The number of pets is increasing worldwide. Their food is no longer just a source of nutrition, but often also reflects the lifestyle of pet owners. They usually have the same demands on pet food as they do on their own diet. Pet food manufacturers therefore need reliable weighing and inspection solutions, among other things. Minebea Intec has corresponding solutions in its portfolio.
The diversity of pet food and new topics such as sustainability or organic products require an ever increasing Greater flexibility of the production lines, as the products are manufactured in many different formats. can be: dry (kibble), wet (tins and pouches), semi-moist, fresh, dehydrated, freeze-dried and mixed with raw food, treats and chews. Even slight fluctuations in moisture in a product can be a cause of high reject rates, as the conductivity of the food is increased when it is moist.
Minebea Intec has long-standing relationships with many animal feed manufacturers. Matthias Rehren, Global Sales Manager Key Account and OEM Business, mentions the dynamic checkweighers Flexus and Synus, both of which are equipped with EMFC load cells (electromagnetic force compensation) for the most accurate weighing. The Vistus C metal detector and the SPC@Enterprise software (for statistical process control and identification of optimisation potential) are also products that meet the requirements of the industry.
„We can offer pet food manufacturers and producers flexible, high-performance and customised solutions for every required process step. Our portfolio includes systems for all areas: Load cells and platform scales for use in incoming goods, for the intermediate storage of raw materials, for the actual production process as well as dynamic weighing and inspection products for the packaging process and final quality control. This means that our solutions are perfectly tailored to the needs of the industry, from incoming goods to outgoing goods.“
Matthias Rehren
Metal detectors and X-ray inspection equipment are used at several critical control points in pet food production to rule out contamination from foreign bodies made of metal, stones, plastic or other materials. This begins even before processing, where the raw materials are analysed. During later processing steps, such as mixing the ingredients, product contamination can be caused by friction from containers or machines. In most cases, a final inspection of the finished packaged food is also carried out. Minebea Intec's Vistus metal detection systems ensure that raw materials and finished products are not contaminated with metallic foreign bodies, whether in the packaging line or one step earlier in food processing. At the end of the production chain, the versatile X-ray inspection systems from the manufacturer not only for the final foreign object detection, but also for checking for completeness or fill level. These systems recognise foreign objects regardless of the type of packaging.
In addition to foreign body detectors, checkweighers and load cells from Minebea Intec are used to ensure that the exact quantities of components in each recipe and defined weight values of products are precisely maintained. When weighing packs of individual products, such as chunks of animal feed, the Synus checkweigher ensures that each individual pack contains the correct amount of product and therefore fulfils the regulations for average weight control.
The new range of vision systems from Minebea Intec, which also includes the VisioPointer, complements comprehensive quality control. Top, bottom and also side cameras enable the Inspection of packaging and products from every side out. Common applications include checking labels for both content and position, identifying seal soiling and other packaging details.
