Multi-screw Extruder (PRE)

Lyhyt kuvaus

The aim is to purchase a multi-screw extruder (Planetary Roller Extruder) to Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). Extrusion technology is increasingly used in a variety of food applications, such as cereals, chips, snacks, and meat-replacing plant-based products. The aim is to expand the range of services at Luke by multi-screw extrusion to cover cereals, feeds, specialty crops, berries, legumes, straw, wood, sawdust, peat and other biomasses and their by-products such as chaff, bark fractions and mill industry by-products. The most important features of the device include continuous operation, efficient transfer of matter and heat, more precise optimization of temperature and pressure, and their stability under reaction conditions.
At the global level, climate change and mitigation actions require a significant reduction in the use of raw materials of fossil origin. The aim is that by utilizing multi-screw extrusion, significantly less energy, water and chemicals can be used in circular economy processes than in similar current industrial processes. The future lies in the introduction of new technologies, the intensification of processes, efficiency, renewable processes and the use of renewable energy.

Hankinnan kuvaus

The aim is to purchase for Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) a continuous Planetary Roller Extruder (PRE) that uses little water and energy. In PRE, the central axis (solar axis) rotates several smaller axes (planetary axes) at the outer edge on which the material to be extruded passes. PRE is composed of several about meter-long modules with about meter-long planetary axes. There should be a replaceable ring between the modules to adjust the filling level and pressure of the module. The planetary axes and rings in each module of PRE should be able to be modified according to whether grinding, mixing, cooling, drying, or enhancing bio- and chemical reactions are required. It must be possible to supply solids, gases, liquids, and vacuum to the modules. Compared to a twin-screw extruder, in which the main functions take place only in the counter-screw.
In PRE, heat and cooling should be provided by a heat transfer medium which is water or oil. The large heat transfer surface produces efficient and accurate heat transfer. The twin-screw extruder also generates heat by friction, which is affected by the raw material. In PRE, the frictional heat that makes it difficult to control the heat is apparently small.
The goal is to produce fine aseptic flour, flakes, and vacuum oiled structures with a multi-screw extruder. PRE must be able to grind, for example, oat bran and berry seeds. With cold extrusion should be able to make ice cream, for example. It is assumed that wet extrusion works better in a PRE than in a twin-screw extruder because the wet mass moves efficiently forward.
It is also an object that reactive extrusion is more efficient in PRE than in a twin-screw extruder because all modules can be optimized separately. In addition, grinding, mixing, and heat transfer should be more efficient in PRE. The aim is that PRE works well as a bioreactor because its mixing and heat control are better than in a twin-screw extruder. PRE brings out the bioactive compounds in the materials because it grinds very efficiently. The advantage of PRE is that in the processes it is possible to use more fat.
With multi-screw extrusion and reactive extrusion, we can utilize different material side streams and their processing in the same unit in a new way:
• energy efficiently;
• using low water;
• financially;
• saving the environment;
• versatility;
• synergistically.
The versatile application areas of multi-screw extrusion are as follows:
— packaging materials (from recycled and natural raw materials, natural fractions, foams from natural fractions)
— consumables (from recycled and natural raw materials),
— building materials (from recycled and natural raw materials),
— fertilizers (from natural raw materials),
— fractionation processes (from natural raw materials),
— other possibilities (from recycled and other raw materials).
At present, Luke utilizes twin-screw extrusion technology in food and feed product development in various projects. The essential difference between multi-screw (6 screws) and twin-screw extruders is that a multi-screw extruder has several reaction zones for biochemical and chemical reactions whereas a conventional twin-screw extruder has only one reaction zone.

Vaihtoehtojen kuvaus

The acquisition includes an option to purchase 1-3 additional modules in 2023-2025. The acquisition of optional modules is dependent on the funding that may be provided.

The Natural Resources Institute Finland uses the Finnish government's common electronic order and invoice processing system, the Handi service. Purchases are allocated through the system to valid contracts and ordered through the electronic system.
The Natural Resources Institute Finland only approves, processes and archives invoices in electronic form. Invoices are requested to be sent as an electronic invoice through OpusCapita Solutions Oy, which acts as the Finnish government's e-invoice operator. We will return the received paper invoices to the biller.
We require that the invoice include an order number or contract number so that our invoice processing system can automatically assign an invoice to the associated order.