Packaging
Baker Perkins at Interpack: New extruder increases flexibility and cuts costs
Friday 02. May 2008 - A new twin-screw extruder with innovative features that increase flexibility and reduce the cost of ownership, is being unveiled by Baker Perkins (Hall 2 Stand A03).
The SBX Master is a solid barrel extruder for snacks and cereals. It has been designed for process flexibility with a modular barrel design and a high-torque motor and gearbox combination. The modular barrel enables the length of each machine to be matched precisely to the customers process application, and enables extension later as production needs change.
To further increase flexibility, the range of end products that can be made has been extended by incorporating a motor and gearbox able to handle twice as much torque as the previous generation of extruder.
The flexible Baker Perkins die design and segmented agitator configuration – allowing quick product change-over – has been retained, together with the high free volume agitator geometry that enables high outputs to be achieved, even on low density materials such as bran and fine milled flours.
A new, high output model has been introduced, to give a capacity range from 225 to 2,000 kg/hour.
Cost of ownership is driven down by design features that cut maintenance. An AC drive system is virtually maintenance free, and innovative open-frame design maximises access for cleaning and maintenance. The high torque capacity of the gearbox and newly introduced splined shafts are designed for optimum reliability and durability.
Processes that require a face cutter will benefit from a new design of this unit. Changing the cutter blade can be achieved in 15 minutes without stopping production.
The die and cutter are mounted on swing-away support arms that contribute to easy cleaning and enable the cutter to be moved into position axially, to avoid smearing product on the die face. A micrometer adjustment is used for fine tuning the position of the cutter blade; this enables the optimum position for clean cutting and minimum blade wear to be achieved.
Baker Perkins solid barrel extruders are used for a wide range of snack and cereal foods; flexible die design allows a wide choice of product to be made with few change parts. They are particularly easy to use, with PLC touch-screen control, and time-saving automatic start and stop sequences as standard.