Cost-Effective Puffing Machine For Small Scale Snack Production

Product Overview

Cost-Effective Puffing Machine, also known as a food extruder, is a versatile piece of industrial equipment used to produce expanded or "puffed" snack foods. It combines heat, pressure, and mechanical shear to transform raw ingredients into a variety of textures and shapes.

Advantages:

• High Efficiency: Continuous production with adjustable speed and output.
• Versatility: Can process various cereals, legumes, and even meat or insect-based ingredients.
• Nutrient Retention: Short thermal exposure can help preserve vitamins and proteins.
• Customizable Shapes & Textures: Dies and cutting systems allow for diverse product designs.
• Low Waste: Precise control minimizes by-products.

Applications

Snack Foods: Cheese puffs, extruded chips, corn curls, and cereal balls.
Breakfast Cereals: Cornflakes, rice crisps, and fortified loops.
Pet & Aquafeed: Floating fish feed and kibble for dogs/cats.
Instant Foods: Pre-cooked noodles, baby food, and protein bars.

Working process

Feeding & Mixing: Dry ingredients like cornmeal, rice flour, or other materials are fed into the machine. Water or steam is added to achieve the correct moisture level (typically 12-20%).
Compression & Heating: Rotating screws push the material forward, applying high pressure (10-20 MPa) and temperatures (120-200°C). This process gelatinizes the starch and denatures proteins.
Expansion at the Die: The molten mass is forced through a die, which has specifically shaped holes. The sudden drop in pressure causes the water within the mixture to vaporize rapidly, resulting in the "puffing" effect. The product can expand to 3-8 times its original volume.
Cutting & Shaping: A rotating knife cuts the extruded material into the desired shapes, such as pellets, balls, flakes, or other custom forms.
Post-Processing (Optional): The puffed snacks may undergo additional steps like drying or cooling to reduce moisture and enhance crispness. Flavorings, coatings, or fillings can also be added.

Key Components

Hopper: Stores and feeds the raw materials.
Pre-conditioner (Optional): Mixes and hydrates ingredients with steam or water for uniform moisture.
Extruder (Single-screw or Twin-screw): Transports, compresses, and heats the material. Twin-screw extruders offer better mixing and control, especially for complex formulations.
Heating/Cooling Zones: Electric heaters or steam jackets control the temperature.
Die: Shapes the final product as the mixture is forced through it.
Cutting Mechanism: Cuts the extrudate into the desired shape.

Types of extruders

Single-Screw Extruders: Basic design suitable for simple puffing.
Twin-Screw Extruders: Offer higher flexibility, better mixing, and more control, making them suitable for complex formulations and a wider variety of products.
Cold Extruders: Used for non-expanded products like pasta or dough.

Product Details

About Us

As a food processing equipment supplier with more than ten years of experience, Gofine Machine provides a variety of services to meet the needs of our customers. Our services include:

• Equipment supply

Provide various types of food processing equipment, including snack extruders, grain pellet machines, food packaging machines, mixers, crushers, and a complete set of food processing production line equipment.

• Technical support

We provide professional technical consultation and support to help customers choose the right equipment and processes and optimize the production process.

• Installation and commissioning

Provide equipment installation and commissioning services for customers to ensure the normal operation of the equipment and achieve the expected production results.

• Training services

Provide operation training to help customer employees master the use and maintenance skills of the equipment and improve production efficiency.

• After-sales service

Provide comprehensive after-sales service, including regular maintenance, troubleshooting and spare parts supply, to ensure the long-term and stable operation of the equipment.

• Customized solutions

Through these services, we are committed to providing customers with high-quality food-grade equipment and comprehensive support to help them succeed in the competitive market.