Continuous sterilizer for pet food
Sterilization is a critical operation in the manufacturing of wet pet foods. An important objective of heat processing is to achieve commercial sterility and increase throughput. Optimizing this process to achieve excellent results and increase production capacity can be challenging. A continuous processing system dedicated to medium to large-scale producers can be helpful in the production of high-quality pet food products while increasing line throughput.
Sterilizing wet pet food with steam
The autoclave ACP series of Hydrolock is an automated processing system designed for the sterilization of wet pet foods in pouches or trays with a steam air process. Filled packages are seamed and loaded into stainless tube carriers, free of rotation. The carriers are pulled by a chain which makes them and the product rotate in a continuous motion through the entire process. This continuous agitation enables the application of HTST (high-temperature short sterilization time) that ensures product quality.
Hydrolock autoclave uses an effective hydraulic fan power station to ensure faster and homogenous distribution of temperature during cooking time. At the end of sterilization, products are conveyed to a water cooling unit inside the autoclave that cools them to avoid thermal shock. Afterward, it goes through a similar atmospheric cooling unit outside the autoclave. This process saves 35% more on energy consumption.
The autoclave ACP series applies to a wide range of preserved foods like vegetables, soups, and even milk. It can be equipped with different solutions depending on the type of packaging – for flat trays and pouches.
The ACP series is designed to run up to four different products, and various shapes simultaneously. The series carrier assembly is removable for safe inspection and cleaning. The speed range of the ACP series goes upward from 100g products per minute to 400g products per minute.
Benefits
- Designed for medium and large-scale production
- User-friendly operation
- Low production cost
- Flexible packaging