Patent ID: 7963214
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: A23K

Abstract:
1. An extrusion system for processing of food or feed products, comprising: a preconditioner including an elongated housing presenting an inlet and an outlet and operable to at least partially cook said food or feed products, said preconditioner including a pair of elongated, laterally spaced apart, axially rotatable shafts within said housing and each having a plurality of outwardly extending mixing elements, and a drive assembly operably coupled with said shafts and configured to individually adjust the speed and/or rotational direction of said shafts during said passage of material through the preconditioner housing; a powered heating device operably coupled with said preconditioner, said device including a blower configured to introduce non-steam heated gas into said housing at a cubic meter/hour rate of from about 60-240 times the cubic meter volume of said preconditioner housing, said device further including apparatus configured to heat said introduced gas to a temperature of from about 350-700° C.; and an extruder presenting an elongated barrel separate from said preconditioner housing and having an inlet and a restricted orifice die outlet, with at least one elongated, helically flighted, axially rotatable screw assembly within said barrel and operable to move material from said inlet toward and through said outlet, said housing outlet operably connected with said barrel inlet so as to deliver preconditioned material from the preconditioner into said barrel.