Company: Egan Food Technologies

Website: www.eganfoodtech.com

Equipment Snapshot: Egan Food Technologies, a confectionery and baking process equipment manufacturer and service provider, will unveil at Pack Expo a new four-roll co-extruder featuring a design that significantly reduces product changeover and cleaning times. The manufacturing process, also known as co-extrusion, is ideal for dual layer or center filled snack foods including health and protein bars, confections, cookie dough and more.

To reduce product changeover time, Egan Food Technologies engineers took the proven design for the company’s direct drive, two roll extruder head and adapted it to work for a four-roll. Customers will have the same benefit of an extruder head that raises and lowers quickly to expose the filler block and die for fast removal. Another major design feature is the incorporation of pivoting extruder head clamping blocks that can be quickly opened to expose the removable upper and lower feed rolls. Now, within a short period of time, the food contact surface components can be completely removed, cleaned, and re-installed to run the next product.

While food processors of all types will benefit from the design features of this new, four-roll co-extruder, contract manufacturers, especially, will appreciate the machine’s flexibility. This equipment offers additional value by also functioning as a two-roll extruder when single layer products are required. Because it has the same footprint as a standard extruder, contract manufacturers will be able to produce more types of products for current and potential customers while taking up no additional space on their processing floor.

As the snack bar market matures, manufacturers should also consider co-extruding dual layer products as a way to innovate within the industry. “More snack and protein bars are hitting retail shelves, and bar makers are looking for ways to distinguish themselves in the marketplace,” says Mike Sherd, managing partner for Egan Food Technologies. “By co-extruding dual layer bars, brands can create very unique products for their consumers.”

Like all Egan Food Technologies equipment, the four-roll co-extruder is manufactured and serviced in the U.S.A., and can be customized to meet individual food processing needs. It has an output of up to 10 feet per minute and is available in widths up to 48”. The jacketed feed rolls are built to accept rotary unions for adding hot or cold water to enhance process control. Other standard features include UHMW hoppers, stand alone extruders with conveyor belt drive, and extruders with integrated guillotine cutters.

For more information on this and other Egan Food Technologies equipment, visit Pack Expo Booth #2488 in Chicago October 14-17 or online at www.eganfoodtech.com.