Optimising feedmill setup and operation
Koudijs offers full support, not only in nutrition but also in production. We have a team of experts who specialise in setting up and operating feed mills. Two of those experts are Stefan van den Bogaard, Director Technology & Investments, and Daan Luttikhuis, Group Production Specialist. Together with their colleagues, they support our company’s business units worldwide as well as Koudijs customers. The team gives independent advice on production, machines, efficiency and quality improvement.
Substantial expertise and experience
Both men bring considerable expertise and experience to their roles. After his study, Stefan developed his skills in capital expenditure projects, operational excellence and sustainability at a number of companies. He joined Koudijs’ parent company 11 years ago and started by building two new feed mills in Vietnam and one in Myanmar. “Basically, I help bridge technology and business,” he says. Daan’s background is rooted in animal feed. Before joining Koudijs three years ago, he worked for two pet feed companies. “The production process for pet food is very similar to the extrusion processes we use for aquafeed,” he explains.
Identifying the real problem
To support feed mills, the team first has to ask a lot of questions. "Customers come to us with a problem, like pellet quality for example." It takes time to get the full picture. "It's like peeling an onion," says Stefan. "We have to get proper data, identify the real problem before diving into solutions."
Working with hundreds of feed mills
Whether you are a high-end feed mill with top-of-the-range equipment or a more cost-conscious customer with baseline machines, Koudijs can help you get the most out of your production line, improve efficiency and feed quality. "When there's a problem, producers tend to look at the production output," says Stefan. "But we look at a whole range of factors like raw materials, steam temperature and particle size. We have experience working with hundreds of feed mills and can bring that added value to our customers."
It’s going to be about reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Less steam, less gas, more efficient motors and more efficient production.
The value of regular maintenance
One way feed mills can prevent problems is through regular maintenance. "Preventive maintenance may cost money, but customers will see the benefits in the long term," says Stefan. "Maintenance of the main feed mill equipment is usually prescribed by the manufacturers, but it's the small things you have to do every day, like checking the oil or replacing the filters, that make the difference."
Two success stories
Daan talks about two cases where Koudijs' expertise has had a positive impact. "At one farm, the chickens were dying and the sows weren't performing properly," he says. "We discovered that the raw materials were not what they should be and there wasn't enough equipment maintenance." Koudijs was able to solve a number of issues in the production process and increase the quality of both the factory and the feed.
In a second example, a customer had acquired a new feed mill with two production lines with a total capacity of 20 tons per hour. "They wanted to increase production to 40 or 50 tons per hour and we were able to give them ideas on how to do that," Daan continues.
Future innovations
While animal feed production processes have remained almost the same for many years, there are some innovations on the horizon. "I think AI is going to change the role of process operators," says Daan. "At the moment the process operator sees what orders are coming in and decides which production line is best for a particular product. AI can easily take over that role. We're already automating sample taking." In this future scenario, the process operator will have more of a monitoring role.
With regard to other innovations, Stefan sees a continued focus on sustainability. "It's going to be about reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions," he says. "Less steam, less gas, more efficient motors and more efficient production."
