Is There True Value in Housekeeping in my Facility?
July 23, 2015
Housekeeping is valuable for many reasons. • It is much easier to repair clean equipment • A dirty machine has to be cleaned prior to working on it…
Author: John Doud
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Importance of Good Operators in a Production Line: Part 2
May 14, 2015
In a previous blog, I discussed how operators play a key role in running an efficient operation. This week I will take that discussion a step farther and outline…
Key Role of an Operator in the Business
April 23, 2015
High quality equipment, ingredients and employees are three main factors that go into running a successful business. One thing I have noticed over the years is that while…
Benefits of Scheduled Maintenance and The Service Plus Program
February 26, 2015
Scheduled maintenance to avoid down time is important to an operation because it proactively identifies issues, minimizes the risk of uncontrolled down time and avoids costly repairs. Depending…
Steam Requirements
January 15, 2015
I’ve had a few people contact me lately with questions about steam requirements as they relate to the preconditioner, which is used to enhance the capabilities of shaped…
Why Start-Up?
December 18, 2014
You have decided to purchase new equipment to grow your business. The next step in making your business operation a reality, is completing the start-up appointment with trained…
Feeders for Extruders
September 18, 2014
Just as the extruder is capable of making a wide variety of different products, there are different ways to feed the extruder. I’ll use this discussion to explain…
Cooling Conveyors: A Simple Solution
August 21, 2014
As the R&D Extrusion specialist, I like to cover subjects that are relevant to current extrusion operations. Oftentimes, we will be in contact with a number of customers…
What’s The Problem?
July 3, 2014
Anyone who has spent any time working on a production line knows the scenario: The line is running along just fine when all of a sudden, a problem arises.…
Service Departments and Scheduled Maintenance
April 8, 2014
Service after the sale is a value added product. Often times we look at a service business as someone trying to get extra money out of our purchase.…
Using the Oil Press for Different Types of Oil Seed
March 25, 2014
There has been a lot of interest lately from existing oil press owners, concerning what is required to process different types of oil seed through their systems. The…
Oil Press – Cage Maintenance
November 19, 2013
Maintenance of the oil press cage is important in keeping oil residuals down, proteins up, foots down, and overall product quality high. The cage is a fairly simple…
Benefits of the Insta-Pro Service Plus Program
August 27, 2013
As a former ExPress® plant operator/manager, I understand all too well the problems of maintenance, wear problems, as well as, the benefits of proper maintenance and wear part…
Advantages of The New MS3000 Medium Shear Extruder
July 30, 2013
If you haven’t heard yet, Insta-Pro is preparing to launch a new model of our extruder, for the production of shaped products like pet foods and fish foods.…
Non-Insta Pro Parts
July 9, 2013
I want to share a little experience I had recently with some knock off spare parts. Last month we got in an old Model 2500 extruder on a…
How Can I Tell When My Parts are Worn Out?
June 4, 2013
One of the most asked questions by customers when they encounter problems with their extruders deals with a part’s life. Simple inspection of both the inlet chamber and…
How to Avoid Getting the Wrong Spare Parts
May 7, 2013
During the time around the holidays, I spent a few days helping out in the parts department for the end of the year rush. Many customers have a…
Moisture Tester
April 2, 2013
In my opinion, anybody who owns an extruder needs a good moisture tester. No matter what kind of product is being extruded, the moisture tester is a critical…