Baker Perkins has introduced an upgrader pillow crimper to its CoEx master system for production of a variety of coextruded snacks and cereals.
The unit is available in two widths that match the eight-stream or new high-output 12-stream coextrusion dies. It features easily interchangeable cutting roll sets for fast changeover, plus a range of engineering upgrades that the company claims will improve ease of operation, cleaning and maintenance.
Coextrusion systems incorporate fillings with contrasting flavours and textures into a cereal tube that the crimper forms into individual pillows, tubes, bars or wafers. Coextrusion is suitable for pet or infant foods as well as mainstream snacks or cereals.
The pillow crimper comprises an infeed conveyor with guides to separate the rows of product as they leave the extruder. The crimping head has two vertically mounted synchronised rotating crimping rolls. Crimp depth is adjustable to allow sealed product or pillows to remain in continuous ribbons to downstream processing but still allow for clean breaking into individual pieces.
Fillings can be a variety of colours and flavours, such as sweet and savoury creams, fruit pastes, cheese and chocolate praline.
Other options include the development of surface textures such as grooves and highlights, and lighter products either partially filled or made using a special die to inject air.