High Specific Mechanical Energy extruder screw assemblies (14, 88, 98) and complete extruders (10, 86, 96) are provided, which include wide-flight intermediate screw sections (104) having axial flight widths greater than the flight widths of the inlet and outlet screw sections (102, 106) on opposite sides of the intermediate sections (104). The intermediate sections (104) provide increased friction and shear serving to enhance the SMEs imparted to comestible food materials during processing thereof.

High Specific Mechanical Energy extruder screw assemblies (14, 88, 98) and complete extruders (10, 86, 96) are provided, which include wide-flight intermediate screw sections (104) having axial flight widths greater than the flight widths of the inlet and outlet screw sections (102, 106) on opposite sides of the intermediate sections (104). The intermediate sections (104) provide increased friction and shear serving to enhance the SMEs imparted to comestible food materials during processing thereof.

A screw for a plasticating apparatus has one or more helical flights. A portion of the screw has a plurality of advancing grooves arranged in a noncontinuous helix cut in the screw. The advancing grooves are dimensioned to receive material therein as the material is conveyed through the barrel. The screw has a plurality of noncontinuous cross-cut grooves traversing one or more of the advancing grooves. The cross-cut grooves have a second helix angle greater than the first helix angle and less than ninety degrees; and/or one or more of the cross-cut grooves have a third helix angle of about ninety degrees.

A screw for a plasticating apparatus has one or more helical flights. A portion of the screw has a plurality of advancing grooves arranged in a noncontinuous helix cut in the screw. The advancing grooves are dimensioned to receive material therein as the material is conveyed through the barrel. The screw has a plurality of noncontinuous cross-cut grooves traversing one or more of the advancing grooves. The cross-cut grooves have a second helix angle greater than the first helix angle and less than ninety degrees; and/or one or more of the cross-cut grooves have a third helix angle of about ninety degrees.

An mixing section for an extrusion screw has an inlet end and an outlet end as well as alternating wiping lands and barrier lands. The wiping lands have a greater helix angle than the barrier lands. The wiping lands and the barrier lands define inlet channels which narrow toward the outlet end and outlet channels which widen toward the outlet end. A helical pattern of mixing channels is cut into the wiping lands and the barrier lands. The mixing channels may be oriented generally at approximately right angles to the wiping lands and the barrier lands. A portion of the extrudate encounters the inside wall surfaces of the mixing channels and changes direction which improves the mixing of the extrudate.

A planetary roller extruder section forms a feed part of an extruder. The planetary roller extruder has an internally toothed housing and an externally toothed central spindle disposed centrally within and at a distance from the housing. Planetary spindles are arranged to rotate in a void between the central spindle and the housing. Each planetary spindle has an external toothing meshing with both the housing and the central spindle. At least one planetary spindle has two axially spaced areas with less than a full set of teeth. Those axially spaced areas include a first area having a first number of teeth and a second area having a second number of teeth. The second number of teeth is less than a full set of teeth and more than the first number of teeth.

A screw extruder which extrudes a kneaded material includes a screw having a helical flight provided on an outer peripheral surface of a shaft portion thereof, and a chamber housing the screw. In the screw extruder, a flight thickening portion is provided at a part which is a tip portion of the flight and is on the reverse side of a rotation direction of the flight.

The present invention relates to a screw for an extrusion molding machine and an injection molding machine that is adapted to be inserted into a cylinder to convey a molding material injected from a hopper and heated to a molten state by means of a heater, and more particularly, to a screw that includes a wide width spiral portion (15) formed on the frontmost end periphery of a spiral portion (12) of a screw shaft in such a manner as to have a spiral blade having a wide width to prevent shaking and to reduce friction and abrasion against the inner peripheral wall of the cylinder to ensure a longer term operation than the conventional screw.

The invention relates to mixing elements that have a larger number of basic geometric periods per section and an improved dispersing effect for multi-shaft screw extruders comprising screw shafts that co-rotate in pairs. The invention further relates to the use of the mixing elements in multi-shaft screw extruders, a corresponding screw extruder comprising the mixing elements, and a method for extruding kneadable materials.

High Specific Mechanical Energy extruder screw assemblies (14, 88, 98) and complete extruders (10, 86, 96) are provided, which include wide-flight intermediate screw sections (104) having axial flight widths greater than the flight widths of the inlet and outlet screw sections (102, 106) on opposite sides of the intermediate sections (104). The intermediate sections (104) provide increased friction and shear serving to enhance the SMEs imparted to comestible food materials during processing thereof.