Pet Food Extrusion Equipment
CASE STUDY Pet Food Extrusion for Dog Treats
A large pet food manufacturer had no previous extrusion experience, yet their dog food processing equipment requirement was quite complex: a co-extruded product that contained two separate materials in one bite sized dog treat. Diamond America’s technical experts worked hand-in-hand with them to develop a custom dog food extruder capable of delivering this unique product.
The solution was a dual Twin Feed, single-screw machine for dog food processing, with a co-extrusion die and cutter that was custom built for their process. Twin Shaft Feed Packers forced material positively into the screw, eliminating potential ‘dead areas’ where the material could have dried or coagulated. A flower-shaped dog treat with a medicinal center was produced, that looked good and retained its unique shape very well.
Proven Pet Food Extrusion Benefits
The use of pet food extrusion equipment in the pet supplies industry is widespread and established, mainly due to the following benefits of the production process:
- Fast - Pet food extruders operate continuously, yielding high quantity to meet strict production deadlines. Diamond America extruders are designed for fast, easy changeover and cleaning between runs.
- Flexible – Extrusion pet food manufacturing is adaptable, for application to a wide range of input material types. Also, extrusion can produce many different forms of final product in terms of shape, texture and color.
- Consistent - Pet food extrusion and cutting produces a very uniform end product of constant cross section and size. The process is extremely controllable and reliable, allowing high quality to be maintained throughout.
- Efficient - The highly repeatable extrusion process is low in cost, especially once conditions have been optimized. Precise process control and automation reduces waste and boosts productivity.
Experts in custom extruder manufacture for all types of pet food products.
Pet food extrusion equipment can be used on all forms of manufactured feed: dry food (sometimes called kibble), semi-moist products and treats. Common pet food ingredients include flour, meal, grits, meat, fats, minerals, amino acids and vitamins, often with the addition of flavor enhancers, texturing agents and preservatives.
The growing industry dictates frequent product changes, both in ingredients and aesthetics, to suit market trends and demands. The adaptability of pet food extrusion equipment easily accommodates process innovation and variation, without significant changes in machine configuration.
Diamond America Extrusion Test Facility
Diamond America provides a fully equipped test facility for new product process and formulation testing for all applications. The test laboratory boasts several table top extruders for small batch scaled production, as well as full scale twin feed and bulk extruders. Experienced engineers are on hand to assist with extruder customization, die design, system controls and the selection of associated extrusion equipment.