Dog Food Belt Dryer for High Moisture Content in Canada

Why High-Moisture Dog Food Required a Different Drying Approach

For this customer, the key engineering issue was the amount of water that had to be removed after extrusion. The target finished moisture was approximately 8–10%, while the new kibble could enter the dryer at around 38–42% moisture.

That difference has a direct effect on dryer sizing. If 1,000 kg of extruded kibble enters the dryer at 40% moisture, it contains approximately 600 kg of dry solids and 400 kg of water. To reach 10% final moisture, the finished product would weigh about 667 kg. In other words, approximately 333 kg of water must be evaporated for every 1,000 kg of wet product entering the belt dryer.

At commercial production rates, this becomes a substantial evaporation load. Selecting a dog food dryer only according to finished-product tonnage would therefore have been misleading. RICHI evaluated the project according to wet feed rate, inlet moisture, target moisture, product dimensions, bed thickness and required evaporation capacity.

This was one of the main reasons the customer moved to a belt-type system. A multi-layer belt dryer provides a relatively long and adjustable drying path, making it possible to control belt speed, product depth, airflow and temperature according to the actual moisture load.

DHG-2000 Belt Dryer Selected for the Ontario Plant

The DHG-2000 was selected as the dog food belt dryer for high moisture content in Canada because its multi-layer configuration provided the residence time and drying area required by this application. The customer also wanted electric heating because the installation area did not have an available steam system for the new dryer.

The main project configuration included:

• Model: DHG-2000 multi-layer belt dryer
• Drying structure: 5-layer mesh belt system
• Effective drying area: approximately 58 m²
• Belt width: approximately 1.6 m
• Target inlet moisture: approximately 38–42%
• Target finished moisture: approximately 8–10%
• Heating method: electric heating for this installation
• Controls: PLC-based temperature and belt-speed control

The actual capacity of a belt dryer cannot be determined from belt area alone. It changes with product moisture, kibble diameter, bulk density, allowable drying temperature, bed depth and residence time. For this reason, RICHI configured the dryer around the customer’s meat-rich kibble rather than treating the nominal model capacity as a fixed output for every pet food formula.

The Product: Meat-Rich Extruded Dog Food

The Ontario manufacturer positioned the new product as a premium dry dog food containing a relatively high proportion of fresh animal ingredients. The formulation used fresh chicken, turkey and fish together with carbohydrate sources, pulses, fats, vitamins and minerals.

This created a different drying challenge from a conventional lower-moisture kibble formula. Immediately after extrusion, the product was relatively soft. Drying too aggressively could create a dry outer layer while leaving excessive moisture inside the pellet. Drying too slowly, on the other hand, would restrict the output of the entire extrusion line.

RICHI therefore focused on three variables during commissioning: product layer thickness, drying-air temperature and residence time.

Controlling Layer Thickness and Residence Time

Product loading on the belt was deliberately kept relatively shallow during the initial trials. At higher inlet moisture, a thick bed can restrict airflow through the kibble and create uneven drying between material at the top and bottom of the layer.

The first commissioning runs therefore used a product bed of approximately 15 mm as a starting point. This was not treated as a universal setting. The customer could subsequently adjust the spreading gate according to kibble diameter, bulk density and incoming moisture.

Belt speed provided another control point. Instead of forcing the product through the dryer at a fixed residence time, operators could slow or accelerate the belts as the incoming moisture changed. For the high-moisture recipe, the initial commissioning target used an extended residence time of roughly 150 minutes through the five-layer drying path.

This combination of shallow loading and longer residence time allowed moisture to migrate from inside the kibble while reducing the risk of an over-dried exterior and wetter center.

Using Zoned Temperature Control Instead of One Fixed Setting

Another important requirement for this dog food belt dryer for high moisture content was temperature control across the drying process. The customer did not want the entire dryer operating at one aggressive temperature simply to increase evaporation.

During commissioning, different temperature zones were tested so that heat input could be matched to the changing moisture condition of the product. Higher-temperature air could be used during the earlier high-moisture stage, followed by gentler finishing conditions as the kibble approached its target moisture.

A representative commissioning profile used drying-air settings from approximately 110°C in the initial zone down toward approximately 80°C in the finishing stage. These values are process settings for this particular product trial, not fixed temperatures that should be copied to every dog food formula.

Fresh-meat percentage, starch content, kibble diameter, density and extrusion conditions can all change drying behavior. For another customer, RICHI would establish the temperature profile through material testing and commissioning rather than prescribing the same settings automatically.

Integration With the Existing Dog Food Production Line

The Canadian customer purchased the DHG-2000 as a standalone dryer because the surrounding production equipment remained suitable for the new product. The installation therefore focused on connecting the dryer between the existing extrusion and downstream handling sections.

The relevant production route was:

1. Ingredient preparation and mixing
2. Extrusion and kibble forming
3. Multi-layer belt drying
4. Cooling
5. Fat and palatant application according to the product recipe
6. Finished-product screening and packaging

Matching the dryer to the extruder was particularly important. A dryer that cannot remove water at the same rate that the extruder supplies wet product eventually becomes the capacity bottleneck of the entire plant. Conversely, oversizing the dryer without considering actual evaporation demand increases investment and operating costs unnecessarily.

Moisture Control Became the Main Production Indicator

For the customer's premium product, simply checking whether the kibble felt dry was not sufficient. Finished moisture had to remain within the specified range across continuous production.

The operators therefore monitored incoming product moisture, finished moisture, drying temperature, belt speed and product-bed thickness together. If extrusion conditions changed and wetter kibble entered the dryer, belt speed could be reduced or other drying parameters adjusted. When inlet moisture decreased, the system could be operated differently to avoid unnecessary over-drying.

This approach also helped protect yield. Removing more moisture than necessary means selling less finished product from the same amount of raw material and consuming additional energy at the same time. The customer's objective was therefore controlled drying to specification, not simply achieving the lowest possible moisture level.

Cleaning Was Important for a Meat-Rich Product

The high fresh-meat content created another practical consideration: sanitation. Wet pet food residues can adhere to conveying and drying surfaces, so the dryer had to be incorporated into the plant’s regular cleaning program.

The customer established routine inspection of the mesh belts, spreading section, product transfer points and internal areas where fines could accumulate. Cleaning frequency depended on production hours and the recipe being processed.

This was particularly important when changing products. In a commercial pet food factory, hygienic design and access for cleaning are just as relevant as drying capacity. RICHI therefore considered maintenance access and belt cleaning when arranging the equipment inside the customer's existing building.

Electrical Requirements for the Canadian Installation

Because the Ontario customer selected electric heating, available electrical capacity had to be checked before shipment. A high-capacity electrically heated dryer can represent a significant connected load, so the customer's electrical engineers reviewed the supply and protection requirements together with the final dryer configuration.

The motors and electrical system were configured for the customer's local power conditions, including 60 Hz operation. Control components were incorporated into a PLC-based system so operators could adjust belt operation and drying parameters from the control interface.

This pre-installation electrical review prevented the customer from receiving a dryer that could not be supported by the existing plant utilities—an issue that is especially important when a standalone machine is being retrofitted into an operating factory.

From Qingdao to the Canadian Production Site

The dryer system was prepared for export from China and shipped to Canada before inland delivery to the Ontario facility. Because a multi-layer belt dryer consists of the drying body, belt sections, fans, heating components, electrical controls and supporting assemblies, logistics planning covered both shipment dimensions and the sequence required for installation.

Before the equipment arrived, the customer prepared the installation area, electrical connection points and interfaces with the existing extruder and downstream equipment. This reduced modification work during commissioning and allowed the installation to focus on alignment, electrical connection, control testing and product trials.

Commissioning With the Customer’s Actual Kibble

The most important stage was not running the empty dryer; it was testing the system with the customer's actual high-moisture dog food.

The commissioning team started conservatively and adjusted the process according to measured moisture rather than appearance. Product depth, belt speed and drying temperatures were changed step by step until the kibble reached the required moisture range without excessive surface drying or unacceptable breakage.

The final operating window provided the customer with a repeatable starting recipe for the high-moisture product. Operators could then make smaller corrections according to normal variations in raw materials and extrusion conditions.

This is also why RICHI recommends that buyers provide actual product information when selecting a dog food belt dryer. An inlet moisture figure alone is not enough. Kibble size, formulation, wet-product capacity, bulk density, target moisture and available heat source all influence dryer configuration.

Why the Customer Chose a Belt Dryer Instead of Replacing the Whole Line

The problem at this factory was highly specific. The mixer, extruder and downstream equipment were still usable. Replacing them would have added investment without solving an additional production problem.

The DHG-2000 therefore became a targeted capacity upgrade. The customer could continue producing its established dog food products while gaining a drying system with greater flexibility for the new high-moisture formulation.

For other established pet food manufacturers, this type of retrofit can be more practical than purchasing another complete dog food production line. RICHI can evaluate the inlet height, outlet height, available floor area, existing conveyors, electrical supply and required wet-product throughput so that a standalone dryer can be connected to the current process.

What This Dog Food Belt Dryer for High Moisture Content in Canada Project Shows

The main lesson from this Canadian project is that high-moisture pet food drying should be evaluated as an evaporation problem, not simply as a machine-capacity question. Two plants producing 2 tons per hour of finished kibble can require very different dryers if one product enters at 24% moisture and the other at 40%.

For this Ontario manufacturer, the DHG-2000 provided the longer residence time, controllable product bed and staged drying conditions needed for its meat-rich formulation. More importantly, the dryer was integrated into the equipment the customer already owned instead of turning a single drying problem into an unnecessary full-line investment.

If you are evaluating a dog food belt dryer for high moisture content in Canada or another market, the most useful information to provide RICHI is your product moisture immediately after extrusion, required final moisture, wet-product throughput, kibble diameter and density, formulation characteristics, available heating source, electrical standard and installation space. With those parameters, RICHI Machinery can calculate the required water evaporation load and recommend the dryer size, belt area, residence time and heating configuration around the actual product.