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Capacity configuration

Wet pet food production line rated 3 tph

pilot configuration for meat, by-products and broths: trays, pouches, sterilised cans. Figures below come from the same engine behind MCF Project Studio™, based on 3,200 production hours per year and a turnkey scope (process, sterilisation, packaging, palletising, utilities).

Reference figures

Indicative CAPEX
€3.20M – €4.25M
Annual output
7,752 t/year of finished product
EBITDA at full ramp-up
€2.05M (11%)
Estimated payback
1.8 years
Contract to commissioning
11 months

Indicative values computed with the MCF Project Studio™ engine: they are not a contractual offer. The final budget comes from the feasibility study with mass balance and site layout.

Turnkey scope

  • Mass balance, layout and machine specifications
  • Manufacturing in Italy with in-house FAT before shipment
  • Shipment, mechanical and electrical erection by MCF technicians
  • Full-load commissioning (SAT), operator and maintenance training
  • Recommended spares, remote support and on-site service worldwide

Contract to commissioning — 11 months

  1. Phase 1 · 1 months

    Studio di fattibilità e layout

    Bilancio di materia, layout preliminare, budget di CAPEX.

  2. Phase 2 · 1.5 months

    Progettazione esecutiva

    P&I, quadri elettrici, specifiche macchine e fornitori.

  3. Phase 3 · 5 months

    Costruzione e assemblaggio

    Produzione in officina, pre-assemblaggio e FAT prima della spedizione.

  4. Phase 4 · 2 months

    Spedizione e installazione

    Marcatura CE inclusa, trasporto su gomma.

  5. Phase 5 · 1.5 months

    Avviamento, SAT e formazione

    Collaudo a pieno carico, formazione operatori e manutentori, consegna documentazione.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a wet pet food production line rated 3 tph cost?

Indicative CAPEX for a turnkey 3 tph line ranges from €3.20M to €4.25M, including process, sterilisation, packaging, palletising and utilities. The exact figure depends on formats, contact materials and automation level, defined during the feasibility study.

What is the annual output of a 3 tph line?

With 3,200 production hours per year and 85% line efficiency, estimated output is 7,752 t/year of finished product. The figure already accounts for the process yield declared for meat, by-products and broths.

How long before the line is running?

From contract signature to full-load start-up it takes about 11 months: feasibility study and layout, detailed engineering, manufacturing with in-house FAT, shipment and erection, then SAT and operator training on site.

Is a 1.8 years payback realistic?

It is the ratio between mid CAPEX and EBITDA at full ramp-up, computed with a 11% sector margin. In Project Studio you can change selling price, annual hours and financing structure and immediately see how the return moves.

Go deeper: technical hubs and references

Paths matching this line: technical page, case studies from the same industry and reference hubs.

Need the exact figure for your site?

Open this configuration in Project Studio: change capacity, annual hours, country and financing structure and get the dossier with CAPEX, P&L and the 6-year plan.

How to install and operate the pet food processing line — wet & dry, can & pouch: step-by-step procedure

The operating sequence MCF Technology follows to install, commission and start up the pet food processing line — wet & dry, can & pouch, through to daily operation and planned maintenance. Delivery, erection and on-site service are included worldwide.

  1. 1. Site survey and utilities check· ~2 working days (indicative)

    Technical survey on the layout of the pet food processing line — wet & dry, can & pouch: passage heights, flooring and drains, maintenance clearances and availability of steam for cooking, compressed air, dust extraction and power supply for extrusion or cooking. The final list of customer-side preparations is handed over.

  2. 2. Shipment, receiving and positioning of the modules· ~3 working days (indicative)

    Worldwide delivery with sea-freight or road packing, unloading and positioning of the modules (Ricevimento materie prime, macinazione ed emulsificazione, Cottura e dosaggio in contenitore, Aggraffatura/termosaldatura e autoclave) on the areas foreseen by the layout, checking the packing list and the condition of the components.

  3. 3. Mechanical assembly and piping· ~14 working days (indicative)

    Assembly of the units, conveyor alignment, hygienic welding of the stainless-steel piping and installation of valves and instruments according to the P&ID, supervised on site by MCF Technology technicians.

  4. 4. Utility hook-ups and electrical connections· ~4 working days (indicative)

    Connection of steam for cooking, compressed air, dust extraction and power supply for extrusion or cooking, wiring of the electrical cabinet and PLC, earthing, HMI configuration and process recipes.

  5. 5. Sanitation, CIP and dry runs· ~3 working days (indicative)

    Washing and passivation of the product-contact surfaces, CIP circuit verification with flow, temperature and detergent-concentration control, tightness tests and dry-run cycles on all modules.

  6. 6. Functional commissioning and process trials· ~4 working days (indicative)

    recipe trial with moisture and kibble-size verification, dosing-unit calibration and packaging test on the planned formats. Trials are run with the customer's real product and recorded in the commissioning report.

  7. 7. Production start-up and staff training· ~5 working days (indicative)

    Assisted start-up with continuous production, training of operators and maintenance staff on HMI, format changeover, safety and sanitation, handover of manuals and drawings in the agreed language.

  8. 8. Daily operation and planned maintenance

    Daily operation with cooking moisture and temperature, portion weight and seal integrity. Planned maintenance: screw and extrusion-worm checks, doser cleaning and sealing-bar inspection. On-site and remote service with critical spare parts agreed in the quotation.

Durations and activities are indicative: the erection, commissioning and training plan is defined in the quotation after the site survey and line sizing. No figure is a contractual performance.