Snack Production Plants

Snack Production Plants

The Company Engineered Snacks HEBENSTREIT supplies automated extrusion plants for the production of savoury and sweet snacks. Our scope of supply ranges from the raw material mixer via the single-screw cooking extruder and all further processing machines up to the product transfer to systems for the continuous intermediate storage of the final products prior to wrapping and packing. It also includes equipment for the preparation of fillings and coatings as well as auxiliary devices for the manufacture of special products. Our competence in tailor-made solutions and the realization of continually new product ideas is one of our strengths. We consider ourselves to be a partner to the particularly innovative and technically sophisticated client. Founded in 1898 in Radebeul near Dresden, HEBENSTREIT has been based in Frankfurt am Main since 1950 and since 1978 in Moerfelden-Walldorf in the immediate vicinity of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main airport. In 1997, the original company in Radebeul returned to the fold of the HEBENSTREIT Group where particularly the snack production plants presented in this brochure are manufactured on ultramodern machining centers. We take good care of our customers who benefit from the support of a worldwide network of representatives in virtually all corners of the globe. Besides the development of manufacturing equipment for already well-known and established quality products we have been concentrating on developing innovative products in close co-operation with our customers. A large selection of dies makes it possible to manufacture products with both simple shapes such as curls, balls, rings or crispies, and also 3-D shapes or even filled snacks. Depending on the customer s requirements, the products can be developed on a tailor-made basis as regards their shape, their composition of ingredients and their texture. Furthermore, additional components, such as shaping or cutting systems, facilitate an even greater variety of product design. 2 3

Engineered Snacks Raw material mixer SRM Horizontally operating raw material mixer, designed for particularly complex raw material mixtures. The components for the selected recipe and the water added by means of the automatic water dosing system are mixed homogeneously. In case of simpler recipes, a cor - responding alternative is available. Single-screw cooking extruder SE 70 For the production of savoury and sweet filled and unfilled snacks. Depending on the equipment, it is possible to make products with both simple shapes such as curls, balls, wheels, sticks, rings or crispies, and also 3D shapes or cushion shapes. Output: 0 250 kg dried, unflavoured extrudates per hour, depending on the raw materials used, the recipe and the desired sensory qualities of the product and the quality requirements in terms of shape, texture and taste. Equipment: Volumetric dosing device with recipe-dependent dosing screw, alternatively also available in gravimetric version Special screw units with turbo system Stator, two-part (transport zone and compacting zone) Pressure plates in different designs Electric heating device for regulating the process temperature Automatic water cooling for the temperature control of the extruder processing area and the main drive with connection to an existing cold water network Cutting system, rotating knives at the head of the processing unit as well as knife drive allow sensitive adjustment during the ongoing production process Main drive 54 kw, three-phase motor (direct drive) Control cabinet, separate setup, with PLC (SIEMENS), including air conditioner Operating panel for setting the extrusion process with display of the following process data: Screw rotation speed (revolutions per minute) Dosing device (kg per hour) Torque of the direct drive motor (Nm) Temperature in the transport zone ( C) Temperature of die head ( C) Pressure in processing zone (bar) Dosing amount of filling mixture (kg per hour) Cutting speed (revolutions per minute) Additional equipment: Product-related die systems and corresponding cutting elements External cooling unit for connection to the automatic water cooling for the temperature control of the extruder processing area and the main drive. This allows for precise temperature regulation and minimal water consumption. Special cutting system SCS for cutting of sticks, flat breads, filled products, rods, etc. The versatile cutting system can be used for various applications thanks to the two servo-controlled serrated knife drives. The desired product length is continuously variable. An upstream cooling track is positioned in front of the cutting system. Intermediate container SZB The capacity of the intermediate container can cover the raw material requirement for approx. one hour of production. The stirrer used prevents the raw material mixture from compacting and facilitates the emptying of the intermediate container. 4 5

Engineered Snacks Drum drier STT For drying the extrudates to the desired residual moisture level using a rotating drum and a heating system. The parameters of the drying process, such as the temperature, air flow and rotation speed of the drum, are set using a separate operating panel. Depending on the additional equipment, the drying is performed using either a hot air heating system, an infrared heating system or a combination of both. Hot air heating system: A radial medium pressure fan draws air from the environment and guides it through an electric air heater. The heated air then enters the drum drier through a pipe system. Infrared heating system: An infrared module is used in the drying drum to dry and roast the product directly. The combined hot air and infrared heating system contains both systems for greater flexi - bility. Intermediate cream container CZB 60 For the production of cream-filled products. Container with indirect electric heating system. The cream is pumped directly into both product strands during the extrusion process by 2 special pumps. Roller embossing system SKF For shaping and pressing 2 filled or unfilled product strands. By correspondingly arranging the pairs of forming rollers, square, rectangular, triangular, arrowshaped or any other cushion shapes can be made. The system can optionally be equipped with 2 or 4 pairs of forming rollers. Flavour drum SWT In the rotating drum, depending on the dosing system used, the dried extrudates are sprayed with seasoning. The drum has a special profile which ensures optimal mixing of the extrudates, thus achieving an even application of the particular seasoning. Possible damage to the extrudates is kept to a minimum. The rotation speed of the flavour drum is continuously adjustable using the operating panel. 6 7

Engineered Snacks Process description Seasoning dosing system SWDS For the production and application of savoury oil/spice suspensions or of sweet water-based solutions. This includes components with various densities, such as salt, spice powder, sugar, cocoa powder or aromas, which are partially insoluble and where sedimentation must be excluded. In a heated mixing bowl, equipped with a turbo mixing tool, an oil suspension or a sweet water-based mixture is homo - geneously mixed and heated to the desired temperature. From a heated intermediate container, also equipped with a turbo mixing tool, the mixture is sprayed evenly on the dried extrudates via a dosing pump and a spray system in the downstream flavour drum. Vegetable oil dosing system SODS For applying vegetable oil or for combination with a dry seasoning dosing system. This system can also be used for particularly delicate applications in which raw materials with very low densities, such as herb mixtures, can be processed. To ensure even temperature distribution, the vegetable oil is permanently circulated in a heated mixing bowl using a stirrer. From an intermediate container, also heated and equipped with a stirrer, the vegetable oil is sprayed evenly on the dried extrudates via a dosing pump and a spray system in the downstream flavour drum. Dry seasoning dosing system For dried seasoning which is applied evenly to the extrudates in the flavour drum using a dosing lance. The dosing is performed volumetrically here. The components for the selected recipe are first homogeneously mixed in a raw material mixer SRM in batches and are moisturized in the process at the same time. The raw materials used for the production of extruded snacks or breakfast cereals include ground cereal products such as maize/corn, rice and wheat meal, as well as potato flakes or granules. These raw materials, which contain starch, are the main components and they can be combined with other ingredients such as common salt, sugar, cocoa or vegetable powder and with flavours and emulsifiers. This mix of raw materials is then fed to an intermediate container SZB by a screw conveyor SFS, from which the raw materials are then conveyed on a continuous basis by another screw conveyor SFS to the filling container for the extruder dosing equipment. The dosing equipment for the extruder is equipped with a level sensor. The constant fill level ensures that the mix of raw materials is dosed into the extruder very consistently. The core component of the snack production plant is the singlescrew cooking extruder SE. The key components of the single-screw cooking extruder are the dosing equipment, stator and rotating screw, the surge and nozzle plate and the cutting and temperature control unit. In the cooking extrusion process itself, also known as HTST (High Temperature Short Time) extrusion, raw materials containing starch and protein are plasticized and undergo structural modification under the influence of temperature, pressure and shearing treatment in the extruder. Plastification has the effect of thoroughly cooking and pulping the starch in the mix of raw materials. Here the surge and nozzle plates generate very high pressure. When the plasticized mass is discharged through the nozzle plate, the bulk of the water escapes in the form of vapour, which leads to the typical structure of the products. At the same time the mass also expands as a result of the sudden drop in pressure to the ambient pressure level. The extruded products are then given the desired shape and texture by being cut by a rotating knife or a special cutting and moulding device. The entire cooking extrusion process involves adjustable process parameters such as dosing levels, screw speeds, cylinder temperatures and cutting speeds. The pressure and temperature is permanently monitored during the process itself. The temperature in the infeed zone can be controlled using a cooling unit. The extruded products are then fed to a continuously rotating drum-type drier STT via a conveyor belt SFB. Drying is necessary, because the products still have a moisture content of 6 8% after they have been discharged from the nozzle plate. The drying throughput time is approx. 2 minutes, depending on the desired texture, after which the residual moisture content is approx. 1.5 3%. The throughput time depends on the selected drum speed. The continuously rotating drumtype drier can be equipped with both a hot air and an infrared drying system. The higher temperatures in infrared drying produce a roasted taste of the kind required for breakfast cereals. The dried products are then conveyed to a continuously rotating cylindrical flavour drum SWT via a conveyor belt SFB, and this drum is combined with a seasoning preparation and dosing system SWDS or a vegetable oil dosing system SODS. Here the dried products are covered with a liquid mixture of mixed spices and vegetable oil. Following temporary storage the seasoned products are fed to the downstream packing machines via conveyor systems. 8 9

Plant examples The conceptual design of a snack production plant is dependent on the products to be manufactured and on the capacity required. Plants are designed to be as versatile as possible to provide a high degree of flexibility in order to be able to respond to steady market changes. The examples shown only serve the general description of the production process. Our project engineers draw up customized proposals for solutions, taking into consideration the products to be manufactured, the required output and the space conditions given at the installation site. No. 1: Savoury snacks No. 3: Flat bread/sticks/spiral-shaped snacks 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 6. Conveyor belt SFB 7. Drum drier STT 8. Conveyor belt SFB 9. Flavour drum SWT. Seasoning preparation system SWDS and dosing unit 6. Special cutting system SCS 7. Conveyor belt SFB 8. Drum drier STT 9. Conveyor belt SFB. Flavour drum SWT 11. Seasoning preparation system SWDS and dosing unit No. 2: Filled cushion shapes No. 4: Sweet cereals and coated crispies 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12 6 6. Intermediate cream container CZB 7. Roller embossing system SKF 8. Conveyor belt SFB 9. Drum drier STT 6. Conveyor belt SFB 7. Drum drier STT 8. Conveyor belt SFB 9. Flavour drum SWT. Seasoning preparation system SWDS and dosing unit 11. Conveyor belt SFB 12. Drum drier STT with hot air heating system 11

E/04-2017/abc Subject to change Hebenstreit GmbH HEBENSTREIT GmbH P.O. Box 1263 64527 Mörfelden-Walldorf Hessenring 16 64546 Mörfelden-Walldorf Germany Phone: +49 (0) 65/202-0 E-mail: info@hebenstreit.de www.hebenstreit.de