All new vertical moisturizer on extruder

On­line moisturizer.

Purpose: to adjust moisture level of raw materials just prior to entering the extrusion process
Aim: to make the perfect match in product density.

This is the set up:

Working principle: the feeder pushes the raw materials into the moisturizer. An internal auger lifts
the raw materials up and makes the vertical elevation. Water is injected (very small amounts) and is
mixed with the raw materials while being transported up. At highest level of the moisturizer the raw
materials come in a free fall down into the extrusion process area.

Hardware: same feeder is used on the extruder model 200 but it is placed a bit backwards to create
room for the moisturizer. The moisturizer itself hangs in its own frame and can be opened to one
side for fully access.

Electrical: The moisturizer has a main motor (fixed speed) and has a pump to inject water. The main
motor starts when the feeder is switched on and remains running until 1 min after the feeders has
been stopped. There are safety connections in case the frame is opened. The pump can manually be
started and stopped.
 All new vertical moisturizer on extruder

Pictures:

Frame + safety the unit water injection frame open

The moisturizer is locked to the feeder of the extruder: no raw materials leakage, fast to open
coupling

For water injection a metering pump that can handle small amount is used:
        All new vertical moisturizer on extruder 
 
 
A calculation: 
Extruder runs 250 kg/hr, then same amount passes through the moisturizer 
Say you want to increase the moisture of the raw materials by 1%: then approx. 3 ltrs of water is to 
be added during 1 hour: that is 0,0008 ltr/sec = 8 ml/sec 
 
The advice is to prepare a mix in the mixer / moistener (at beginning of the line) that is approx. 1 – 
2% under the desired moisture level to make the desired snack. Next you add water in the 
moisturizer until you have reached the desired bulk density of the snack. No need to measure how 
much water is added, leading here is bulk density! 
 
Note: there is a difference in mixing raw materials in the mixer / moisturizer  at beginning of the line 
and the vertical moisturizer on the extruder:   The mixing time at beginning of the line is longer, the 
penetration time of water into the raw materials is longer: moisture goes deeper into the raw 
materials. Water added in the vertical moisturizer is added in the last minute and will remain at the 
outside of the raw materials, there is no penetration.  For this reason it is recommended to make use 
of both moisturizing systems and not to only use the vertical moisturizer 
 
Another note: the moisturizer only works when fed by a screw dosing device, single screw or twin 
screw.  Feeders based on vibration or other free fall methods will not work. It is vital that there is a 
continuous feeding of raw materials into the vertical moisturizer; once in the moisturizer the vertical 
screw inside the mixer takes over the transport of raw materials. 
 
 
 
Lalesse Extrusion bv 
Huissen, The Netherlands