Articles & Resources

Statistical Process Control: Techniques for Feed Manufacturing, Part 2

Tim Herrman
Extension State Leader
Grain Science and Industry

Procedures for Developing a Control Chart
Step 1. Collect samples or measurements during processing. This is similar to Step 1 for the frequency histogram. In some cases, multiple measurements for a particular process are collected, such as when monitoring bag weight or tracking conditioned mash temperature.

Step 2. Perform preliminary calculations with the data set. If there are multiple measurements (subsamples), calculate the average and the range of these measurements. Next, calculate the overall sum and average for these values.

Tags · Statistical Process Control: Techniques for Feed Manufacturing · Pareto Chart · Process Improvement · Statistical process control · SPC

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 20.10.2006. 07:38

Statistical Process Control: Techniques for Feed Manufacturing

Statistical Process Control: Techniques for Feed Manufacturing (part 1)

Tim Herrman
Extension State Leader
Grain Science and Industry

The application of statistical process control (SPC) during feed manufacturing improves product quality and reduces manufacturing costs. Consequently, quality improvement using SPC offers the feed industry a valuable business strategy. This strategy includes quality planning, analysis, and control to ensure that the quality assurance program contributes positively to cash flow, return on investment, and overall business profitability.

Tags · Statistical Process Control · SPC · Techniques · Feed Manufacturing · Feed Technology · Feed processing

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 20.10.2006. 07:35

The Effects of Diet Particle Size on Animal Performance

The Effects of Diet Particle Size on Animal Performance - Part 1

Cereal grains are the primary energy source in swine and poultry diets. Therefore, not only must producers be concerned about the composition of the grain, but also how it is processed so the animal may fully utilize the nutrients.

Since feed represents 65 to 75 percent of overall production costs in a swine or poultry operation, improving the efficiency of feed utilization will have a tremendous impact on the cost of production. Nearly all feed ingredients will be subjected to some type of particle size reduction.

Tags · Diet Particle Size · Animal Performance · Feed Processing · Animal Nutrition · Digestibilities · Hammermill

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 02.08.2006. 08:02

The Effects of Diet Particle Size on Animal Performance, Part 2

Particle Size and Alternative Grains

The type of grain in the diet also will influence the pig's response to particle size reduction. Studies with high-fiber feed ingredients like barley indicate fine grinding of these types of ingredients may greatly improve their feeding value. A study was conducted with finishing pigs fed diets containing barley ground through a hammermill equipped with either a 1/8-, 3/16-, or 1/4-inch screen or coarsely rolled (Table 4).

Tags · Diet Particle Size · Animal Performance · Feed Processing · Animal Nutrition · Digestibilities · Lactation Diets · Alternate Grains · Poultry Feed

• Continue reading • Comments (0) 02.08.2006. 02:22