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Efco Expands Production with Likwifier

Efco Products, Inc., a leading supplier of mixes, fruit and cream-style fillings, jellies and jams to companies in the baking industry like Dunkin Donuts, Perkins Restaurant, Friendly's Ice Cream and Pathmark Supermarkets, recently purchased a Breddo Likwifier with a more versatile grinder head design.

Efco Products, Inc., a leading supplier of mixes, fruit and cream-style fillings, jellies and jams to companies in the baking industry like Dunkin Donuts, Perkins Restaurant, Friendly's Ice Cream and Pathmark Supermarkets, recently purchased a Breddo Likwifier with a more versatile grinder head design. This newly emerging technology combines the existing high-shear impeller with the new grinder/mixer head that has proven to be an optimal tool in achieving Efco's processing goals. The new Likwifier hybrid mixer allows for the rapid hydration of product dispersion and controlled particulate reduction. Its new versatile design has enabled Efco to respond to its customers' needs by controlling and reducing particulate design with products such as apples, orange pieces, raspberries and pineapples.

The Likwifier blends and hydrates solids by rapid particulate reduction offering a choice of 5 different screens to achieve the desired particulate size. In addition, the unit gently agitates and holds the product after the initial mix has been achieved.

Andrew Herzing, Vice President of Plant Operations and Peter Miller, Plant Manager, communicated the advantages of this Likwifier and credited Jim DeFreitas, Plant Engineer, with the innovative and imaginative installation and integration of the unit. Jim's location and installation allows for multiple product pre-blending, cooling and processing of fillings, so they can be pumped from the Likwifier downstream to various kettles for additional processing prior to packaging. Because the Likwifier has grinding, cooking and cooling capabilities, it has eliminated the need for additional equipment and reduced labor thereby resulting in cost savings to Efco. DeFreitas took the Likwifier into its newest phase, beyond its already proven reliability and made it the heart of Efco's mixing process

Nancy Sarich, Quality Control Manager, is pleased with the Likwifier because of its assistance in developing new products (due to the above-mentioned capabilities). Through the imagination and ingenuity of the people at Efco, and the efficiency of the Likwifier, Efco has improved existing processing and added new products to meet the demands of its customer base.

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