Animal Feed Case Study: Horse, Poultry, and Aqua
When it comes to solving problems for the animal feed industry, APEC has been developing solutions for over 25 years. Our systems deliver constant cost-cutting productivity, intuitive monitoring, reductions in labor and error, and higher overall quality. We are honored that many of our clients come back to us again and again for help with their various processing problems, and that we are able to offer superior solutions.
Here are three cases in point.
Horse Feed
A horse feed manufacturer lost a large horse breeding customer due to problems with the manufactured horse feed. The horse feed contained flaked products, grains, and pellets with a molasses coating.
The Problem
The problem with the horse feed was breakage and uniformity problems. The customer required a uniform texture that had been unachievable due to the turbulent mixing of the manufacturer’s prior equipment.
The Solution
The horse feed manufacturer needed to be able to apply the liquid molasses coating more uniformly and provide a better blend. To achieve this, an APEC Mistcoater was installed along with with a close-tolerance dual ribbon and paddle-mixing conveyor.
The Result
Once the new equipment was up and running, the horse feed manufacturer invited their horse breeder customer back to evaluate the new coating system and the resulting feed. As soon as the breeder inspected the results, he returned as a customer.
Poultry Feed
A large poultry feed manufacturer needed more uniform coverage when applying fat to poultry pellets.
The Problem
Spotty coverage of the pellets was a result of spray nozzles that regularly clogged and sprayed unevenly. These clogs also caused frequent rebuilding or replacing of pumps. This resulted in frequent downtime for repair or replacement. This became very costly for the client.
The Solution
Replacing the poultry feed manufacturer’s existing spray nozzle system was a must. APEC provided a Mistcoater spray chamber. Working within the existing footprint minimized the cost of installation.
The Result
The new system resulted in the elimination of spotty coverage due to plugging problems, along with an elimination of downtime due to pump maintenance.
Aqua Feed
A large shrimp-feeding operation had found success using ingredients that had a high viscosity coupled with a lot of suspended solids.
The Problem
The problem was finding an application system to accurately and reliably apply the successful mix of high viscosity and suspended solids to the shrimp feed.
The Solution
APEC developed a complete system, from the storage tanks through the liquid application system, and included extremely accurate metering systems.
The Result
The shrimp-feeding operator commented, “This system allows me the maximum flexibility on the ingredients for coating onto our feeds. Since the species that we feed is quite small at various life stages, we needed a system that can uniformly coat a very small feed particle. It is important to us that each piece has a uniform coating. The Mistcoater system allows us to do this.”
The Mistcoater Liquid Applicator System
Each of these animal feed case studies has a common thread. APEC’s Mistcoater Liquid Applicator System helped each of these clients solve their feed problems.
The advantage of this system is that, unlike traditional spray nozzles, the Mistcoater uses spinning disks to apply liquids to dry solids in a continuous flow process. There are three distinct advantages to this newer process:
- There are no clogs.
- Multiple liquids can be applied through one inlet point.
- Due to the lack of liquid intake restriction, less head pressure is required of liquid pumps.
These three reasons are why clients who use APEC’s Mistcoater liquid application system report both a higher quantity and a higher quality output.
Contact APEC
APEC has developed integrative systems that offer a single point of responsibility, which in turn allows for easier evaluation, quantity, and quality of output.
To find out how APEC can meet the needs of your growing feed business, contact us today!
