EXTRUDER CAPABILITY:

• humidity of the mixture – min 10%
• input of water into the mixture – max 15%
• introduction of steam into the mixture – max 6%
• oil content of the mixture – max 9%
• mixture preconditioning – up to 3 min.
• cooling of the screw part of the extruder

OPERATIONAL FLOW OF EXTRUDER:

• Adjustable mixture feed through the feeder / steam lock
• Spraying water into the feed mixture
• Steam input in raw materials
• Mixing and heating
• Retention
• Fat input (up to 2%)
• Loading into the screw part of the feed extruder
• Compressing, mixing and heating the mixture
• Homogenization
• The product is expanded right at the die surface
• Squeezing the feed pellet through the forming die – obtaining the pellets form
• The pellets are cut – obtaining the pellets thickness

Raw material is supplied into hopper and preconditioner of extruder.

The preconditioner is a component that pre-heats, moistures and at the same time mixes and injects hot steam into raw material. Dry steam pressure is 0.2 … 0.5 MPa and temperature – 110 … 130 °C. The raw material is softened and heated to 65 … 75 °C.

Preconditioning  increases the production capacity of extruder, improves the quality of raw material and reduces the wear of the working parts over 20%.

Extrusion is a process of thermal treatment, sterilization, dehydration, texturing and granulating of the final product.

Raw material is heated by steam during a short-term (4 … 6 sec.) and pressed to 30 atmospheres. During the time of thermal process (which is less than 6 seconds) the protein and lysine content is not reduced.

Moisture is vaporized and starch cells are ruptured and availability of carbohydrates action of digestive enzymes is increased. In the process of extrusion the amount of protein increases.

The output of finished product increased by 3.4% compared to dry extrusion. After extrusion with preconditioning, for example full-fat soya does not require any drying.

Short but intensive heat, moisture and pressure is an effective way to destroy salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria, fungi and mould.

Nutrients become easy digestible which is mainly important for predatory fish species. Enzyme inhibitors are inactivated and toxins are neutralized which is highly important for any fish feed.