Extruder Plants

Extruder plants are more commonly known as extrusion plants.

As a homeowner, one can take for granted the presence of various objects around the home, but all these things, from building materials to food to common items like cups and plates, come from somewhere. Extruder plants -- factories or machines designed for the process of extrusion -- play an important role in the manufacture of numerous household items. Basically, extrusion is the process of molding a single piece of material, usually with an open or hollow design.

Metal Extrusion

The metal extrusion process creates long, single pieces of metal with a single cross-section and the ability to bear great stress and even change shape without breaking. This process entails passing a single piece of solid or specified amount of liquid metal through a machine that molds the material to the desired shape. Aluminum extrusion constitutes the most common type of metal extrusion. Extruded metal may also constitute any type of metal plate with a hollow section created by an extruder. Metal extruder plants produce extruded metal for heavy industries, such as construction.

Plastics Extrusion

The plastic extrusion process creates long pieces of plastic materials, usually with hollows. For instance, manufacturers create polyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping, found in numerous plumbing applications in domestic settings, through the process of extrusion. Numerous other types of molded plastic come from extrusion, including the plastic beam and clasps found at the top of plastic blinds and rolls of tape made from plastic. Plastics extruder plants manufacture a wide range of products.

Food Extrusion As Shaping

Food extrusion as shaping is the process by which manufacturers create foods with hollows or single food items composed of numerous ingredients. Extruded foods include everything from hollow pastas like penne to cereals like Cheerios and snack foods like Fig Newtons. Extruder plants and machinery used in such operations take the raw mixture for food and shape it to include a hollow portion. Home pasta-making machines that allow you to make hollow pastas possess extrusion capabilities, though they work in a much simpler way than the machinery in an extruder plant. Extruders also manufacture items like pet food or certain cereals that contain single pieces, such as a kibble, with multiple ingredients.

Food Extrusion as Extraction

Food extrusion as extraction allows for the removal of certain essences from food. For instance, manufacturers create olive oil by extruding the oil from olives. Nut oils like peanut oil and almond oil derive from a similar process. Extrusion also allows for the removal of flavors from food. Baby food, for instances, arises from the extrusion of flavors from various types of fruit, vegetables and more. Textured vegetable protein, a soy meat substitute, is also manufactured through extrusion.

References

• Extrusion; Klaus Siegert
• American Extruded Plastics
• Plastic Extrusion Technologies: Product Gallery
• HPE: Plastic Extrusion
• The Multifunctional Rural Fuel Platform: Extruder
• United States Department of Agriculture: High Moisture Food Extrusion
• Mach Parts: Soya Protein Extruder Plant
• Efunda: Extrusion