Coperion champions pets, people and progress at Petfood Forum 2026

Kansas City, MO: As a technology partner to pet food and treat producers
worldwide, Coperion Food, Health & Nutrition is using its participation in Petfood Forum 2026 to support organizations that improve the lives of pets and foster innovation in the pet food industry.

Petfood Forum is a leading conference and exhibition on the latest consumer trends and industry innovations in the pet food market held annually in Kansas City.

Making an impact at Petfood Forum 2026

Coperion was proud to sponsor the Polk County Humane Society at Petfood
Forum 2026, which also featured students from the Missouri State University.
Students enrolled in the university’s companion animal courses worked with six shelter puppies ahead of the event to improve their socialization and adoptability. The puppies visited Coperion’s booth, bringing a bit of fun and joy to the day.

Coperion was equally proud to sponsor the Future of Petfood Pavilion at the
show, an initiative that bridges industry innovation with the next generation of pet food professionals. Coperion further supported the industry by sharing expertise on the Tech Talk Stage.

Coperion Expert on the Petfood Tech Talk stage

Jonathan O. Thorn, Executive Director, Process Technology at Coperion, presented “Extruder Hood Designs That Promote Sanitary Processes” on Tuesday, April 28, on the Petfood Tech Talk Stage. Jonathan spoke to recent developments in extruder hood design, including reorienting the traditional vacuum takeaway system, that are helping manufacturers combat microbial contamination and improve process control.

Focus on Coperion technologies

As a trusted processing partner to the pet food industry, Coperion unites the most advanced technology brands – Baker Perkins, Bakon, DIOSNA, K-Tron, Kemutec, Peerless, Shaffer, Shick Esteve, Unifiller and VMI – in pet food manufacturing to deliver complete, end-to-end processing solutions for all sizes and types of pet food and treats.

Coperion experts met with customers to discuss the latest developments in our pet food production technology including pneumatic conveying, feeding, mixing and milling, depositing, forming, sifting and pet treat extrusion.

We featured these technologies at the booth:

Rotary Moulder Mini – a hygienic small-batch production machine used to
make bones and treats.

IBC Liquid Tote System – suitable for manufacturing processes that require
temporary storage and dosing of liquid products. Totes feed a reservoir,
where a pump draws ingredients and distributes them to one or more use
points.

E-finity® Pneumatic Conveying System – a patented solution for delicately
handling fragile materials and end products. With precise pressure
monitoring and airflow adjustments, the dense phase pneumatic conveying
system ensures efficient operation under a variety of conditions.

Kemutec KEK Cone Mill – a high-performance vertical milling machine
engineered for versatile, high-speed size reduction. Designed for food and
pharmaceutical processing, the cone mill delivers uniform and consistent
particle sizes across a wide range of materials.

Live Demos of Connect Advisor – a digital remote support platform for
streamlining maintenance, troubleshooting and operations for frontline
manufacturing workers.