Pet food production combines extrusion, drying, coating, conveying and packaging, with compressed air used throughout. Because the air can contact the product, it must meet the same hygiene standards as human food production.
Key applications
- Extruder and dryer controls
- Fat and flavour coating systems
- Pneumatic conveying of kibble and ingredients
- Bagging, sealing and palletising
Air quality
Product-contact air must be oil-free and dry to prevent contamination and rancidity. Conveying air needs a low dew point to stop material clumping, and control air must be dry for reliable actuation.
System design
Use oil-free compression with drying and filtration, separate hygienic product air from general utility air, and provide redundancy for the continuous extrusion lines. Manage the dusty environment with heavy-duty intake filtration.