Coperion has successfully modernised the entire control system of a ZSK production extruder at Tetra, the leading manufacturer worldwide of fish food and water conditioners, within just a few weeks’ time. The ZSK extruder, which has been operating at high capacity for over 30 years producing various types of fish food pellets, has been upgraded with a new control unit and main drive. This retrofit updates the entire automation to the latest standards, improving performance and efficiency.

The update to the ZSK extruder’s automation allows for implementation of future upgrades and expansions. Any new guidelines can be integrated into the production process. At the same time, energy savings can be expected thanks to the installation of a reluctance motor.

Tetra has produced fish food pellets for many years using the Coperion ZSK twin screw extruder at very high production capacity. Throughout its long operational life to date, Tetra has regularly implemented smaller upgrades to the production line. However, they now faced the task of a comprehensive modernization of the control system, where the challenge lay in the extruder’s high usage rate due to ongoing orders. There was only a very short window available during the annual shutdown period to perform the entire upgrade.


Tetra and Coperion were determined to make optimal use of the available time. During an intense coordination phase, Coperion service technicians and Tetra operation and maintenance personnel prepared a detailed plan of every necessary step. The motor, drive, and the control and drive cabinets were swapped out in no time. The automation was entirely updated and equipped with the latest Siemens components. The ZSK extruder was put back into production at full capacity according to plan.

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In just a few weeks, Coperion implemented a comprehensive control system upgrade, allowing Tetra’s ZSK twin screw extruder to once again produce fish feed pellets at full productivity and efficiency

The extruder main drive’s control system was swapped out and the ZSK extruder’s entire automation was updated