Dinnissen celebrates 25 years of the Pegasus® Vacuum Coater

38 | January | February 2016 - International Aquafeed

FEATURE TECHNOLOGY

It is often thought that vacuum coating was firs t invented in Norway. The idea might have been Norwegian, but the technology was developed in the Netherlands. It has been 25 years now since Dinnissen, together with aquafeed producer Skretting, invented the firs t vacuum coater. The Pegasus® Vacuum Coater is intended for everyone who wishes to manufacture pelleted and extruded products in accordance with mos t modern production specifications. It allows you to create a vacuum environment for your production

process and to deal effectively with a very wide range of future challenges.International Aquafeed spoke to Peter Raeven, Account Manager for Dinnissen, about the previous 25 years of the Pegasus® Vacuum Coater as well as any future plans that Dinnissen might have for their now well es tablished brand.

How would you describe the Pegasus Vacuum coater and the function that it performs?

The Dinnissen Pegasus vacuum coater is a dedicated coating system to add liquids, fats, oils enzymes, etc. emulsions and powders, like attractants or palatants to pellets or extrudates, in the last phase of the production process. In this last phase of the process functional ingredients can be added without damaging their functionality in previous steps of the production process.

How crucial would you say that vacuum coating has been to the feed industry over the past 25 years?

Vacuum coating originated from the wish to increase fat-percentages in aqua feed. Until then, a fat percentage of only 20 percent was possible. With our technology, the percentages were raised to an average of 35 percent; sometimes achieving results as high as 42 percent.

This was a breakthrough for the quality of aqua feed. High energy feed could be fed, with other advantages like reduced leaching; thus preventing pollution and loss of functional ingredients.

Later, Dinnissen introduced the Pegasus® Vacuum Coater in the feed industry. One of the main advantages of vacuum coating is that the pellets aren’t greasy on the outside anymore. This increases the flow out of the silo, prevents pollution of the silo and reduces contaminations for the farmers.

Furthermore, it improves the feed efficiency and increases the stability of the feed. This results in huge savings on feed-recall and improves efficiency for both the feed producers as the farmers.

When the Pegasus was first developed, why was there a need for such a machine; which problem was it the inventors were looking to solve?

The development of the Pegasus® Vacuum Coater originated in the question ‘how can we raise the fat-percentage in the core of fish feed-pellets?’ How can leaching be reduced?

The question came from one of our clients, a Norwegian aqua feed producer. As we were, and still are, always looking for ways to create machines that are of additional value to the production of feed, we investigated whether we could find a fitting solution for this particular challenge.

How has the Pegasus® Vacuum Coater developed over the past 25 years, have there been any instances where the machine has had to be adapted to reflect a change in the market?

The Dinnissen Pegasus vacuum coating principle is based on mixing the mix with 2 synchronised paddle shafts. This principle has not changed over the years. In the late 1990s the system was also introduced in the pet food industry.

In this industry multiple additions have to be added. The Pegasus vacuum coating system is a batch system, which gives high flexibilities in the process, making it possible to add as much additions as required.

At the moment, hygiene is of major importance, and even though the basics have not changed, all details have been reviewed over the years resulting in the 8th generation of the Pegasus® Vacuum Coater.

Which features are unique to Pegasus; what is it that makes it better than the other machines that are available that do a similar job?

Dinnissen is a supplier of tailor-made solutions. We built complete processes, integrate our machines into existing processes, or deliver stand-alone machines. Our machines, however, are never standard.

We always look at each specific client and see how we can optimise his or her process. Our Vacuum Coater is a concept, a technical process that offers ample opportunities for (aqua) feed producers to develop products that separate themselves from the competition.

Can you think of any significant changes or challenges that the Pegasus has faced since its inception?

When starting, the goal was to infuse higher percentages of liquid in the core of the pellets. Over the years, optimisations were realised towards product quality. In next year’s hygiene got more and more important. Latest improvements are the possibilities of (C.I.P) cleaning in place and the systems remained hygienic.

Salmonella is a major issue in the pet-food industry. The Dinnissen vacuum coating systems are designed and can be supplied to prevent/reduce these issues.

How do you see the Pegasus developing into the future? How do you feel the vacuum coating market changing; can you see any current trends that may affect the development of future models?

Hygiene is becoming more and more a highly important factor in the feed business. We are already very experienced in this area, and our Pegasus® Vacuum Coater is built for hygienic production. We will continue to improve and innovate, however, wherever possible.

Why do you think that the Pegasus model has been in production for such a long time?

The advantages of a Pegasus® Vacuum Coater for the production of (aqua) feed speak for themselves. As we have been and continue to continuously improve and innovate on the existing concept, we are able to stay relevant for the market.

International Aquafeed - January | February 2016 | 39

TECHNOLOGY FEATURE