January 24, 2019
During my recent trip overseas, I got to witness first-hand how many people are truly involved in making a processing plant come together. Vendors and suppliers sometimes forget…
January 17, 2019
A famous song once said, “the times they are a-changing”. Today, this couldn’t be more true. Technology seems to advance daily, and those who stay abreast and use…
January 10, 2019
In a previous blog, we mentioned the various principles of steam exhausting. One of those was how to handle the discharged vapor. Most places can allow this vapor…
December 27, 2018
In our industry, the screw conveyor is a pretty common method of conveying. They’re simple, inexpensive and relatively universal. We tend to use a “U-trough” style of conveyor…
November 1, 2018
Problem solving takes a multi-angled approach. It’s almost like having two different lens prescriptions for your eyes. In order to see clearly, you need both in a set…
October 18, 2018
One benefit of the Insta-Pro ExPress® process is that you are able to diversify your product offerings. Instead of just offering extruded soybeans, you now have two products…
June 21, 2018
When designing an ExPress® line, there are many things to consider. It’s a little like putting together a Lego® set where you can build pretty much whatever you…
June 7, 2018
There are many ways to transport materials horizontally, but what if you need to go vertically? Pneumatics and cable-type methods are options, but the most common ones you’ll…
May 10, 2018
One feature that we put onto our vented conveyors is a diverter valve. Depending on the design, these can sometimes be called “Y” or “K” valves due to…
May 3, 2018
When it comes to extruding materials with higher starch content, such as corn, pet food or fish feed; some type of cutting device is necessary. As these start…
April 5, 2018
A previous blog topic discussed the advantages of using 3D software for engineering and other applications. We here at Insta-Pro have been taking advantage of this technology for…
January 10, 2018
In a previous blog, we discussed the topic of how a destoner works. In this blog, we touch on why it is important to prepare materials prior to…
January 4, 2018
We often emphasize the importance of properly cleaning your incoming material in order to produce the highest-quality meal. As the old adage goes “garbage in, garbage out.” The…
November 2, 2017
Driven by customer demand, Insta-Pro has developed a processing solution for corn extrusion. Our customers are excited for this as gelatinized corn has been shown to improve efficiency…
September 7, 2017
A simple, yet often overlooked item required in extrusion facilities are motor starters. This device is essentially a giant switch to supply power to a motor. Several companies…
August 17, 2017
There’s an old quote that says “you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been.” While this may be philosophical, it can be relevant to…
June 15, 2017
As the world population increases, the need to feed more and more people increases as well. A hot topic during our sales discussions is the development of our…
February 23, 2017
In last week’s blog, we covered what value stream mapping is and what its purpose is to an organization; to highlight problem areas or inefficiencies to improve. Below…
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