April 25, 2019
I’ve discussed on the blog before the variable and low-quality nature of dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS), a plentiful and inexpensive by-product of the corn ethanol fuel…
April 18, 2019
60 percent of family businesses in Kenya are now willing to bring in professionals to help manage the company, says PwC. In parallel, private equity funds in Africa…
April 11, 2019
Writing a business plan takes a lot of time and effort. The process is like the months of training that athletes need to endure before a major sports…
April 4, 2019
When I started to work as a nutritionist for Insta-Pro®, somebody asked me what an animal nutritionist does in a company that manufacture extruders, presses and coolers? The…
March 28, 2019
When analyzing a plant project, time is a factor that does not get enough attention. I am very much a believer of the famous phrase “time is money,”…
March 21, 2019
When animal diets are formulated, at times it’s assumed that a sort of “cookie cutter” approach is taken. This means that all of the ingredients and corresponding nutrient…
March 14, 2019
Recently, I was in Argentina at an extrusion conference and I was asked for my comments on preheating soybean prior to extrusion. Apparently, there are people buying preheaters…
March 7, 2019
The first 1,000 days between conception and a child’s 2nd birthday are critical for shaping each child’s development. This is the period when the foundations of good health,…
February 28, 2019
Recently, I had many clients and prospects ask about having a cooker just before extrusion. While this is entirely up to the client, it is our duty to…
February 21, 2019
I noticed recently that an FDA-approved animal drug was being launched to reduce ammonia emissions in beef cattle. The drug, which may be a feed additive, appears to…
February 14, 2019
In some feedmills, steam is required for various cooking processes. Our high shear dry extrusion generally does not require steam, although some processes do such as fish and…
February 7, 2019
A topic of importance for plant cleanliness is exhausting the steam released during the extrusion process. As material is processed within the extruder, the sudden drop to atmospheric…
January 31, 2019
In this industry, we get to meet and interact with many different people. A common thread among them is a fierce drive and determination to do great things. …
January 24, 2019
During my recent trip overseas, I got to witness first-hand how many people are truly involved in making a processing plant come together. Vendors and suppliers sometimes forget…
January 17, 2019
A famous song once said, “the times they are a-changing”. Today, this couldn’t be more true. Technology seems to advance daily, and those who stay abreast and use…
January 10, 2019
In a previous blog, we mentioned the various principles of steam exhausting. One of those was how to handle the discharged vapor. Most places can allow this vapor…
January 3, 2019
Due to a delay in harvest caused by wet weather, the fungus which produces mycotoxins is expected to cause higher than normal levels as discussed in a recent…
December 27, 2018
In our industry, the screw conveyor is a pretty common method of conveying. They’re simple, inexpensive and relatively universal. We tend to use a “U-trough” style of conveyor…
