Efficient Flow: The machine uses a ‘first in, first out’ method with no stagnant areas, minimizing product hold-up to just a few grams at the end of a run.
Concentric Screws: The machine has two counter-rotating screws. The inner screws, called the ‘feeder,’ distribute the wet mass into cavities between the blades of the outer screws, known as the ‘Pressing Cam.’
Pressure Generation: As the outer screws’s blades move, they create continuous pressure on the material, which helps shape it uniformly.
Customizable Screens and Speed: The extruder can be equipped with various screen sizes and thicknesses and has a variable speed drive for adjustable compaction and consistency of the extruded product.
Pet Food Tablet Manufacturing Process
1. Paddle Mixer: Uniformly blends powder into a wet mass using a liquid binder addition system.
2. Binder Addition System: Sprays binder solution with a pump and chilled water at a controlled rate for consistent mixing.
3. Feeding System: Utilizes a screw powder feeder to dispense the material accurately.
4. Heating/Cooling: Jacketed extrusion chamber circulates hot or cold water to maintain the required temperature range.
5. Extrusion Process: Material is conveyed through a single screw to the Pressing Cam, forcing it through the die plate orifice.
6. Pneumatic Cutter Assembly: Cuts the extrudates to uniform lengths with adjustable speed control.
7. Weighing Balance System: Measures and displays the weight of extrudates, allowing for accept/rejection decisions.
8. Curing System: Ensures thorough drying of each extrudate.
9. Integrated Machinery: Combines all components into a single, efficient unit.
10. Chiller System: Provides a steady flow of thermic fluid or water at a controlled temperature (6 to 10°C) for precise cooling.