Food and Beverages Tech Review: Specials Magazine

Twin screw pumps have long been the workhorse of fluid handling in upstream oil and gas, valued for their ability to manage everything from low-viscosity condensates to high-viscosity crude and multiphase flows with entrained gas. Their appeal was simple; uninterrupted throughput, no matter the process condition It was this consistency that caught the attention of Axiflow Technologies’ founders. But they saw something more; a broader cross-industry application hiding in plain sight. At the time, food and pharmaceutical manufacturers were struggling with a longstanding bottleneck. Running a viscous product like a sauce or a nutraceutical paste required one pump. Cleaning the line meant switching to another pump system or disassembling the existing one. Downtime was accepted as a trade-off for sanitation, even if it meant higher labor costs and greater contamination risk. In 2008, at a time when sanitary twin screw technology was virtually unknown in North America, Axiflow introduced a hygienic platform that could handle both product and cleaning media alike without switchovers or teardowns. Suddenly, production lines ran longer, cleaning cycles were shortened and uptime became the norm. The Axiflow STS Series made this shift possible. With nothing more than a change in pump speed, processors could easily switch from handling high-solids products to cleaning solutions. “When we translated it to the food industry, we saw real value in changing how customers processed,” says George Doan, product manager. “They no longer had to take equipment apart to clean it or run separate systems for cleaning and production.” To coin a phrase from Axiflow’s owner, “It was like going from a flip phone to an iPhone. Once they saw what it could do, there was no going back.” The Real Workhorse Inside the Line The Axiflow STS Series features a dual-screw geometry and axial flow design, enabling precise handling across a wide viscosity spectrum. Engineered from precision-machined 316L stainless steel and certified by both 3-A and EHEDG, the STS Series is purpose-built for hygienic environments where compliance, performance and uptime are non-negotiable. With flow capacities up to 2,500 GPM, pressure ratings reaching 725 PSI and temperature tolerances exceeding 425°F, it handles everything from melted cheese to thick smoothies with ease. A simple speed adjustment allows the pump to transition seamlessly from product transfer to clean-in-place, eliminating the need for disassembly, hardware changes or additional equipment. It also integrates effortlessly into Axiflow’s broader systems, pairing with mixers, auger feeds or turnkey blending solutions. “The twin screw pump lets our client partners stop choosing between flexibility and efficiency,” says Doan. “Now, they get both in one system.”

As food brands move from early production to larger-scale manufacturing, production becomes a test of more than capacity. Products must retain their quality, safety and market claims as volumes, formats and supply chains change. ZoRoCo Packaging supports brands through this transition with a partnership-driven manufacturing model. The family-owned food contract manufacturer and co-packer works with emerging brands as well as multinational companies across frozen, gluten-free and free-from categories. As clients’ products and volumes grow, the team works with them to manage changing production requirements and build the capabilities needed to support their growth. ZoRoCo sees clients’ success as its own, making their growth an important part of its own success. “If we can partner with our clients and help them put successful, competitive products in the market, they’ll grow, and that will allow us to grow,” says Cordy Rost, founder and president.