1. Welcome to Wenger Manufacturing

2. 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

3. History of Extrusion Technology
1948
2012
Manufacturer of Extrusion and Drying Systems

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

8. 1948
Wenger builds its first extruder, a novel machine designed to blend molasses with dry feedstuffs and compress it into pellets.

9. 1954
Wenger fills its first foreign order - a pelleting mill for installation in Venezuela.

10. 1958
LaVon Wenger, son of Louis, patents the first commercial cooking extruder for the production of expanded pet food.

12. 1965
Wenger builds a research plant in which to demonstrate its equipment and develop new processes.

13. Wenger Manufacturing, Inc. Worldwide service
Antwerp, Belgium
Sabetha, Kansas
Beijing, China
Kansas City
Taichung City, Taiwan
Sao Paulo, Brazil

14. 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

15. 2010

16. 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

17. The Markets We Serve

18. The Markets We Serve

19. Trends Impacting Feed and Food Industry: 2 Major Issues are Food Safety and Energy Efficiency
Food safety:  Challenges with contaminated ingredients and products
Energy efficiency and water conservation:  Higher energy costs and concerns about water availability
Raw material costs:  Volatile ingredient markets
Market conditions:  Current economic recession is impacting consumer buying habits
Emissions control:  Reducing odor and particulate emissions
Supply chain cost reductions:  Shipping costs are higher
Automation:  Reduces labor costs and assists in food safety
Labor costs:  Uncertainties in the labor pool
Flexibility:  Ability to react quickly to new market directions
10) Lean manufacturing:  Cost cutting and improving efficiencies

20. Applications for Extruded Products
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

21. Pet Foods

22. Pet Treats

23. How Are Dog and Cat Foods Made?

24. First, ingredients are mixed together and ground into flour.
grinder / mixer

25. Then, the flour is fed into an extruder to cook into a shape!
Extruder (continuous pressure cooker)

27. Pet foods expand as they come out of the extruder and are cut by a rotating knife.

28. When the pet food expands at the end of the extruder, steam escapes into the air.

29. After the extruder, the wet product is often sent to a dryer.

30. Pet foods are dried at 300º F for 20-25 minutes
Out

31. After drying, pet foods are coated and then packaged.

32. Extruders and dryers are operated by computers in a control room.

33. Some extruded foods have a filling injected and then are cut into pillows.

34. Many different shapes, flavors, and colors are possible.

35. Co-Extruded Petfood

36. Why Extrusion Cooking ?
Cooks starch and other ingredients in the recipe
Shapes and sizes the product
Controls the product density (expansion)
Pasteurizes the pet food

37. Examples of Extruded Fish Food
1) Floating
Catfish
Carp
Tilapia
2) Slow Sinking
Salmon
Trout
Cod
3) Fast Sinking
Shrimp
River Crab
Sea bass/bream

38. Aquatic Feeds

39. Flaked and Expanded Breakfast Cereals

40. Snack Pellets (half products)
Direct expanded snacks of light densities
Snack Pellets (half products)

42. Extruded and Fried Snacks
Multi-Grain Chips
Fried Cheese Curls

43. Textured Vegetable Proteins
SMA
MINCED
CHUNK
FSP
HMMA

44. Breading

45. Breaded Shrimp

46. Wenger ~ Precooked, Reformed Rice, Dahl, and Pasta

47. Precooked “Pulse” Analogs

48. 1988
Extrusion in 1948
1958
Extrusion Today

49. Extruder Barrel
Twin Screw
Single Screw