APEC Blog

Welcome to the APEC Blog! Your resource for finding insights and equipment solutions for process automation, ingredient handling, weighing and batching, and more. Whether you’re an animal or pet food manufacturer, working in the food production industry, or another manufacturing industry, we cover a wide range of topics to help improve efficiencies, maintain quality, and solve your production challenges.

With a variety of different blog types, we have the resources to support manufacturers looking to streamline operations, reduce downtime, and stay ahead of industry trends. Check out our latest articles below.

Pneumatic Conveying Equipment Design and Materials

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]Pneumatic conveying equipment use air to create propulsion that moves materials from one place to another. Though other types of mechanical motion, like belt conveyors or screw conveyors, can be more efficient, pneumatic conveyors offer a number of advantages. When working with particular materials,…
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Mistcoater Replacement vs. Repair: How to Know When It’s Time to Upgrade

Wondering whether to repair or replace your legacy Mistcoater? This guide is for plant managers and project engineers who need reliable, cost-efficient coating equipment. You’ll learn the key signs it’s time to upgrade, how new Mistcoaters perform over legacy models and how companies can achieve…
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The Evolution of Food Processing Equipment: History, Innovations, and Future Trends

Over thousands of years, food processing has evolved from simple preservation methods to the highly engineered systems that keep plants running today. Each step forward has improved safety, efficiency and the ability to feed growing populations. Now, with food processing innovations like automation, precision mixing…
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Laser vs Waterjet vs CNC Cutting in Fabrication

There are many different ways to cut, shape, and form metals and other materials. If you’re considering prototype or machine shop services, it’s important to find a facility with the right equipment. The right facility can help you keep costs low and while fabricating a…
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6 Ways to Reduce Costs in Food Processing Equipment

Reducing costs in food manufacturing equipment doesn’t have to come at the expense of product quality. In many cases, solving problems that cause waste or lost time will not only save money but will also enhance efficiency, safety, and quality. Utilizing lean manufacturing principles, automation…
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Getting Screw Conveyor Design Right: Avoid Risks & Maximize Efficiency

As an engineer, overseeing project efficiency and longevity is crucial for ensuring screw conveyors are designed properly to avoid equipment delays schedules, spikes maintenance, and drives up costs. A poorly designed screw conveyor is not just a nuisance, it poses operational, safety, and budgetary risks.…
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Boosting Efficiency in Your Processing Plant: How APEC Can Help

When it comes to your processing plant, efficiency is everything. Producing pet food, animal feed or specialty ingredients, every minute of downtime, inconsistent mix, or wasted product chips away at your bottom line. That’s why optimizing your plant’s production process is essential to staying ahead…
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7 Ways to Save Money on Cattle Feed

When you save money on cattle feed, you can make your feedlot more efficient. There are a variety of ways to save money on macro and micro cattle feed ingredients. Streamlining the feed mixing process, introducing automation in cattle feed production and perfecting your ingredient…
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Pet Food Industry Trends 2025 | What Manufacturers Should Know

Pet Food Industry Trends 2025  The pet food industry is entering a new chapter in 2025, driven by growing demand for healthier, more sustainable pet food offerings. Today’s pet owners are prioritizing real, nutrient-rich ingredients that support long-term health and longevity. They're more intentional than…
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Types of Sheet Metal Rolling Machines and How They’re Used

Sheet metal rollers are essential for custom fabrication machine shops for a wide variety of applications and industries. The rollers can create arcs, bends, cylinders and circular objects. With the correct type of sheet metal rolling machine, you can improve product quality, system efficiency and…
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