and more gentle kneading to continuously develop the visco-elastic dough product matrix. With a Thermal Twin® extrusion system, pet food manufacturers can go beyond the traditional dry expanded and offer high carb, baked, soft moist, vegetable bit inclusion, and high meat pet food. Furthermore, specialty treats (short and long), retort-stable wet food, engineered ingredients (up to 200%% wet meat slurry content), and textured vegetable/meat protein products can be manufactured with this type of system. With an Aquaflex® extrusion system, aqua feed manufactures can expand their offering to shrimp, floating, micro, sinking, and fish soluble inclusion feed. New generation twin screw extruder design and thermal cooking allow for a wider ingredient utilisation such as novel animal and vegetable protein sources. Not only is there a wider ingredient selection to work with, inclusion levels of ingredients such as fresh meat and slurries are two-fold in new generation Wenger twin screws extruders when compared to single screw and traditional twin-screw extrusion systems. Higher inclusion levels suggest all animal protein could be supplied in the form of fresh meat for pet food and fish slurries for aqua feed instead of rendered meals, which translates to premium, clean label products. Additionally, product appearance (smoother surface), palatability, digestibility, and ingredient retention rates are enhanced when quality fresh ingredients are processed using a new generation twin screw extrusion system.  A recent case study in pet food palatability showed higher consumption ratio and first choice preference with pet food manufactured with a new generation extrusion system compared to traditional extrusion platforms. Nutritional studies in Brazil, Europe, and the United States indicate that there is less protein degradation and lower fat rancidity levels when thermal energy is emphasised over mechanical energy during the extrusion process. Protein digestibility of up to 95 percent was observed for product generated on a Thermal Twin® extrusion system using fresh meat compared to 80-85 percent protein digestibility of a product using rendered meat meals. Additionally, significant higher retention rate of important ingredients when thermal energy inputs are emphasised (See Table 3). In two separate case studies in India and Vietnam using a new generation twin screw Aquaflex® extrusion system, a 10 percent formula cost reduction was observed producing shrimp feed and tilapia feed without compromising product integrity. Pellet durability indices above 99 percent were recorded in both studies, where product size ranged from 0.6 mm up to 2.2 mm in shrimp feed and 1.8 mm up to 7.0 mm in tilapia feed. Additionally, an average equipment wear cost of US$1.05/mton was achieved using the new generation twin screw. Significantly lower compared to a single screw (US $2.10/mton) and traditional twin-screw extrusion system (US$3.41/mton).  Overall, the new generation twin screw extrusion systems simply outperform the single screw and traditional twin-screw systems. The flexibility that has been engineered into these extrusion systems supplies pet food and aqua feed manufacturers the precise tool to maximise their investment and optimise cost of operation. Moreover, it can help achieve premiumisation and clean label products by allowing a wider range and higher inclusion level of fresh ingredient utilisation. by Adrian Martinez-Kawas, PhD, Wenger Manufacturing All Extruded

31/08/2019

Maverick Extruder Development Group in Vietnam

Maverick Extruder Development Group held on August 29th the 1st AquaFeed Weekly for over 70 participants in Saigon-Vietnam, we would like to thank you all for attending and we can share our technologies and present extrusion process solutions for the everyone's success. Following its International scope, the company will be heading to South America in September to attend The Latin America Pet Food Industry Congress (CIPAL), which will be the First Pet Food event to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina during 18-19 of September 2019. Maverick will be sharing the Booth S3 with it's sister company Wenger Manufacturing. Don´t Miss the opportunity to meet the company!!  About Maverick The Maverick Extruder Development Group is a division of Wenger that offers more advanced and more efficient solutions, providing confidence in the business while maintaining the principles of leadership, accuracy and quality of Wenger equipment. The Maverick Division was born of the need of the market that sought the right option, the right measure of its investment. In market research, the Group questioned the needs of medium-sized, small and large companies that wanted a line of standard equipment with the same qualities and technologies as the largest company in the world but offering versatility while maintaining the quality and technology of the group. Thus, was born the Maverick Extruder Development Group. We started our operations in Latin America in May 2016 and in Asia in 2018, providing the market with equipment with more competitive prices, maintaining quality and service. The sales and technical staff are able to offer a unique and differentiated service, maintaining the standards of excellence. With the Maverick brand, the Wenger Group reinforces its commitment to its customers.The new division will offer more investment opportunities and greater business flexibility, meeting every need, including financing through FINAME. All Maverick equipment will be manufactured in Brazil, at the new Wenger plant in Valinhos (SP). In the Maverick division, the concept of adapted or modified equipment allows the customer to upgrade their equipment with total or partial replacement, as well as economic viability. by All Extruded

31/07/2019

Famsun - Integrated Solutions Provider of High Quality Pet Food Projects

Famsun is the integrated solutions provider of high quality pet food project. Our research focuses on developing efficient pet food manufacturing technology and equipment to improve the palatability, nutrition value, quality and safety of pet food. Famsun pet food manufacturing technology helps customers present their formula in the shape, size, palatability, extrusion rate and moisture content of the product, and satisfy clients' demand in color, oil coating, pulp coating, powder coating and end product automatic color/material blending.  Following the concept of creating value for clients, Famsun Pet Food Company helps you manufacture better pet food and reduce manufacture cost to the most extent to obtain maximum value. Our clients include Bridge, Sanpo Pet, Fubei, Huaxing, Wanpy, Singen, Navarch, Vitakraft, Burgess, Bachoco, ERE, ABIS, Bioalimentar, Agrizoo and Unicharm.

22/07/2019

Bühler Launches Single-Screw Extruder PolyOne

Bühler has launched the multifunctional single-screw extruder PolyOne for the pet food and aqua feed industry at VICTAM International 2019 trade fair. At VICTAM International 2019 trade fair, Bühler is showcasing solutions for the entire feed value chain, with a special focus on how to use digital services to make the feed industry safer, and more profitable. LumoVision, the revolutionary data-driven maize sorting technology, finds its way into the feed processing industry. Today, Bühler has launched the multifunctional single-screw extruder PolyOne for the pet food and aqua feed industry. Bühler has launched its new single-screw extruder PolyOne today, designed to consistently deliver high product quality for the pet food and aqua feed industries. 'PolyOne enables our customers to maximize their productivity, and helps to prevent product recalls,' says Christoph Naef, Head of Business Unit Nutrition at Bühler Group. PolyOne meets highest food and feed safety standards thanks to its perfected hygienic design. It is a modular system so Bühler can adapt PolyOne to customers' specific needs, such as higher capacities. Kubex T: High-capacity pellet mill with full process transparency Kubex T provides highest process transparency thanks to an application that connects it to Bühler Insights, the pioneering cloud platform for the food and feed industry. A dashboard visualizes data for customers, making their processes transparent. This allows for seamless tracking and brings production downtimes to a minimum. Algorithms and Bühler experts help millers to optimize the mill's parameters. With it, customers achieve higher profits and lower production costs thanks to innovations in intelligent process optimization. Kubex T is designed for high-capacity pelleting. Customers will use up to 20% less energy compared to conventional pellet mills, benefit from high production capacities of up to 80 tons per hour, and a customer-driven design, all of which are the result of extensive Bühler research and development in cooperation with leading feed millers. Bühler LumoVision: data-driven grain sorting technology for feed and food Bühler showcases its breakthrough sorting technology for the feed industry. LumoVision minimizes toxic contamination in maize and improves yield, by identifying and removing cancer-causing, aflatoxin-infected grains. It does this more accurately and at greater speed than any previous solution. Developed in partnership with Microsoft, LumoVision is a significant advance for the maize processing industry in its fight against toxic metabolites produced by fungal molds called mycotoxins, the most poisonous of which is aflatoxin. The innovation can eliminate up to 90% of contaminated maize. 'Advances in digital technology, together with our sorting, food, and feed safety expertise, make this an unrivalled system that contributes to solving a major global security challenge,' says Matt Kelly, Managing Director of Digital Technologies at Bühler. Aflatoxin is classified as a primary human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Approximately 500 million people worldwide are at risk of exposure to it and it is estimated to cause up to 155,000 cases of liver cancer every year and contribute to stunting the growth of millions of children. by buhlergroup.com  

14/06/2019

Extru-Tech: ADP – Aseptic Dual Preconditioner

The Aseptic Dual Preconditioner enables the operator to incorporate a combination of low steam pressure injected at multiple inlets and adjustable product retention time. This provides the system operator with a whole new level of product quality control. It is the answer to increased nutritional values and production quality. As finished product quality and nutritional values increase, preconditioning is becoming a vital part to any production process. Extru-Tech's Aseptic Dual Preconditioner will enable you to meet these increasing demands as well as provide these benefits: High Liquid Addition Low Energy Consumption Variable Retention Times Low Coefficient of Variation Starch gelatinization levels attainable up to 60% formula dependant Temperature Over 90°C Human Food Hygienic Grade Equipment High meat addition Proven first in first out technology CAPABILITY – ACCURACY & CONSISTENCY As the ADP matches/exceeds the same number of Beater Impacts on Product as our closest competitors' advance technology preconditioner, the ETI best in class ADP often exceeds any competitors' CV. Our studies show that the ADP has a Coefficient of Variation of less than 3%, which means it's more efficient than our competitors latest pre-conditioner designs. The CV improves further as the beater speeds increase through our new design. The ADP features an Automatic downspout with 'Downspout temperature' probe strategically mounted for improved accuracy (per ETI Generic Validation Study) Coefficient of Variation (CV) CV is a measure of precision. ExtruTech's CV Trials tested the accuracy and variability of moisture of the product while exiting the ADP. CLEANABILITY – QUICK CLEAN Why settle for just sanitary when sterile can be achieved? Extru-Tech offers a proven scientific validation that the new ADP can sterilize the product prior to its discharge from the preconditioner, and can be cleaned/sanitized through validated SSOPs. Stainless steel construction and hygienic framework create a sleek exterior design that has no shell or wrap so that it can be easily cleaned and maintain sanitary design standards. The clean-out valve assists with sanitation procedures. by  ExtruTech

30/04/2019

An Introduction to Extrusion

The extruder is an ideal machine that can be designed for processing pet food, floating or sinking aquatic feed by adjusting the formula. Extrusion requires moisture, heat, and pressure to process the aqua feed. Temperature higher than 100℃ are needed in order to achieve expansion of the aqua feed as it leaves the die. In extrusion, the temperature is achieved through preconditioning and steam injection. At the same time the material also undergoes relatively high pressure. The pressure difference in the interior of extruder and the external environment will cause the extrusion of the aquatic feed. As the material is squeezed through die holes at the end of the extruder barrel, part of the water in the superheated dough immediately vaporises and causes expansion. During extrusion, high quality aqua feed pellets are made by the denaturing of proteins and gelatinisation of starches. The aqua feed manufacturing industry is widely recognised as one of the fastest expanding feed industries in the world. Extrusion is not a new technology. Since extrusion technology began in 1948, the equipment to produce aquatic feeds may look different, but the principles of processing remain the same; we cook feed at high temperatures. When a company commits to extrusion technology, it can be assured that an extruder will last for more than 20-30 years if maintained properly. The decision on which extruder to buy is based on costs, support and commitment of the company.  A typical aqua feed extruder consists of feeding devices, preconditioner, extruder barrel, die and cutter. Feeding devices (Feed delivery system) Essential to any extrusion operation are the feed delivery systems.  Hoppers or bins are an integral part of a feeding device and are used to hold the dry ingredients above the feeders.  These systems must be able to uniformly feed both a dry and/or liquid ingredient and blend of ingredients. Preconditioner The preconditioning step initiates the heating process by the addition of steam and water into the dry mash.  Uniform and complete moisture penetration of the raw ingredients significantly improves the stability of the extruder and enhances the final product quality.  The objectives of a preconditioning step are to continuously hydrate, heat, and uniformly mix all of the additive streams together with the dry recipe. The preconditioning process is simple.  Raw material particles are held in a warm, moist, mixing environment for a given time and then are continuously discharged into the extruder.  This process results in the raw material particles being hydrated and heated by the steam and water in the environment.  Extruder barrel The extruder barrel assembly consists of a rotating extruder shaft and elements (segmented screws and shear locks), a stationary barrel housing (comprised of segmented sections), and a die and knife assembly.  The length to diameter ratio of the extruder barrel can be varied as well as the actual geometrical design of each individual component. The available screw elements vary depending upon the manufacturer and the application.  In addition to simply transporting the material from the inlet to the die, screw geometry can influence mixing, kneading, heating and pressure development.  Extruder rotating screw and shear lock elements sequentially convey and heat the material through mechanical energy dissipation. Movement and transformation of material within the extruder can be described as a three-unit operation; feeding, kneading or transition, and the final cooking zones. There are three types of extruders most commonly used in the aqua feed industry.  These are the single screw, co-rotating parallel shaft twin screw and conical co-rotating twin screw extruders. Die/knife design Die and knife technology is similar for all cooking extruders.  The extrusion chamber is capped with a final die which serves two major functions.  It provides restriction to product flow causing the extruder to develop the required pressure and shear.  In addition, the final die shapes the extrudate as the product exits the extruder.  The amount of expansion desired in the final product can be controlled by formula manipulation and open area in the die.  Unexpanded, but fully cooked, feeds generally require 550 to 600 square millimeters of open area per metric ton of throughput.  Highly expanded feeds require 200 to 250 square millimeters of open area per metric ton throughput.

09/01/2019

Complete and Balanced Treats

Giving snacks and treats can upset a pet"s complete and balanced food regime. What is the solution? Everything your pet needs? Complete and balanced. What does that really mean? For us in the pet industry, it says the food has everything your pet needs and the nutrients are balanced. Pet food regulations define the claim of "complete and balanced" or "100% nutritious" as meeting critical nutrition levels. What if a pet owner gave 10% more calories to their pet than provided in the complete and balanced food? For instance, my dog requires 1,000 kcal/day. What if I gave him 100 calories more each day? The answer is, it would mean 36,500 extra calories over one year which would either require me to exercise my dog more or let him become overweight. Over-feeding Facts show that many pet owners feed an extra 10%, 20%, even 30% or more calories each day by giving treats, food scraps, chews, dental products, pharma and nutritional supplements. Since exercise and activity typically do not increase, we observe that a high percentage of our pet populations are overweight (around 40-50%). All of these "extra" food products bring more than just calories. They bring protein, fat, fibres, macro- and micro-minerals. Feeding a treat high in phosphorus can easily reverse the overall ratio of calcium to phosphorus, for example. High sodium levels in treats and meat rewards can totally upset the absolute level of sodium designed into the complete food. Pet owners commonly do not balance their own food intake as well as they should and, over time, nutritional and health issues begin to show, in cardiovascular disease, hypertension, colitis, cancer, etc. The same is true for our pets, but the length of life of pets is much shorter and nutritional balance can have a much bigger impact to health and life. How to ensure balance?  Without knowing how many treats might be fed to a pet, there is no way to fully predict what happens to the completeness and balance of the food when looking at the total food regime. That is in the hands of the pet owner. If they were simply to feed less of the complete and balanced food when feeding treats and other edibles, that would help to keep the caloric intake in check. However, it is not an easy adjustment to figure out, and the completeness and the balance of the food would still be altered. Questions to answer So why not just make all treats complete and balanced? That is a reasonable question. In the past, many brands have formulated treats to be complete and balanced but later moved away from it. Cost is often an important consideration. Or why not include in our feeding instructions a word of caution on how to feed other edible products? Or suggest giving less food when using treats? I believe it would be easier if all treats were complete and balanced. That does not resolve the possible concern of too many calories or potential unbalancing, but it would be a good start. Source: All Extruded