Sometimes, when new developments are made, our vocabulary does not have words to define these. So new words are created. Amandus Kahl have further developed the processes of hygienising, preconditioning and pelleting and completed it with a new process – and a new name – "interstage dosing".

Feed is too expensive to waste, so pellet quality has an economic value. There are a number of excellent methods to objectively measure and record the quality of pellets during the manufacturing process. This is the first step toward correcting destructive conditions and improving quality.

Following the recent bird flu scare, Chareon Pokphand Foods (CPF) has revived and accelerated its expansion plans to meet the food safety requirements of its Japanese and EU customers. Part of the plan was the erection of the largest feed mill in the country.

In many countries feed is pelleted – for hygienic reasons, for raw material reasons and/or for metabolic reasons. There are a few tricks to be learned to obtain the perfect pellet. Apart from raw material selection, technically the pellet press is the first thing to look at.

The outcome is not yet clear, but this plant will be ready when the market asks for tailor-made products. Multi-flexibility is the key word for Jan Janssen of Dutch feed compounder SaWeCo and initiator of a unique cooperation between feed mill equipment manufacturers.

In striving to maintain its market leadership, South African feed manufacturer Epol has upgraded one of its feed production plants by installing a Hysys hygienizing and compacting system from Buhler. The new Hysys installation operated by Epol is a first in South Africa and the biggest system of this type ever installed worldwide.

Originally intended for the application of fat and other macro liquids to the surface of pellets, there has been a trend for the application of micro-ingredients to pellets using Post-Pellet Liquid Application technology. Jared Froetschner and Nelson Ward of DSM Nutritional Products in this article look at some of the key issues regarding the use of PPLA systems to deliver micro-ingredients in animal feed manufacturing.

In a new Feed Tech series, feed technology specialist Jared Froetschner of DSM Nutritional Products will discuss the technical aspects of feed manufacturing. In this first article, the interpretation of results of pellet quality tests are tackled. In following issues, Froetschner will highlight other major steps of the feed making process.

The steps to be taken before pressing the meal through the die are even more important than the actual pelleting itself to obtain a quality pellet. In this second article in the Feed Tech series on feed processing, feed technology specialist Jared Froetschner focuses on the conditioning process in general and the role of steam in particular.

After conditioning, the hot meal is forced through a die in order to be compressed and formed. In this third article in the Feed Tech series on feed processing, feed technology specialist Jared Froetschner focuses on pellet mill adjustments that can be used to create a quality pellet.