Buhler releases pilot extruder for test production runs
companies test their processes before ramping up to full production
output.
Food companies use test machines for pilot runs of their new products in a bid to capture the most efficient production methods.
Buhler's Twin-Screw Extruder BTSK-30 Food can be used for parameter evaluation, process development, process optimisation, pilot plants and small production requirements, the company stated.
With the help of the new counter flow cooling and increased maximum torque, the machine can run in laboratory operation or with higher throughputs in small production operation, the company claimed.
The extruder is designed to allow rapid change over of barrel length and configuration.
Extruders are used for snacks and other food products. Proper control of the extrusion process is vital to the quality of the final product.
"In cereal-based products, for example, the degree of starch processing is all-important for major quality aspects such as taste, digestibility, texture and appearance," says TNO Science and Industry, a testing and research company providing services to the food industry. "Variability of natural ingredients as well as the inherent complexity of the extrusion process usually lead to process development on the basis of laborious trial and error experiments. The development relies heavily on empirical expertise as well. In practice, control of the final quality is mostly an art.
The Buhler machine was unveiled at Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany earlier this month.
