Nofima’s Feed Technology Centre in Bergen has acquired a new vacuum coater in order to be able to deliver even more precise research on fish feed. This coater was made on commission from Senior Scientist Tor Andreas Samuelsen in Bergen and took six months to deliver.
“This machine has been on our wish list here in Bergen for a long time. It provides a completely new degree of precision in production of experimental feed, and it is very important since the focus on alternative oils in the feed is increasing,” says Odd Helge Romarheim, Manager of the Feed Technology Centre.
A vacuum coater is used primarily to add various feed oils to pellets, but may also be used to add enzymes or other nutrients that are soluble in oil or water. A feed pellet contains many pores. The vacuum coater extracts the air from the pores then sprays them with the fluid and when the air is readmitted to the coater, the fluid is pressed into the pores of the pellet.
“We can weigh in feed and oil manually, we have visual control of the entire process and it is quick and easy to clean between each treatment. These criteria are extremely important when we produce experimental feed and we believe that this machine will contribute to Nofima maintaining its position as a leading supplier of experimental fish feeds,” concludes Romarheim.
