Food additives: experience, know-how and innovation

More than 5 years ago HASLER Group met a consultant looking for a solution for the production of granules with spray schilling technology. At HASLER Group, this solution refers to Novamix, equipment which gradually stirs and sprinkles powders, a process widely used in cosmetics. The challenge for the customer has led HASLER Group to develop an innovative solution to manufacture pellets for animals (farm animals). In this additives sector, the aim is to develop the concept of coating and to exit, at the end of the process, coated granules. This is the development of an innovative process by the teams of the HASLER Group.

The principle of the process change: mix an active ingredient and a matrix, form a block, which we will then continuously break in order to produce granules composed in the entire volume of perfectly dispersed and disagglomerated ingredients.

A first test is carried out in this direction. This first test is a success and a meeting with the end customer is therefore organized. Subsequently, HASLER Group develops a number of tests with the client to translate the study into an industrial project. For this, tests are carried out at HASLER Group and the sale of a pilot UCP 50 is carried out so that the customer can develop his own tests. Finally, an industrial line is set up to develop the new solution.

In this project, HASLER Group is focusing on part of the production line,: solid dosage, control and UCP. Upstream (storage) and downstream (cooling and crushing) are taken into account by the customer.

Between the study phase and implementation, the UCP solution is optimized to specialize in its homogenization and granulation function: it is the first reference in this sector. HASLER Group is therefore developing a new specific solution intended for animal additives market: the process is improved to prevent powder from escaping from the production process, which is irritating to humans, and the grain coating is modified. This coating makes it possible to actually obtain a dispersion of powder throughout the volume.

Technical interest of the HASLER Group Continuous mixing solution :

• Resists abrasion
• Allows for rather hard mixes
• Allows to make very viscous paste mixes and very effective on this mixture (= homogenization and dispersion in a viscous mixture)
• Allows effective protection of ingredients by coating in a very short residence time
• Performs the continuous process and is part of a lean manufacturing logic (producing from A to Z without interruption)
• Ensures the accuracy of the formula

The switch to the continuous line in the additives sector will allow the customer to have a high return on investment. In addition, a new application is implemented as well as an original solution. Finally, the move to an industrial scale is a real success.

*UCP = Ultimate Continuous Processor
En savoir plus sur l’UCP = Ultimate Continuous Processor