Engineering Perfect Pecan Pie Filling
How we helped Apple Valley Foods Fill Without Fuss
In Part One (Blog post on August 13, 2025), we shared how Volumetric Technologies engineered a flexible solution for Apple Valley Foods’ pumpkin pie lines. But then came the next challenge: pecan pies.
Unlike pumpkin, pecan pies start with pecans carefully layered at the bottom of the pie crust. The problem? Most filling systems shoot the filling straight down into the center. That heavy flow pushes pecans aside, creating uneven distribution. So Uncle Joe might get a slice packed with pecans, while Aunt Sue ends up with just sugary filling. That wouldn’t do.
PD PUMP IN ACTION WITH INVERTED NOZZLE
A gentle solution for a delicate product.
Apple Valley’s existing equipment, with rotary cutoff nozzles, simply dumped filling in the center — shoving pecans to the side. The Volumetric engineers stepped up once again. We brought in our 2000 Series Nozzle with an inverted cone design and used it with the same PD pump system utilized to filling their pumpkin pies.
This nozzle isn’t like your typical downward shooter. It creates a gentle, even flow that spreads filling outward, softly enveloping the pecans rather than blasting them away. The result? Beautifully consistent pies with pecans right where they belong, in every bite.
Big throughput, precise results.
And just like with the pumpkin pies, we utilized PD pumps for this product, allowing us to handle a 20-lane-wide operation efficiently. That’s tough, fast, and accurate.
Frankly, not every equipment supplier would take the time to custom design, prototype, and prove out solutions like we did — whether it was crafting individual photo-eye detection for pumpkin pies or engineering a nozzle that gently deposits filling over pecans. But that’s how we do it at Volumetrics’.
At Volumetric Technologies, we have hundreds of specialized nozzles at our disposal, not just a one-size-fits-all option. More importantly, our engineers think beyond the obvious until we solve the problem, so our customers never feel left hanging.
At Volumetric Technologies, an Excelis Packaging Automation Company, we build customer-centric, high-quality, food-grade stainless steel machines that solve problems — and perform tough, fast, and accurately. Because when your pie line needs to perform perfectly, it has to be a sweet finish.
More Pie solutions?
Missed how we solved our clients needs for pumpkin pie in our previous post? See the video of the PD Pump and a photo eye. A great out of the ‘pumpkin pie’ box story.
