Once a batch comes out of the cooker, wet and dry pet food products typically take different finishing and packaging paths. Dry pet food often goes to an extruder which works the mixture into a dough and shapes the product into the proper sized pieces. Once shaped the sized pieces pass through a series of dryers or ovens on a conveyor. These dryers can be heated with steam, but gas-fired units are also very common. It is crucial to retrofit pet food dryers with accurate measurement instrumentation to help accurately measure natural gas flow. Next dry pet food is sprayed with various coatings to add nutrients and flavors to the product. Since coating is relatively expensive, coating systems should be instrumented with flow meters and pressure transmitters to ensure the desired amount is being added.
High performance measurement solutions can help improve product quality, reduce excess product waste, and ensure food safety during dry pet food finishing processes.
The Rosemount 3051SFA Annubar Flow Meter is a no-equal solution with a patented, averaging pitot tube that delivers superior measurement accuracy over a wide flow range. Its patented T-shaped sensor is engineered with an integrated thermowell, capable of obtaining measurements via a single pipe penetration while maintaining a small profile in the pipe to reduce permanent pressure loss and increase energy savings. This flow meter is also engineered with built-in flow calculations for fully compensated mass flow measurements and is offered with multiple communication protocols including WirelessHART®.