Pet Food and Animal Health

Pet foods are specifically formulated to provide a particular breed or animal the balanced levels of protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals it needs.

One critical step in industrial pet food production is the preparation of intermediates wherein powders, ground solids and other dry ingredients are blended together, sometimes along with minor liquid components. Thorough mixing in a welldesigned Ribbon Blender ensures that essential nutrients are uniformly distributed in the end product and consistent from batch to batch.

Ross Ribbon Blenders equipped with double helical ribbons are widely used for preparing intermediates of pet food formulations such as those available in the form of flakes, extruded kibbles, soft pellets and biscuits. Pre-weighed dry raw materials are loaded into a horizontal U-shaped trough and the ribbon agitator is slowly ramped up to the maximum or other desired speed that suits the product’s flow characteristics. A full load usually corresponds to a fill level around the tip of the outer ribbon to allow enough headroom for the materials to be vigorously blended. Wet ingredients including liquid flavors, oils and vitamins may be added to the blend through atomizing spray nozzles. This step is performed as the solids are being agitated to promote uniform coating and prevent the formation of undesired lumps.

The position and precise pitch of each ribbon are designed to produce a wellbalanced axial and radial flow pattern: the outer ribbon moves materials in toward the center, and the inner ribbon moves them out toward the walls. At the same time, the difference in the ribbons’ speeds causes product to move along the blender’s horizontal axis in two opposite directions. This combination of mixing mechanisms produces a homogenous batch within a short time – in many cases, 15 minutes or less.

In addition to Ribbon Blenders, Ross also manufactures a wide range of High Speed Dispersers, High Shear Mixers and Multi-Shaft Mixers commonly used for batching liquid intermediates that go into wet pet foods. Sample applications include sauces, jellies, gravies, purees and flavorings.

• Dry Pet Foods - Ribbon Blenders with double helical ribbons are used for pet food forumlations in the form of flakes, extruded kibbles, soft pellets, and biscuits.
• Wet Pet Foods / Gravies - High Speed Dispersers and High Shear Mixers are commonly used for manufacturing wet pet foods and purees.
• Chewable medicines - Granulations and dry powder blends are easily batched in Ross Double Planetary Mixers and Planetary Dispersers, depending on the product characteristics and shear requirement.
• Gels and pastes for parasite control - Ross Multi-Shaft Mixers are ideal for viscous preparations such as gels, pastes, cream and other topical solutions used in deworming and removing parasites from pets and farm animals.
• Liquid supplements - A wide range of High Shear Mixers and Multi-Shaft Mixers are available for trial testing at the Ross Test & Development Center and have been proven to efficiently produce emulsions and suspensions, a key step in the manufacture of high-quality liquid form nutritional supplements.
• Antibiotics and vaccines - Ross High Shear Mixers and Ultra-High Shear Mixers break down agglomerates, create fine emulsions and yield stable, homogeneous solutions.
• Animal feeds and additives - Through our selection of Mixers, Dispersers and Blenders -- the most comprehensive in the industry -- Ross offers a multifaceted approach to solving processing challenges such as blending solids of different sizes, shapes and densities; thoroughly mixing minor or trace ingredients into a base formula; inline mixing of fluids with very different viscosities; wetting out hydrophobic thickeners; or simultaneous blending, heating and drying in a single vessel.