Advanced Pet Food
Steam Cooker Systems
Project Overview
CHL Systems designed and manufactured multiple steam cooker systems for a leading pet food producer’s roasted meals production lines. The projects spanned several years and facilities, showcasing CHL’s ability to innovate and improve our steam cooker designs over time.
Key Challenges
- Scaling up production capacity while maintaining product quality
- Enhancing cleanability and maintenance access
- Optimizing steam and heat distribution for consistent cooking
- Integrating systems with existing plant infrastructure
- Meeting evolving food safety standards and regulations
- Accommodating various product types and recipes
CHL Systems’ Solution
Key Features
CHL Systems designed and built an automated steam cooker system featuring:
- Stainless steel construction with sanitary design for food safety.
- Modular conveyor belts.
- Multiple cooking zones.
- Advanced steam distribution and exhaust systems.
- Automated controls with HMI interfaces.
- Integrated cleaning systems for improved sanitation.
Design Upgrades
After successful implementation of the initial prototype, CHL Systems replicated the steam cooker system for 8 additional production lines across multiple plants, improving upon the initial design. Design upgrades included:
- Addition of a 16” wide step allowing improved operator access to the upper access openings
- Split access panels to allow inspection from both sides
- Adjustable belt width for greater flexibility in handling a variety of products
- Improved drainage to enhance efficiency and sanitation
- Increased overall length and total cook area to bring cooking process rate up to 12,500 lbs./hour
- Addition of product de-clumper at discharge
- Integration of exit transfer conveyors
Results
- Increased Production Capacity: The customer achieved a significant increase in production capacity to meet growing market demand and strengthen their competitive position in the pet food market.
- Enhanced Food Safety: The improved sanitary design enhanced compliance with food safety regulations and industry standards.
- Improved Workplace Safety: Designed with safety at the forefront, the system improved operator safety and ease of use.
- Reduced Operational Costs: Design improvements to enhance access openings streamlined the cleaning, inspection and maintenance processes and reduced maintenance downtime.
- Enhanced Flexibility: The solution provided greater flexibility to handle multiple product types.
- Consistent Product Quality: The system improved product consistency and quality across different batches and recipes, enhancing customer satisfaction.
- Greater Sustainability: The system improved energy efficiency and reduced steam consumption.
- Proven Results: After successful implementation of the first steam cooker, CHL provided the customer with additional steam cooker systems across multiple facilities.
- Trusted Partnership: Repeated success with the steam cooker systems bolstered a long-term partnership between the client and CHL Systems, leading to ongoing improvements and innovations.
The CHL Systems Advantage
The steam cooker projects showcase CHL’s ability to deliver tangible value to our customers, particularly those in the pet food industry, by providing advanced thermal processing solutions. By partnering with CHL, our customer benefited from our deep expertise in food processing equipment and our ability to adapt and innovate based on real-world operational feedback and evolving industry demands.
Our partnership approach meant that as our client’s business grew and their product innovation needs evolved, CHL consistently delivered increasingly sophisticated and efficient steam cooking solutions tailored to their specific goals. Our long-term partnership model enabled our customer to achieve continuous improvements in their production processes, maintaining their competitive edge in the dynamic pet food market.
The successful deployment of steam cooker systems across multiple facilities not only highlights the scalability and flexibility of CHL’s designs but also underscores our commitment to supporting our customer’s growth, efficiency, and leadership in the industry.