Equipment manufacturers are challenged to deliver accurate amounts of ingredients quickly. One innovation to address this is a new valve design from Zeppelin. ingredients being used and how to convey them. These are both areas in which companies believe more innovation is needed. "I could foresee being able to monitor surfaces for microbials and alert operators that a cleaning is recommended as a market request," Carney says. Managing all possible data sources from one primary platform is becoming a priority in the pet food and treat industry. Goshert says integrating preventative maintenance planning software with ingredient batching and process controls is an important improvement. "The demand for keeping the increasingly sophisticated and automated process systems and equipment running at optimal performance has never been greater," he says. Localizing access to the preventative maintenance planning software from the shop floor or the corporate office area is key. "Data tracking on the production floor integrated with ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems is essential to maximize benefits," Goshert says. "Processors should be sure to work with equipment and control and automation vendors that are on the forefront of data management and can provide complete data tracking with ERP integration." PFP Zeppelin Systems USA CUSTOMIZING SOLUTIONS TO MEET YOUR PROCESSING CHALLENGES APEC has been engineering custom process solutions to solve the challenges of pet food manufacturers since 1992. We understand that you work in an ever-changing industry. That's why we have continued to innovate our process and control systems to improve your performance, quality and bottom line. Whether it's from our extensive equipment line or a custom solution, you can rely on APEC for exceptional: Dry and Liquid Coating | Weighing | Mixing | Batching | Blending PROCESSING THE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS +1 (616) 374-1000 | www.apecusa.com www.petfoodprocessing.net | December 2019 | PET FOOD PROCESSING 47http://www.apecusa.com http://www.petfoodprocessing.net