Food Processing Equipment: Three Essential Steps to Make the Most of 2026

The New Realities of Food Processing

The food processing sector continues to evolve rapidly. According to Food Engineering’s State of Food Manufacturing, more than 60% of operations plan to expand capacity or reconfigure equipment to meet demand. On top of that, processors face ingredient variability, new formulations and accelerated product development cycles that increase the importance of adaptable, efficient equipment.

The result is an operating environment where scalable vessels, precise agitation systems and reliable mixing technologies are essential to ensuring performance.

To help manufacturers face these challenges, we’ve zeroed in on three essential steps food processors should take to make the most of the opportunities ahead:

Three Essential Steps to Maximize the Value of Your Processing Equipment

1. Ensure Your Processing Equipment Matches Today’s Production Requirements

Modern food production lines handle broader product ranges with more complex formulations. Many processors saw throughput demand climb, highlighting that processors increasingly rely on upgraded kettles, advanced agitation and redesigned workflows to fill capacity gaps created by workforce shortages. How to address this?

Reevaluate Capacity and Vessel Configuration
Operations should review whether their current equipment can support rising output. Consider:

• upgrading from a 100-gallon kettle to a 200-gallon vessel
• adding a second kettle to allow staggered discharge
• adding scraper agitation for viscous or particulate-rich formulas
• installing jacketed kettles for more stable temperature control

These upgrades help resolve bottlenecks and optimize production cycles. (For more configuration ideas, read Expanding Production Without Expanding Your Plant).

Align Agitation Systems with Ingredient Changes
Reformulation continues across the industry. Food Engineering reports that more than 30% of manufacturers are reducing added sugars, replacing them with syrups, fruit concentrates, honey or alternative sweeteners. These ingredients often require different shear levels, mixing speeds or agitation styles.

Changes such as:

• transitioning to different oils based on supply conditions
• adding fruit or vegetable particulates
• introducing higher protein or fiber content
  

All of these impact viscosity, heat transfer and mixing behavior. Correct agitation selection ensures consistency and prevents quality issues.

For guidance, see Factors That Determine the Best Agitator Design for Your Processing Operation available on the Lee Industries website.

2. Bring Applications Engineers Into the Process Early

Food Engineering’s manufacturing study confirms that processors planning expansions or retrofits benefit significantly when equipment planning begins early in collaboration with specialized engineers. This allows input from all your teams—R&D, production, operations—to be considered in the equipment design and configuration.

Improve Scale-Up Success and Reduce Risk

Early involvement from applications engineers helps processors:

• transition from benchtop to pilot scale
• validate how ingredients behave in full-batch heating and mixing
• optimize cycle times
• adjust agitation and vessel geometry before installation
  

If the equipment provider has a testing lab, processors can simulate full-scale production to evaluate ingredient behavior, test heat profiles and identify improvements long before a large capital purchase is made.

Design Equipment Around Your Product

Instead of forcing production to adapt to existing equipment, processors increasingly customize vessel shape, agitation style, control panels and utility requirements to match their product specifications. This improves consistency and increases run-rate efficiency across all SKUs.

For more guidance, review The Earlier the Better: When Food Manufacturers Should Bring Processing Equipment Engineers into New Product Development.

3. Build a Proactive and Predictive Vessel Maintenance Program

Unplanned downtime remains a critical threat to productivity. Facilities Dive reported that downtime incidents have declined slightly, yet costs per incident continue to rise because many repairs now require specialized components or longer lead times.

Research also found that equipment-related failures account for more than 40% of unplanned downtime events in food and beverage plants, but building a proactive maintenance program that makes awareness, inspection and preventive maintenance a priority every day of the year can reduce downtime costs by as much as 70%.

Here are some of the important steps plant production and maintenance teams can take to proactively maintain your plant processing vessels.

Core Elements of a Strong Maintenance Program

• Maintain Detailed Vessel Records
• parts lists
• service logs
• schematics
• repair history
  

Assess Operating Conditions That Drive Wear

• abrasive particulates
• acidic or high-salt formulations
• viscosity differences
• long heating cycles
• extended runtime
  

This assessment supports the creation of a proactive replacement schedule for seals, bearings, gaskets, scraper blades, driveshafts and more.

Train Staff to Spot Early Warning Signs

• grinding or rumbling noises
• excessive vibration
• worn scraper blades
• inconsistent batch heating
• residue buildup or unusual agitation resistance
  

Keep a Strategic Spare-Parts Program

Hold inventory for crucial items:

• seals
• bearings
• O-rings
• scrapers
• common wear parts
  

For custom or long-lead components, keeping one backup part onsite can prevent prolonged shutdowns.

Let Our Applications Engineers Help You Optimize Your Operation

FAQ

Q: How early should applications engineers be involved in plant expansions or retrofits?

A: Ideally at the start of planning. Early collaboration helps ensure equipment design is matched to product performance, batch requirements and future capacity.

Q: What maintenance practices make the biggest difference?

A: Training staff, implementing predictive maintenance tools, monitoring operating stressors and maintaining a strategic parts inventory have the greatest impact.

Q: When should food processors consider upgrading equipment?

A: When ingredient behavior changes, throughput increases, cycle times lengthen or equipment begins showing early wear indicators.