Extruders are used in the feed, food, energy, and other industries. Extruders help create nutritious animal feed in the animal feed industry, and in the food industry, they use them to produce a variety of snack products.
The principle of operation of the extruder is determined by the essence of the extrusion process, which is a complex physicochemical process. This process takes place under the influence of mechanical forces in the presence of moisture and high temperature.
The product in the extruder is subjected to strong heating due to the conversion of mechanical energy into heat. Heat is released at the moment of overcoming internal friction and plastic deformation of the material or due to external heating. Depending on this, the operating mode can be autogenous or polytronic, respectively.
Variable parameters in the process of processing products in the extruder are the composition of the raw material, its moisture content, nature. During the extrusion process, temperature, pressure, duration and intensity of exposure to raw materials can vary.
There are three extrusion methods: cold, heat and hot. In recent years, hot extrusion has become the most widespread. It is used in many industries and is carried out at high speeds and high pressure, with a significant conversion of mechanical energy into heat.
For extrusion, a screw is used - this is the main working body of the extrusion machine. It has its own specific design, its rotation takes place in a special cylindrical body. A forming die is installed at the exit from the extruder body.
The working part of the extruder is represented by chambers and screws mounted in a certain way. They are mounted in accordance with the set technological objectives. To learn more about the design features and operation of extrusion equipment, you can here .
The extruder has a loading chamber, which contains raw materials and various additives, as well as closed chambers with holes for measuring pressure and temperature. The same chambers can be used to inject liquid additives and take samples of the prepared melt.
Various elements can be installed on the augers to create additional resistance to the movement of the material and mixing it during movement. Different models of extruders are equipped with different structural elements. They can be included in its working part, expand its technological capabilities.
Source: www.cntomo.com
