Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.

Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.

A biaxial continuous kneading extrusion device (10) includes a biaxial kneading feeder (16) including two passage sections (11, 12) arranged in parallel in a state of communication with each other, and first and second kneading feed shafts (14, 15) rotatably arranged in the two passage sections, respectively, to knead a supplied material and a uniaxial screw section including a single passage section that receives the material fed out from the biaxial kneading feeder, and a separate screw shaft rotatably disposed in the single passage section to extrude the material. In each of the first and second kneading feed shafts, a mixing rotor is formed in at least one section in an axial direction, a maximum outer diameter section is formed in a section of an outer periphery of the mixing rotor, and a chip clearance is formed between the maximum outer diameter section and inner walls of the passage sections.

A biaxial continuous kneading extrusion device (10) includes a biaxial kneading feeder (16) including two passage sections (11, 12) arranged in parallel in a state of communication with each other, and first and second kneading feed shafts (14, 15) rotatably arranged in the two passage sections, respectively, to knead a supplied material and a uniaxial screw section including a single passage section that receives the material fed out from the biaxial kneading feeder, and a separate screw shaft rotatably disposed in the single passage section to extrude the material. In each of the first and second kneading feed shafts, a mixing rotor is formed in at least one section in an axial direction, a maximum outer diameter section is formed in a section of an outer periphery of the mixing rotor, and a chip clearance is formed between the maximum outer diameter section and inner walls of the passage sections.

A twin-screw extruder comprises: a barrel having a space formed therein; a left screw and a right screw received in the space; and a drive mechanism for rotating the left screw and right screw, wherein the left screw comprises a left fiberization screw, the right screw comprises a right fiberization screw, wherein a compression space is formed between the left fiberization screw and the right fiberization screw in which the powder is compressed, wherein each of the left fiberization screw and the right fiberization screw includes: a hollow portion connected to a shaft; and a screw portion formed on an outer circumference of the hollow portion, and wherein the screw portion has a flight groove recessed therein through which the powder passes axially.

A twin-screw extruder comprises: a barrel having a space formed therein; a left screw and a right screw received in the space; and a drive mechanism for rotating the left screw and right screw, wherein the left screw comprises a left fiberization screw, the right screw comprises a right fiberization screw, wherein a compression space is formed between the left fiberization screw and the right fiberization screw in which the powder is compressed, wherein each of the left fiberization screw and the right fiberization screw includes: a hollow portion connected to a shaft; and a screw portion formed on an outer circumference of the hollow portion, and wherein the screw portion has a flight groove recessed therein through which the powder passes axially.

An extruder includes: a supply module; a mixing module to form an electrode slurry by mixing an active material, a binder, and a conductive material from the supply module; a discharge module to discharge the electrode slurry; and a sensor to measure a characteristic value of the electrode slurry. The mixing module includes a first screw and a second screw, the first screw and the second screw including screw threads on an outer circumference thereof to rotate to engage with each other; a barrel including a first barrel and a second barrel accommodating the first screw and the second screw, respectively, and facing each other to form a hole through which the electrode slurry is transmitted; a first gap adjustment module to adjust a gap between the first barrel and the second barrel; and a control module to control the first gap adjustment module based on the measured characteristic value.

An extruder includes: a supply module; a mixing module to form an electrode slurry by mixing an active material, a binder, and a conductive material from the supply module; a discharge module to discharge the electrode slurry; and a sensor to measure a characteristic value of the electrode slurry. The mixing module includes a first screw and a second screw, the first screw and the second screw including screw threads on an outer circumference thereof to rotate to engage with each other; a barrel including a first barrel and a second barrel accommodating the first screw and the second screw, respectively, and facing each other to form a hole through which the electrode slurry is transmitted; a first gap adjustment module to adjust a gap between the first barrel and the second barrel; and a control module to control the first gap adjustment module based on the measured characteristic value.

The invention relates to a heatable mixer (1) for composite products based on thermoplastic material(s), having an elongate structure defining a longitudinal processing path between at least one inlet and at least one outlet (2) and comprising a heated trough (3) in which two mutually interpenetrating parallel twin screws (4 and 4) are mounted, forming member(s) for dimensionally reducing, heating and moving the products to be processed which are inserted at the inlet, each screw (4, 4) comprising a heated and driven support shaft (5) arranged in the path direction (DT). The mixer (1) is characterised in that it comprises, at the or at each outlet (2), a member (20) for controlling the liquid or semi-liquid output stream of processed products, flowing through the associated outlet (2), advantageously under the effect of gravity.

The invention relates to a heatable mixer (1) for composite products based on thermoplastic material(s), having an elongate structure defining a longitudinal processing path between at least one inlet and at least one outlet (2) and comprising a heated trough (3) in which two mutually interpenetrating parallel twin screws (4 and 4) are mounted, forming member(s) for dimensionally reducing, heating and moving the products to be processed which are inserted at the inlet, each screw (4, 4) comprising a heated and driven support shaft (5) arranged in the path direction (DT). The mixer (1) is characterised in that it comprises, at the or at each outlet (2), a member (20) for controlling the liquid or semi-liquid output stream of processed products, flowing through the associated outlet (2), advantageously under the effect of gravity.