In many manufacturing industries, extruder machine are mainly used to produce pipes, profiles, pellets or granule, compounds, and even food, such as pastries and snacks. The versatility of the extruder machine makes itself an essential tool in food industries. Here ,in this blog ,let us talk how do extruder machine work for food industries.
A Extruder machines play a crucial role in modern food processing, enabling the production of a wide range of food products, from breakfast cereals and snacks to pet food and pasta. These extrusion machines use a combination of heat, pressure, and mechanical shear to transform raw ingredients into finished products , then cut to a specific size by blades.
Extrusion in food processing consists of forcing soft mixed ingredients through an opening in a die designed to produce the required shape.
The screw(single screw extruder) or screws(double screw extruder) in the screw extruder machine rotate while heating the material by way of heating systems,which are fundamental to bringing the material to the right temperature for melting.
This heating system causes the material to certain degree ,so that it melt and turn into a plastic or fluid state.
Generally, accurate temperature control is vital for guaranteeing the quality of the end product. The right combination of these elements creates an ideal environment for the extrusion process.
For many food industries , the extrusion processes need to reach a high temperature within short time.
The extruder machines operate by pushing raw ingredients through a barrel using a screw mechanism, which generate heat, pressure, and shear forces to shape and cook the food simultaneously.
Usually, the raw material is fed in the form of granules or powder from the hopper ,then go into the barrel of the extruder machine, then the material would be transported and pushed forward by the friction between the inner wall of the barrel and the surface of the screw under the extrusion.
There are many factors determine the composition and feature of the final extruded products ,including the lenght of screw ,screw rotating speed ,barrel temperature and moisture, die shape etc. These factory finally ensure uniformity of the output. Once the material is shaped, the final products go through a cooling process that solidifies the material, fixing its shape.
The extrusion process make mass production of food possible through a continuous, efficient system that ensures uniformity of the final product. In our daily life ,there are many products are produced by extrusion technique ,lilke pasta, breads , pre-made cookie dough, and sausages,breakfast cereals ,snacks, confectionery, some baby foods, and pet food ,full-fat soy flour, textured vegetable protein, some beverages, but it is the fact that these food products using extrusion technique usually contain a high starch content.