Welcome to
Wenger Manufacturing
World Supplier of Extrusion Systems
since 1935
• Focused on core product – extrusion systems of
Pet Foods. Aquatic Feeds, and Textured
Vegetable Proteins and other Food applications
• Approximately 85% of Pet Foods worldwide are
produced on Wenger systems
History of Extrusion
Technology
1948
2012
Manufacturer of Extrusion and Drying Systems
Our Company
1935 – Brothers, Joe and Louis Wenger started
the Wenger Mixer Company - and began the
manufacture of mixers and other basic feed
milling machines.
2012 – Still family owned and operated, Wenger Mfg.
Company employs over 300 people world wide, including
those at our sister company Extru-Tech Inc.; a wholly owned
& operated business.
1929
Brothers Joe & Louis Wenger - sons of Swiss
immigrants and the youngest of nine brothers
- confront the U.S. Great Depression by
rebuilding their feed mill which had just been
destroyed by fire.
The economic situation of the time requires the
two young brothers to innovate new solutions
to solve old problems.
1935
The brothers form a second partnership Wenger Mixer Company - and begin the
manufacture of mixers and other basic feed
milling machinery.
The first mixers were designed to mix molasses
and other liquid ingredients with whole grains.
1948
Wenger builds its first
extruder, a novel
machine designed to
blend molasses with
dry feedstuffs and
compress it into
pellets.
1954
Wenger fills its first foreign order
- a pelleting mill for installation
in Venezuela.
1958
LaVon Wenger,
son of Louis,
patents the first
commercial
cooking extruder
for the production
of expanded pet
food.
1965
Wenger builds a research plant in which to
demonstrate its equipment and develop new
processes.
Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.
Worldwide service
Sabetha, Kansas
Antwerp, Belgium
Beijing, China
Kansas City
Taichung City, Taiwan
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.
Research and Development
The Wenger Technical Center
• Demonstrations and R&D for 1 or 2 Clients/Day
• Staffs 24 Employees
• Cereal Chemists
• Process Engineers
• Service Engineers
• Over 1,500 Test Runs
• 2,500 Square Meter Processing Area
2010
Wenger Manufacturing, Inc.
Research and Development
Extension Research Centers
at 6 University Sites
• Demonstrations and R&D 150 Days/Year
• Assisting Staff as Required
• Cereal Chemist
• Process Engineers
• Service Engineers
• Over 775 Test Runs per Year
• Each Research Center has Specialized Field
The Markets We Serve
5%
20%
45%
30%
Petfood
Aquatic
Human Consumption
Industrial/Other
The Markets We Serve
6%
8%
9%
41%
11%
11%
14%
US/Canada
West Europe
East Europe
China
SE Asia
S. America
Other
Trends Impacting Feed and Food Industry:
2 Major Issues are Food Safety and Energy Efficiency
1)
2)
Food safety: Challenges with contaminated ingredients and products
Energy efficiency and water conservation: Higher energy costs and
concerns about water availability
3)
Raw material costs: Volatile ingredient markets
4)
Market conditions: Current economic recession is impacting consumer
buying habits
5)
Emissions control: Reducing odor and particulate emissions
6)
Supply chain cost reductions: Shipping costs are higher
7)
Automation: Reduces labor costs and assists in food safety
8)
Labor costs: Uncertainties in the labor pool
9)
Flexibility: Ability to react quickly to new market directions
10) Lean manufacturing: Cost cutting and improving efficiencies
Applications for Extruded
Products
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•
•
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Dog Food
Cat Food
Lab animal feeds
Aquatic Feeds
Livestock Feeds
Bird Feeds
Exotic Animal Feeds
Individual ingredients (Full fat soy for Bio-diesel plants)
100 to 37,000 lbs / hour
Pet Foods
Pet Treats
How Are Dog and Cat Foods
Made?
First, ingredients are mixed together
and ground into flour.
grinder / mixer
Then, the flour is fed into an extruder
to cook into a shape!
Extruder (continuous pressure cooker)
Pet foods expand as they come out of the
extruder and are cut by a rotating knife.
When the pet food expands at the end of the
extruder, steam escapes into the air.
After the extruder, the wet product is
often sent to a dryer.
Dryer
Pet foods are dried at 300º F for 20-25 minutes
In
Out
After drying, pet foods are coated and then
packaged.
Extruders and dryers are operated by
computers in a control room.
Some extruded foods have a filling
injected and then are cut into
pillows.
Many different shapes, flavors, and
colors are possible.
Co-Extruded Petfood
Why Extrusion Cooking ?
1) Cooks starch and other ingredients in the recipe
2) Shapes and sizes the product
3) Controls the
product density
(expansion)
4) Pasteurizes the
pet food
Examples of Extruded Fish Food
1) Floating
a) Catfish
b) Carp
c) Tilapia
2) Slow Sinking
a) Salmon
b) Trout
c) Cod
3) Fast Sinking
a) Shrimp
b) River Crab
c) Sea bass/bream
Aquatic Feeds
Flaked and Expanded Breakfast
Cereals
Direct expanded snacks of light densities
Snack Pellets (half products)
Extruded and Fried Snacks
Multi-Grain Chips
Fried Cheese Curls
Textured Vegetable
Proteins
SMA
MINCED
CHUNK
FSP
HMMA
Breading
Breaded Shrimp
Wenger ~ Precooked, Reformed
Rice, Dahl, and Pasta
Precooked “Pulse” Analogs
1988
Extrusion in 1948
1958
Extrusion Today
Extruder Barrel
Twin Screw
Single Screw