Serbia Pet Food Manufacturer Completes 4 T/H Expansion for Private-Label Dog and Cat Food

A Serbian pet food manufacturer has completed the first production campaign on a newly expanded 4 t/h dry pet food system supplied with RICHI equipment.

The customer already had experience manufacturing dog food but needed greater recipe flexibility and additional downstream capacity as private-label orders expanded into both dog and cat food.

The project was therefore designed as a production upgrade rather than a first-time pet food investment.

Existing usable equipment was retained, while the new configuration strengthened fine ingredient preparation, extrusion support, drying and post-extrusion liquid application.

Private-Label Business Created More SKUs Than the Old Factory Could Handle

The customer's growth challenge was not simply “we need more tonnes.”

Different buyers request different kibble dimensions, protein levels, ingredient profiles, fat additions and package formats.

A production system optimized around a small number of long-running recipes had become increasingly difficult to schedule.

The expansion therefore focuses on shorter product transitions and a wider operating range.

Three Commercial Product Groups Entered the First Campaign

1. standard adult dog kibble;
2. smaller-size cat food;
3. higher-fat dog food requiring increased post-drying liquid application.

These products were run separately so the customer could establish realistic operating references for each group.

Coating Capacity Became as Important as Extrusion Capacity

For the higher-fat formula, increasing extruder throughput alone would have created little value if the downstream coating section could not apply liquids consistently.

RICHI Machinery therefore balanced the post-extrusion system with the intended production program.

Drying and cooling also had to support the transition between product groups.

The result is a 4 t/h project rating that represents the intended commercial scale while acknowledging that practical output can differ among kibble sizes and recipes.

Changeover Time Is Now a Production KPI

After the expansion, the Serbian team is measuring more than tonnes per shift.

It is also observing how long the line takes to move from one formula to another, how much residual product needs to be cleared and whether the next SKU reaches specification quickly.

For a private-label pet food production line, those minutes affect available factory capacity.

The commissioning team has therefore included cleaning and transition procedures in operator training.

Expansion Positions the Factory for Contract Manufacturing

The project gives the customer more flexibility to accept products that previously did not fit its operating schedule.

It also creates another high-intent RICHI application beyond the generic phrase "pet food machine."

Potential buyers in similar situations are often searching for a dry dog food extrusion line, cat food making machine, pet food extruder plant, private-label pet food production equipment, or an existing pet food factory expansion solution.

The Serbian plant now represents exactly that type of project: not an introductory pet food line, but an operating manufacturer reorganizing its equipment around a much more complex commercial product portfolio.