With the continuous upgrading of the global pet market, the requirements of pet owners for cat litter products are no longer limited to basic use functions, but pay more attention to core attributes such as environmental protection, safety and comfort. As a leading brand in the global pet products industry, Cat Global has won wide recognition from consumers with its high-standard tofu cat litter products. The excellent quality of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter is inseparable from its exquisite, scientific and strict processing technology. This paper will comprehensively analyze the processing technology of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter, from raw material screening, pretreatment, core processing links to finished product inspection, packaging and storage, and at the same time, compare the traditional processing technology of Tofu Cat litter, show the technical advantages and core competitiveness of Cat Global, and provide professional reference for practitioners and pet owners. With the rapid growth of global pet economy, the output and demand of tofu cat litter, as an environmentally friendly and healthy pet commodity, are increasing year by year. According to industry data, by 2026, the global market size of tofu cat litter will exceed 8 billion US dollars, and the market share is still expanding. Different from the extensive processing mode of some small and medium-sized enterprises, Cat Global adheres to the concept of “technology empowers quality”, integrates advanced production equipment and scientific processing concepts, and forms a complete processing system covering raw material control, process optimization and quality inspection. Every link of its processing technology has strict standards and precise operation requirements, which ensures the stability and high quality of each batch of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter products.

Ⅰ.Overview of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter and its processing core

Cat Global Tofu Cat litter is a high-end environmentally-friendly cat litter product developed by Cat Global for pet owners around the world. It is made of natural plant fiber as the core raw material through a series of exquisite processing procedures such as crushing, mixing, extrusion, drying, cooling and screening. It has the characteristics of low dust, strong water absorption, rapid agglomeration, flushing toilets, innocuity and so on, which not only conforms to the living habits of cats, but also ensures the health of pets and the cleanliness of the home environment. The core of the processing technology of Cat Global tofu cat litter lies in “three precisions and one strictness”: accurate raw material ratio, accurate process parameter control, accurate quality inspection and strict environmental protection standards. Different from the traditional processing of tofu cat litter, Cat Global not only improves the production efficiency, but also solves the common problems of traditional tofu cat litter, such as fragile, poor caking and moldy, by introducing intelligent production equipment and optimizing the processing flow. At the same time, Cat Global adheres to the concept of green production, and the whole processing process is pollution-free, energy-saving and environmentally friendly, which conforms to the global development trend of low carbon and environmental protection. The processing of Cat Global tofu cat litter is divided into eight core links: raw material screening → raw material pretreatment → mixing ingredients → extrusion molding → low temperature drying → cooling and dust removal → screening and grading → finished product inspection and packaging. Each link is closely linked, and quality control runs through the whole process to ensure that the final product meets the global high-quality cat litter standards and can meet the needs of pet owners in different regions.

Ⅱ.The core processing technology of Cat Global tofu cat litter (detailed explanation of each link)

The processing technology of Cat Global tofu cat litter is a systematic project combining traditional technology with modern technology, and each link has strict operating standards and technical requirements. The following is a detailed analysis of each core processing link:

1. Raw material screening: the basis of high quality, strict screening, full traceability

The quality of raw materials directly determines the quality of cat litter. Cat Global adheres to the principle of “natural, safe and high quality”. All raw materials are selected from high-quality producing areas around the world, and a perfect raw material traceability system is established to ensure that each batch of raw materials can be traced and controlled. The core raw materials of Cat Global Tofu Catlitter include natural plant ingredients such as bean dregs, corn starch, guar gum and natural spices, and no harmful substances such as chemical additives, preservatives and fluorescent agents are added. As the core raw material of bean curd cat litter, bean dregs account for 60%-70% of the total raw material. Cat Global chooses high-quality bean dregs, a by-product of food-grade bean products processing, which is rich in plant fiber, non-toxic and harmless, and has good water absorption and agglomeration. Before screening, Cat Global will strictly test the bean dregs, including water content, impurity content, protein content, microbial content and other indicators. Only the bean dregs that meet the internal standards (higher than the national standards) can enter the next processing step. It is worth mentioning that Cat Global cooperates with large-scale bean products processing enterprises around the world to ensure the stability and supply of bean dregs, and at the same time realize the recycling of food by-products, which is in line with the environmental protection concept. Corn starch is an important adhesive in the processing of tofu cat litter, which can improve the caking and hardness of cat litter. Cat Global uses high-purity non-GMO corn starch, which has good viscosity and solubility, and can form a stable structure when mixed with other raw materials, so as to ensure that cat litter can quickly agglomerate after absorbing urine and is not easy to break. Guar gum, as a natural thickener and adhesive, is selected from high-quality natural guar beans, which is non-toxic and harmless, and can further enhance the agglomeration effect of cat litter, and at the same time improve the solubility of cat litter, making it easier to flush toilets and less likely to block toilets. In addition, natural spices (such as green tea extract, lavender extract, peach extract, etc.) added to raw materials by Cat Global are all food-grade natural extracts, which are non-irritating and can effectively neutralize the odor of cat urine and feces, rather than simply covering it. At the same time, these natural spices also have a certain antibacterial effect, which can reduce the growth of bacteria and keep the cat litter box clean and hygienic. Before adding, all natural spices have undergone strict safety tests to ensure that they will not cause allergic reactions or health hazards to cats. Compared with traditional tofu cat litter manufacturers, Cat Global has added a pre-inspection link for raw materials. Each batch of raw materials is sampled and tested by a professional quality inspection team. Unqualified raw materials are directly rejected and will never enter the production line. This strict raw material screening standard has laid a solid foundation for the high quality of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter.

2. Raw material pretreatment: refined purification, laying a solid foundation for subsequent processing

The pretreatment of raw materials is the key link to ensure the uniformity and stability of cat litter. The raw materials screened by Cat Global need to be pretreated in three steps: crushing, impurity removal and drying to remove impurities and adjust the moisture content to meet the requirements of subsequent mixing and extrusion molding. First, the crushing step: raw materials such as bean dregs, corn starch and guar gum are crushed by a professional high-speed crusher, and the crushing fineness is strictly controlled between 80 and 100 meshes. The particle size of the crushed raw materials is uniform, which can ensure the full integration of various raw materials in the subsequent mixing step and improve the water absorption and agglomeration performance of cat litter. Cat Global adopts intelligent grinding system, which can automatically adjust the grinding fineness according to the type and humidity of raw materials, avoid the problem of uneven particle size caused by manual operation, and improve product stability. Secondly, the impurity removal link, the crushed raw materials will enter the intelligent impurity removal equipment, and the principle of combining gravity separation with magnetic separation will be adopted to remove impurities such as stones, metal particles and plant debris from the raw materials. These impurities not only affect the quality and appearance of cat litter, but also may cause harm to cats (for example, metal particles may scratch the digestive tract of cats). Cat Global’s impurity removal equipment has a high impurity removal rate, which can remove 99.9% impurities and ensure the purity of raw materials. At the same time, the impurity removal equipment is equipped with an automatic alarm system. When the impurity content exceeds the standard, it will automatically alarm and stop production to prevent unqualified raw materials from entering the next link. Finally, the drying step, the raw materials after impurity removal contain certain moisture, which will affect the mixing effect and extrusion molding quality. Therefore, Cat Global uses low-temperature drying equipment to dry the raw materials, and the drying temperature is strictly controlled at 50-60℃ for 2-3 hours, and the moisture content of the dried raw materials is controlled at 8%-12%, which is the best moisture content for subsequent processing. Low-temperature drying can not only remove excess water, but also retain the active ingredients of raw materials, avoid the denaturation of raw materials caused by high-temperature drying, and ensure the safety and environmental protection of products. Compared with the traditional high-temperature drying method, the low-temperature drying method adopted by Cat Global is more energy-saving and environmentally friendly, and can reduce energy consumption by about 30%.

3.Mix ingredients: mix ingredients accurately and fully to ensure uniformity

Mixing ingredients is the core link that affects the performance of cat litter. Cat Global adopts intelligent mixing ingredients system, which can accurately control the proportion of various raw materials according to the product formula, ensure the full integration of various raw materials, and keep the performance of each cat litter uniform. The first step is batching. The intelligent batching system will automatically weigh all kinds of raw materials according to the preset formula (such as bean dregs 65%, corn starch 20%, guar gum 5%, natural spices and other accessories 10%), and the weighing error will be controlled within 0.1% to avoid the uneven performance of cat litter caused by manual batching error. Cat Global has different formulas for different types of tofu cat litter (such as conventional, deodorizing and low dust), and the batching system can quickly switch formulas according to production requirements to improve production efficiency. Secondly, the mixing step: the weighed raw materials are put into a high-speed mixer, the mixing speed is controlled at 800-1000 rpm, and the mixing time is 15-20 minutes. The high-speed mixer adopts multi-directional stirring structure, which can fully blend raw materials and avoid the problem of uneven mixing of local raw materials. During the mixing process, a proper amount of purified water will be added to adjust the viscosity of the material for subsequent extrusion molding. The addition amount of purified water will be strictly controlled according to the moisture content of raw materials, and the error will not exceed 0.5%. Too much water will make extrusion molding difficult, and too little water will lead to poor aggregation of cat litter. After the mixing is completed, the quality inspector will inspect the materials. Only the materials with uniform color, no caking and moderate viscosity can enter the next step. If the material is unqualified, it will be remixed until it meets the standard. This strict control of mixed ingredients ensures that the performance of each batch of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter is stable, and there will be no problems such as uneven agglomeration and inconsistent deodorization effect.

4. Extrusion molding: precise molding to ensure the shape and hardness of cat litter

Extrusion molding is the key to determine the shape, size and hardness of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter. Cat Global adopts intelligent extrusion molding machine and twin-screw extrusion structure, which has the advantages of stable extrusion, uniform molding and high production efficiency. The extrusion molding process will be strictly controlled according to the product demand, and different molds will be replaced according to different specifications of cat litter (such as 1.5mm fine particles and 3.0mm coarse particles) to meet the needs of different pet owners and cats. In the extrusion process, temperature and pressure are the core control parameters. Cat Global controls the extrusion temperature at 80-90℃ and the extrusion pressure at 15-20MPa. Appropriate temperature and pressure can fully plasticize the material, and the extruded cat litter particles have smooth surface, uniform size and moderate hardness. Too high temperature will lead to carbonization of materials and affect the color and performance of cat litter; If the temperature is too low, the material will not be fully plasticized, and the extruded cat litter particles will be easily broken. Excessive pressure will make the cat litter particles too hard and affect the cat’s foot feeling; If the pressure is too low, the cat litter particles are too soft, easy to powder and poor in agglomeration. The extruded cat litter is columnar, with smooth surface and no burr. The particle length is controlled between 0.8 and 1.2 cm, and the diameter is controlled according to product specifications (1.5mm or 3.0mm). The extrusion molding machine is equipped with automatic cutting device, which can cut the extruded cat litter into uniform length and avoid the problem of uneven particle length caused by manual cutting. At the same time, the extrusion molding machine is equipped with a fault detection system. If there are problems such as blockage and uneven molding, it will automatically stop production and give an alarm to ensure the stability of the production process.

5. Low temperature drying: slow drying, keeping advantages and avoiding defects

The moisture content of extruded cat litter particles is high (about 30%-40%), and it is easy to be moldy and broken, so drying treatment is needed to reduce the moisture content. Cat Global adopts low-temperature slow drying process, which is different from the traditional high-temperature rapid drying process. Low-temperature slow drying can not only remove excess water, but also retain the water absorption and agglomeration performance of cat litter, and avoid the problems of brittle and powdery particles caused by high-temperature drying. Cat Global adopts multi-layer mesh belt dryer with large drying area and uniform heating. The drying process is divided into three stages: pre-drying, main drying and post-drying. The pre-drying temperature is 60-70℃, the main drying temperature is 70-80℃, the post-drying temperature is 50-60℃, and the total drying time is 4-6 hours. The moisture content of dried cat litter is controlled at 5%-8%, which is. The moisture content can ensure that the cat litter has good water absorption and agglomeration, and at the same time avoid the problems of mildew caused by too high moisture and brittle particles caused by too low moisture. During the drying process, the air circulation system is adopted to ensure that the cat litter particles are heated evenly, and at the same time, the moisture generated during the drying process is discharged in time. In addition, the dryer is equipped with a moisture detection device, which can detect the moisture content of cat litter in real time. When the moisture content reaches the standard, it will automatically stop drying to avoid excessive drying or insufficient drying. Compared with the traditional drying process, the low-temperature slow drying process adopted by Cat Global can reduce the pulverization rate of cat litter by 40% and improve the toughness and stability of particles.

6. Cooling and dust removal: improve comfort and reduce dust

After low-temperature drying, the temperature of cat litter particles is about 40-50℃, which is not suitable for direct screening and packaging. It needs to be cooled to room temperature (20-25℃) to avoid moisture absorption caused by temperature difference between cat litter and air. At the same time, the cooling process can also improve the hardness and toughness of cat litter particles, making them more difficult to break. Cat Global adopts an intelligent cooling system and adopts the principle of air cooling. The dried cat litter particles are sent to a cooler, and the cat litter particles are cooled by constant temperature cold air for 1-2 hours, and the temperature of the cooled cat litter particles is controlled at 20-25℃. The cooling system is equipped with a temperature control device, which can automatically adjust the cold air temperature according to the ambient temperature to ensure the cooling effect. In addition, dust removal is added in the cooling process, and cat litter particles will produce a small amount of dust during drying and cooling. If not removed, it will affect the use experience of cats and pet owners, and may also damage the cat’s respiratory tract. Cat Global adopts high-efficiency dust removal device, which can remove 99.5% of the dust in cat litter particles. The dust removal device adopts the combination of cyclone dust removal and bag dust removal, which has good dust removal effect and no secondary pollution. The dusted cat litter particles are clean and dust-free, which can protect the cat’s respiratory tract and keep the home environment clean.

7. Screening and grading: Strictly screen to ensure uniform quality

After cooling and dust removal, cat litter particles need to be screened and classified to remove unqualified particles (such as oversized, undersized, broken and pulverized particles) to ensure the uniform size and quality of cat litter particles. Cat Global adopts intelligent screening machine, equipped with multi-layers of screens with different mesh numbers, and selects the corresponding mesh numbers to screen cat litter particles according to product specifications. For example, 1.5mm fine-grained cat litter uses a 100-mesh screen to remove particles larger than 1.5mm and smaller than 1.5mm; 3.0mm coarse-grained cat litter was screened with 60 mesh screen. The screening machine has high screening efficiency, and the screening speed can reach 500kg/ hour. At the same time, it is equipped with automatic cleaning device, which can avoid screen clogging and ensure the smooth screening work. Unqualified particles screened out will be collected uniformly, and then mixed with new raw materials for secondary processing, so as to avoid waste of raw materials and improve the utilization rate of raw materials. The qualified particles after screening enter the finished product inspection link. This strict screening and grading link ensures that the size and quality of each Cat Global tofu cat litter are uniform, and there will be no problems such as different particle sizes and breakage.

8. Inspection and packaging of finished products: strictly control to ensure quality and safety

Finished product inspection is the last pass to ensure the quality of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter. Cat Global has a professional quality inspection team and a full set of quality inspection equipment to conduct a comprehensive inspection of qualified cat litter particles after screening, including physical performance inspection, chemical composition inspection, microbial inspection and other aspects. In terms of physical performance test, the core indicators include water absorption speed (it is required to absorb urine and agglomerate within 2-3 seconds), agglomeration strength (it is not easy to break when picked up after agglomeration), solubility (it can be completely dissolved within 5 minutes after flushing), dust grade (extremely low, no obvious dust when dumping) and hardness (moderate, but hard but not too soft). In terms of chemical composition inspection, it is necessary to test whether it contains harmful substances such as chemical additives, preservatives and fluorescent agents, and whether the content of heavy metals meets the standards. In terms of microbial testing, it is necessary to detect the microbial content such as bacteria and molds to ensure that the microbial content meets food-grade standards and will not cause health hazards to cats. Every batch of finished products will be inspected by sampling, and the sampling ratio will not be less than 5% of the total output. Only products with all inspection indicators are qualified can be packaged. If unqualified products are found, the whole batch of products will be reprocessed or destroyed and will never flow into the market. This strict inspection standard for finished products ensures the quality and safety of Cat Global Tofu Cat litter, so that pet owners can use it with confidence. After passing the inspection, the cat litter enters the packaging process. Cat Global adopts an automatic packaging system, which can automatically complete the processes of weighing, bagging, sealing, labeling and code spraying. The packaging material is food-grade plastic film, which is non-toxic, harmless, moisture-proof and dust-proof. The packaging specifications are diverse, including 1kg, 2kg, 5kg and 10kg, which can meet the needs of different pet owners. The packaging bag is printed with detailed product information, including product name, ingredient list, processing date, shelf life, usage method, brand information, etc. At the same time, it is equipped with a sealed zipper, which is convenient for pet owners to seal and preserve after opening, so as to prevent cat litter from being damp and moldy.