Application Notes & Case Studies

Whether manufacturing in a batch process or in higher volumes via continuous methods, Coperion and Coperion K-Tron feeders and material handling equipment as well as Coperion high efficiency extruders are used throughout the dry pet food and pet treat manufacturing processes. Screw feeders (both volumetric and loss-in-weight), liquid loss-in-weight, and weigh belt feeders are used for metering and highly accurate feeding of ingredients into mixers (batch or continuous) and extruders as well as portioning end products for the packaging line. In addition, Coperion pneumatic conveying systems and components are used for the transfer of dry powder materials, such as grains, premixes, vitamins and even probiotics. Finally, the use of the Coperion ZSK MEGAvolume PLUS twin screw extruder delivers an extremely high product output for optimal efficiency in dry pet food and treat production.

Today’s pet food manufacturers are constantly searching for methods to improve process efficiency, changeover times, and, of course, ensuring product safety. One of the key technologies which can help address and improve all of these factors is the method of pneumatic conveying used in each process step, whether it is for the raw ingredients (major and minors), for the pet food kibble or ingredient blends prior to their next process step or for the final product prior to packaging. Older methods of transferring finished products and even raw ingredients via mechanical means such as drag conveyors or spiral screw conveyors are quickly diminishing. Pneumatic conveying is often chosen as a clean and versatile method for pet food manufacturers to efficiently transfer finished products and raw ingredients from point A to point B in a completely contained manner. Pneumatic conveying offers a much cleaner and safe alternative. By properly selecting the best pneumatic conveying method for the application, a much more cost effective and reliable means of material handling can be achieved. This white paper will outline and define the methods of pneumatic conveying available, with an emphasis on the advantages of dense phase conveying types for a variety of unit operations in pet food processing.

The accurate and automated addition of dry ingredients including majors, minors and micros to the wet pet food process is critical to maintaining low overall cost of high value ingredients, improved product quality, and overall process efficiency. In addition, automated material handling methods such as pneumatic transfer and automated dispensing eliminate typically manual steps and greatly improve overall pet food product safety. Coperion K-Tron’s extensive line of products specific to the pet food industry, as well as its process expertise based on numerous installations, all ensure the optimal in process design and product quality. This application sheet will focus on the various methods available for automated transfer and batch weighing direct to the wet pet food production process.

The production of quality fish food for a wide range of species requires a number of factors to be taken into consideration, such as: density, water stability, nutritional composition (recovery of essential amino acids and vitamins) and digestibility. Actual fish pellet density, for example, is critical when manufacturing fish food pellets for specific types of fish, such as bottom tank feeders versus those that tend to feed from the top of the tank. In such critical applications the efficiency and accuracy of the ingredient feeding system is crucial to meeting the criteria for each formulation. The use of Coperion K-Tron Loss-in-Weight (LIW) feeders featuring the highly accurate Coperion K-Tron SFT load cell technology is ideal for meeting the variety of criteria in fish food extrusion and pelletizing. In addition, the minimization of ingredient loss by providing exact accountability of ingredients fed, provides the manufacturer with maximum process profitability.