An assembly for processing viscous material comprises a process duct extending along a longitudinal axis, wherein viscous material advances in one advancing direction, at least one pumping device provided with a stator comprising a cylindrical seat, and at least one cylindrical rotor. The at least one cylindrical rotor is housed in the stator and is coupled to the stator with a sliding seal. The rotor rotates around a rotating axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and has an outer face with at least one groove, which forms with the inner surface of the stator one pumping channel. The pumping device is configured so that the pumping channel extends between at least one inlet and at least one outlet and the inlet and the outlet are in fluid connection with the process duct.

A homogenous mixing apparatus comprises: a circulation unit, a dynamic mixing unit, wherein a feeding port of the first-stage dynamic mixing device communicates with the discharging end of the circulation unit, a discharging port of the third-stage dynamic mixing device communicates with the feeding end of the circulation unit, and each of the dynamic mixing devices comprises a dynamic mixer; and a control unit, configured to be capable of controlling the dynamic mixing unit, so that the dynamic mixers of the first-stage, the second-stage dynamic mixing device, and the third-stage dynamic mixing device are capable of being independently started and shut down and operated at independent rotating speeds, wherein the dynamic mixers each comprise a stator and a rotor, rotating speed ranges of the dynamic mixers of the first-stage, second-stage, and third-stage dynamic mixing device increase in sequence, and distances between the rotors and the stators decrease in sequence.

A self-cleaning extruding apparatus with two co-rotating screws and the method thereof are provided here. Said apparatus is comprised of a screw mechanism, a barrel (1), a feeding port (10), a venting port (11), and a discharge port (12). Said screw mechanism is comprised of the first screw with one tip (3) and the second screw with two tips (4). There is a baffle in the channel of the first screw and the baffle's height is lower than that of the screw flight. The baffle will cause hyperbolic perturbation in the shape of a ‘figure 8’ flow pattern above the top of the baffle. The first and second screws rotate at the same speed and touch each other at all times, thereby achieving a self-cleaning function.

The baffle will generate chaotic mixing in the screw channel caused by the hyperbolic perturbation. Topological chaos is also introduced into the screw channel by the mechanism ‘one part divided into two parts, then two parts converging into one part, and then one part divided into two parts once more’. Each of the screws in the present invention uses an asymmetrical flow channel geometrical shape, such that a periodic action like ‘compression—expansion—further compression—expansion further’ works. The above three enhancement mechanisms work together to efficiently accelerate melting and mixing.

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 flighting (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.

The invention relates to a mixing device for a twin-screw extruder, in particular a twin-screw extruder rotating in the opposite direction, comprising a first screw and a second screw, for mixing a melt flow in a screw antechamber, wherein the first screw has an extension in the form of a mixing screw tip connected to the first screw in a fixed manner, and a first melt channel, into which the first screw feeds, is arranged in a flow-connected manner via an elongated slot with a second melt channel, into which the second screw feeds.

A process for preparing a soft cheesecake mixture, comprising the following steps: placing the ingredients for preparing the soft mixture in a pre-mixing member; carrying out a step of pre-mixing the aforesaid ingredients so as to blend them together to obtain a pre-mixed mixture having a density comprised between 0.72 g/mL and 0.84 g/mL; transferring the pre-mixed mixture into a collection tank whose temperature is maintained at a value comprised between 25° C. and 40° C.; continuously transferring a part of the pre-mixed mixture present in the collection tank towards a homogenising member; carrying out a step of homogenising the pre-mixed mixture by means of the homogenising member, whose temperature is maintained at a value comprised between 25° C. and 40° C. so as to obtain an emulsified mixture having a density comprised between 0.81 g/mL and 0.92 g/mL. The subject matter of the present disclosure is also a production plant for producing the soft cheesecake mixture.

A feeding screw machine serves for feeding a processing screw machine. The feeding screw machine comprises a housing with at least one housing bore formed therein. An associated screw conveyor shaft is rotatably disposed in the at least one housing bore to convey material in a conveying direction from a supply opening to a feeding opening. An emptying opening is formed in the housing. The emptying opening enables an easy, fast and reliable emptying and cleaning of the feeding screw machine independently of the processing screw machine.

A dynamic mixer has two inlets arranged at an inlet side of the dynamic mixer and an outlet arranged at an outlet side of the dynamic mixer. The mixing element of the dynamic mixer is configured to be coupled to a drive shaft to drive the mixing element about a longitudinal axis of the mixing element.

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 fluid treatment device with a new configuration is provided. The fluid treatment device is provided with an upstream treatment unit defined by treatment surfaces that rotate relative to each other, and a downstream treatment unit arranged downstream of the upstream treatment unit. The upstream treatment unit is configured such that, by passing the fluid to be treated into an upstream treatment space defined by the treatment surfaces, the fluid to be treated is subjected to upstream treatment. The downstream treatment unit is provided with a downstream treatment space which performs the function of retaining and mixing the fluid to be treated by means of a labyrinth seal. An upstream outlet of the fluid to be treated from the upstream treatment unit opens into the downstream treatment space, and the downstream treatment space is configured to use the labyrinth seal to perform the function of controlling retention time. The downstream treatment space is provided with narrow seal spaces, and retention spaces arranged upstream of the seal spaces and wider than the seal spaces, and the upstream outlet opens to a retention space.