Twin screw rotary head extruder, method of extrusion and random extruded products

• Main Authors: Rao V. N. Mohan, Morales-Alvarez Jorge C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.02.2018
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY ASINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

An improved rotary head extruder incorporates a twin auger system, in lieu of the typically used single auger, to create random extruded products having a density within the range of about 3.0 to about 6.0 lbs/cu ft. Extrusion using the rotary die system of a rotary head extruder together with the twin auger system allows for a wide variety of fine materials to be successfully introduced into and conveyed within a rotary head extruder to the die assembly, where the materials are cooked to form random extruded products. A transition piece at the downstream end of the augers allows for continuous, uniform flow to the die assembly, where cooking takes place. The extruded products incorporate formulations with various ingredients aside from the typically used corn meal formulations, having different tastes and nutritional benefits while maintaining the desired bulk density, texture, and crunch of random extruded products.