ROBESONIA, PA. — Reading Bakery Systems (RBS), a manufacturer of baking and snack process systems, has introduced a single screw extrusion system for producing expanded snacks. According to the company, the new system is suited for producing corn curls and balls, but it may be used to produce a variety of expanded snacks from corn, rice and other cereal ingredients. The system includes a dry ingredient ribbon blender, high-pressure extruder and tumble dryer.
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| Joseph Cross, product line manager, mixing and extrusion technologies for RBS |
“RBS developed this expanded snack system as a smaller, lower cost system suitable for many of the developing markets we work in around the world,” said Joseph Cross, product line manager, mixing and extrusion technologies for RBS. “It is an excellent complement to our larger baked snack systems.”
Components of the RBS expanded snack system include:
• Ribbon bender — creates a homogenous blend of dry ingredients for a variety of recipes that may be run through the extrusion system.
• JA high-pressure extruder — mixes and cooks the raw ingredients to produce expanded snacks. The RBS design has versatility that facilitates quick and easy changes of the screws, barrels and product dies, allowing for a variety of formulations to produce textures and flavors in many different shapes.
• Tumble dryer — reduces the moisture of the product to the proper, finished level. The dryer is designed for gentle tumbling action and allows for variation of residence time and temperature to control the exact process parameters required for different products.
“The key concepts in the system are versatility and efficiency,” Mr. Cross said. “We are continually developing new shapes and formulas for this system at our Science and Innovation Center, including ribbons, popcorn shapes, rings and more. We are inviting potential customers to work with us to create samples and let us help develop their business plan.”
