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New robot technology for quality control in aquafeed manufacturing Thomas Jorgensen, ATLINE
Manual quality analysis is a mandatory part of aquafeed production.
The global aquafeed manufacturing industry is constantly challenged by fluctuating raw material prices, lacking continuity in quality and the general availability of particularly essential protein sources. This places great demands on feed manufacturers to manufacture feed that meets nutritional specifications while also having the right physical properties that ensure that the feed is stable and functional until the fish take in the feed at the farm. To ensure economically profitable manufacturing, frequent quality analyses are required both before and during manufacturing as well as in all subprocesses such as grinding, mixing, extrusion, drying, coating and cooling.
Quality control from intake to finished product During the entire manufacturing process from raw material intake to the finished product, essential quality parameters are analyzed, primarily by manual resources from either manufacturing or the laboratory. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is used to analyze the nutritional values of meal mixes and pellets, depending on which stage in the process the analysis takes place. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is a complex analysis, the accuracy depends on significant reference data, but one which nearly all aquafeed manufacturers have developed over many years in a laboratory context. In addition, during the manufacturing of the feed,
Aquafeed: Advances in Processing & Formulation Vol 12 Issue 4 2020
