Device and method for continuously conveying and plasticizing cheese curd

A device for continuously conveying and plasticizing cheese curd, comprising:

• a housing defining an elongate chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening,
• first and second conveying shafts rotatably disposed in the elongate chamber and having respective axes of rotation that extend in parallel in a longitudinal direction of the elongate chamber, the first and second conveying shafts each having at least one helical blade extending radially from a shank and being configured to axially convey the cheese curd from the inlet opening to the outlet opening, the at least one helical blade of the first conveying shaft being interleaved with the at least one helical blade of the second conveying shaft,
• at least one motor configured to rotatably drive the first and second conveying shafts in opposite rotational directions, and
• at least one heating device configured to heat at least a portion of at least one of the shanks of the first and second conveying shafts and at least a portion of an inner circumferential surface of the elongate chamber,
• wherein:
• a first flat element having at least one main surface projects from the at least one helical blade of the first conveying shaft and is oriented such that a plane defined by the at least one main surface of the flat element is parallel to the axis of rotation of the first conveying shaft,
• a second flat element having at least one main surface projects from the at least one helical blade of the second conveying shaft and is oriented such that a plane defined by the at least one main surface of the flat element is parallel to the axis of rotation of the second conveying shaft, and
• the first and second flat elements are configured to at least partially transport the cheese curd in a circumferential direction around the first and second conveying shafts as the cheese curd is being conveyed along an axial direction of the shanks during operation.