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Application · Food & Plant Protein

Puffed Snack Extrusion: 100–500 kg/h

Food extrusion shares the barrel with plastics but not the rules: the machine is a cooker, and the product is defined by moisture, SME and die pressure rather than by melt temperature alone. A reference puffed snack extrusion page from Kerke.

Updated 6 November 2026

Output 100–1,000 kg/h

Line type Lab & material trials

Basis parameter table + material trial

Puffed Snack Extrusion — workshop photo 1, Kerke workshop, Nanjing

Puffed Snack Extrusion — workshop photo 2, Kerke workshop, Nanjing

Puffed Snack Extrusion — workshop photo 3, Kerke workshop, Nanjing

Puffed Snack Extrusion — workshop photo 4, Kerke workshop, Nanjing

Puffed Snack Extrusion — workshop photo 5, Kerke workshop, Nanjing

Puffed Snack Extrusion — workshop photo 6, Kerke workshop, Nanjing

Running video — Puffed Snack Extrusion, Kerke workshop

Quick answer

Puffed snack and cereal lines use a food-grade twin screw with L/D 20–32, steam or water injection and a die-face cutter, at 100–1,000 kg/h. We have delivered and commissioned food extrusion lines, including a project with a Thai food-engineering department.

100–500 kg/hcapacity

14–18%in-barrel moisture

twin screwcooker configuration

Workshop photos and a running video — shot on our own lines, not stock images.

What sets the limit

Flour blends are preconditioned, fed into the extruder, cooked by mechanical energy plus injected water/steam, and cut at the die face. Drying and coating follow downstream.

**Table 1.** Key parameters for puffed food extrusion line. Reference values — confirm on a material trial.
Parameter	Value / range
Products	Puffed snacks, breakfast cereal, nutritional powder
L/D	20–32 (food configuration)
Injection	Water / steam / oil
Cutting	Die-face cutter with variable speed
Output (reference)	100–1,000 kg/h
Model	KTE-36B, KTE-50B, food-grade build

Output figures are measured on the reference material stated above. Filler grade, bulk density and moisture move output by ±15% — that is why every quotation we issue is tied to a trial report.

Process flow, step by step

FeedingLoss-in-weight dosing of polymer and filler; side feeder or liquid injection where the formulation needs it.
Melting and dispersingScrew geometry with 45°/90° kneading blocks; barrel profile set by the polymer.
DevolatilizationVacuum vent at −0.06 to −0.09 MPa removes moisture and volatiles before the die.
Pressure build-upThrottle or discharge section stabilises die pressure; a melt pump where gauge control matters.
Pelletizing and packingDie-face cutter with variable speed; then centrifugal dryer, vibrating screen and bagging.

Equipment configuration

**Table 2.** What the line is made of, and why each part is specified that way.
Stage	Equipment	Why this choice
Main machine	Lab Equipment & Send-Your-Material Trials	Architecture follows the filling level and the mixing duty, not the required tonnage.
Screw geometry	Building-block elements, W6Mo5Cr4V2, bimetallic liner	Wear package for abrasive filler; mixing blocks only where dispersion demands them.
Feeding	Loss-in-weight feeder, side feeder where needed	Recipe accuracy: ±0.5% short term on the weighed component.
Pelletizing	Pelletizing system	Chosen by polymer and filler ceiling — water contact is the deciding column.
Downstream	Centrifugal dryer, vibrating screen, bagging	Fines below 2% and moisture below the specification of your downstream process.

Output by model

**Table 3.** Lab & pilot twin screw — reference output. Full range on the machine page.
Model	Screw dia. (mm)	Speed (rpm)	Motor (kW)	Torque (N·m)	Output (kg/h)
KTE-20B	21.7	500	4	2×30	2–15
KTE-25D	26	500	7.5–11	2×85	5–20
KTE-36B	35.6	500–600	18.5–22	2×210	20–100
KTE-36D	35.6	500–600	22–37	2×352	20–150

Three mistakes that cost the most

1. Using a plastics build for food: dead corners in the barrel and non-food-grade seals fail

Using a plastics build for food: dead corners in the barrel and non-food-grade seals fail hygiene audit.

2. Recipe and screw profile are product-specific; a generic screw gives inconsistent expansio

Recipe and screw profile are product-specific; a generic screw gives inconsistent expansion.

3. Raw material moisture left uncontrolled

Raw material moisture left uncontrolled — expansion ratio follows input moisture, and without a spec the same recipe gives a different crunch every shift.

FAQ

Is the machine food-grade certified?

The food configuration uses 304/316 contact parts and food-grade seals; certification for your market (CE, FDA) is documented per project.

Can we test our recipe?

Yes — send 20–50 kg of flour blend; we run trials on the lab extruder and return samples with process parameters.

What output can you guarantee for this application?

The reference band is 100–1,000 kg/h, measured on the stated material. We quote a guaranteed figure only after a trial on your own material, because filler grade, bulk density and moisture move output by ±15%.

Can we run our material before ordering?

Yes — send 25–50 kg. We return pellets, a running video and a report with temperatures, screw speed, feeder settings and output per hour. The trial is free; you cover the freight.

What is the delivery time?

30–45 working days for standard configurations, 45–70 for custom screw geometry and ODM work. Voltage and frequency are built for the destination country.

Where these numbers come from

Parameters are taken from the Kerke product parameter table and the product master data sheet, and cross-checked against commissioning records for lines in the same application. Formulations and temperature windows are typical industry values, not a recommendation for your specific compound — every figure marked reference must be confirmed on a material trial before it becomes a contractual number.

Reviewed by the Kerke process team, Nanjing. Page updated 6 November 2026.

Tell us your material — we will tell you the line

Send 25–50 kg and we run it on our lab extruder: pellets, running video and a capacity report back in 3–7 days.

Get a quote Send material for trial

Puffed snack extrusion — the short version

Note on puffed snack extrusion: the numbers above are reference ranges from Kerke's own trial runs, not catalogue promises. Screw geometry, wear package and pelletizing method are set on the trial bench first, so the output you compare is the output you get. If your grade is not in the tables, send it — the closest configuration is usually a change of screw set, not a different machine.