Extrusion cookers have been evolving continuously since they were first developed close to 75 years ago for the feed industry. Extrusion developed on a simple basis with improvements which allowed for different products to be manufactured. One of the first things noticed was that feeds floated in water. Something as simple as this coupled with ever-changing ingredient possibilities create an array of possibilities on how to achieve the final product. Currently there are a multitude of extruder designs with designs for specific uses. There are also designs with add on options which allow for a wide range of products to be made on the same equipment. How to select a machine, manage these options as well as determine which system or option is right for your use.
Joseph P. Kearns, Aquaculture Process Engineering Manager, Wenger Manufacturing, Inc., USA
Joseph P. Kearns is the Aquaculture Process Engineering Manager for Wenger Manufacturing, Inc. Joe received his bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University in Food Technology Engineering. He has been employed at Wenger since 1974 and has responsibilities starting with drafting and continuing into sales throughout the world. In his current position regarding aquaculture he continues with the efforts to advance this technology on existing and newly developing aquatic species. He has eight patents for Wenger all with regards to aquatic feeds and/or machinery associated with production of same. He has more then 40 published articles on aquatic feeds production advantages by extrusion cooking through trade magazines. He has presented at numerous events around the world on the topic of aquatic feed production.
