A quantum leap in food safety, efficiency, and user-friendliness |
| Bühler ushers in a new era of extrusion systems with Nutrex 7 Series |
| Uzwil, Switzerland, May 6, 2026 – Bühler Group, a global leader in processing equipment for food, feed, and advanced materials, is launching its new generation of extrusion systems. With Nutrex 7 Series, the Swiss family-owned company is responding to increased market requirements for food safety, efficiency, and user-friendliness. The first extruders have already proven themselves in operation at customer sites and are delivering trusted reliability with improved functionality. |
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“We focused on a holistic approach based on four main categories: hygienic design, process stability, integrated intelligence, and service excellence, all with the aim of increasing Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) for our customers,” says Stefanie Hardtmann, Product Manager Value Nutrition at Bühler.
With Nutrex 7 Series, Bühler addresses the diverse requirements of various applications using a modular concept. Since extrusion technology is used to manufacture a wide range of products across different industries, the system must be designed for different process requirements. What all applications have in common is that the systems must be operated safely. In the food industry and pet food sector, high hygiene requirements and maximum uptime in 24/7 operation as well as high performance ranges are the priority. Covering this broad spectrum required a holistic approach. “Here, we drew on four decades of experience based on hundreds of installed systems around the world. A decisive factor was viewing the extrusion system as a whole in the context of the food processing chain,” explains David Meile, Project Manager R&D at Bühler. The Nutrex 7 Series was developed in close collaboration with customers. Hygienic design in the spotlight An important aspect is access to the machine during cleaning. The easier the access, the This hygiene concept is complemented by new cleaning solutions such as the patented Cleaning Lance, which enables effective internal cleaning, raises the hygiene level, and at the same time improves safety for operating personnel. The system is made of stainless steel and designed for wet cleaning from both the outside and the inside. The concept is supported by new automation and digital service solutions. Options such as CCP (Critical Control Point) Monitoring and the OEE (Overall Equipment Efficiency) app help continuously monitor processes, document deviations traceably, and support targeted corrective measures. This can reduce the effort required for audits and validation. In addition, together with RedLog, Bühler offers the Extrusion Kill-Step Validation Service, which provides customers with a robust basis for evaluating extrusion as a critical process step. Measurable benefits thanks to digital solutions
The new StepFlow is also a technical milestone. When starting up an extrusion process, the operator’s experience is crucial to reach full production as quickly as possible and keep product waste to a minimum. The StepFlow function now gives customers the option of leaving the ideal settings for start-up and shutdown directly to the machine, based on Bühler’s expertise gathered over decades in hundreds of systems. “The StepFlow function allows the fastest start-up procedure to be achieved automatically, based on pre-defined production values,” explains Adrian Staerkle. Thanks to the StepFlow, customers can avoid up to 30% waste per run and further increase process efficiency. Services as a differentiating factor With its service network, Bühler offers modular solutions for different service requirements and bundles them into a dedicated service package. Specific service components such as Vibration Monitor, Oil Condition Monitor, Spare and Wear Parts Packages, and Expert Services make it possible to monitor the condition of the system in a targeted manner, make maintenance predictable, and further improve availability. In this way, Bühler supports its customers in strengthening productivity and innovation in a targeted way, while ensuring reliable operation, plannable maintenance, and additional operational safety. Proven in the field Bühler’s close partnerships with its customers enabled the team to develop Nutrex 7 Series with producers from various areas such as pet food, extruded flours, and cereals, and to test them in industrial operation. One of the first test customers for Nutrex 7 Series is Kärntner Mühle in Austria. Decades ago, the company expanded its portfolio and added the production of specialty mixes for the baking industry to its traditional flour production. Martin Kropfitsch, owner and Managing Director of Kärntner Mühle, says: “As the first customer of Nutrex 7 Series, we were closely involved in the development process. The collaboration with Bühler was partnership-based and practical. We were particularly impressed by the simple integration into our existing line and the significantly simplified handling. The intuitive control system makes day-to-day operation noticeably easier.” Additional Nutrex 7 Series units are in operation at test customer sites. The system is available for order and delivery immediately. Stefanie Hardtmann sees the launch as another milestone in Bühler’s long history. “For 166 years, Bühler has been launching new processing technologies with the goal of making its customers more successful. With Nutrex 7 Series, we are seamlessly continuing this tradition and offering food and feed producers worldwide a system that equips them for the challenges in their markets. It can be used flexibly, meets the highest hygiene requirements, and is equipped with the latest control technology for smooth and efficient operation.” Explore related news and resources on the Nutrex 7 Series page. |
Designed for modularity and efficiency
more efficiently cleaning can be carried out and the faster the system can be put back into operation. Nutrex 7 Series is designed in every respect for short and efficient cleaning processes. “Externally, we focused on a slimmer design for the extruder. The elevated base frame creates more ground clearance, and the hydraulic box has been integrated from the base frame to the side of the extruder. This allows direct access with cleaning equipment, simplifying cleaning and shortening cleaning time,” says David Meile.
Another central component is integrated intelligence. The fully revised control system is the flagship of Bühler’s automation strategy, which aims to standardize all machine and plant control systems on a single platform by 2030. “An extruder is not simply a machine, but an integrated process step in the food industry. Our new visualization concept does justice to this complexity and maps the various processes – such as preconditioning, weighing, extruding, and cutting – schematically across various levels. In addition, the control system is completely browser-based, meaning the processes can be monitored and controlled from anywhere,” explains Adrian Staerkle, Team Manager R&D Automation Software at Bühler. With these new features, operators can detect any messages and alarms more quickly and reduce downtime. Thanks to location-independent monitoring, they can devote time during production to other tasks such as quality control. The system is complemented by new control hardware with a hygienic stainless-steel 24-inch screen, designed for expandability and incorporating the latest components.
