SABETHA, KAN. — Extru-Tech, Inc., a leader in extrusion and drying technology, recently announced an upgrade to its vertical cooler, which focuses on the addition of an Advanced Feature Sanitary Cone to improve food safety, cleanability, product consistency and production efficiency.

The new feature is similar in design to the sanitary cone used in Extru-Tech’s next-generation Advanced Feature Vertical Cooler, according to Norm Schmitt, corporate sales manager at Extru-Tech.

“In this case, though, the Advanced Feature Sanitary Cone was designed to replace both the internal perforated cone and the solid external cone used on older (pre 2014) vertical coolers, with minimal modifications,” Schmitt said. “The Advanced Feature Sanitary Cone features a 'Cone-In-Cone' design, which not only allows for 360-degree air entry, but provides much greater cleaning access than the internal perforated cone that was very problematic to clean.”

The Advanced Feature Sanitary Cone features a reinforced design and opportunities for cost savings. It is the same height as the previous cone, meaning the height of the cooler will not change, and product inlet and discharge points will stay the same, Extru-Tech shared. 

Additionally, Extru-Tech has included a new continuous laser level probe assembly as part of its vertical cooler upgrade. This change will improve continuous control inside the cooler, and allow for fine-tuned accuracy and reliability.

The company will provide a variable frequency drive (VFD) to help manufacturers regulate airflow through the Advanced Feature Sanitary Cone. Further, Extru-Tech has modified existing controls to help processors regulate fan speed paced on product level inside the sanitary cone.

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