Multi-channel cooling die

A cooling die for extruding of high moisture extrudate food products, having a cooling die body in which are defined a plurality of extrudate flow channels extending between an inlet end of the cooling die that is attachable to an extruder and an outlet end for delivery of cooled-down extrudate, and coolant cavities located in heat-exchanging communication with the extrudate flow channels and connectable to a source of coolant, characterised in that the cooling die body consist of a plurality of thick plates having a plurality of first and second bores extending between and opening at the planar surfaces of the thick plates, and in that the plurality of thick plates are stacked plane-parallel and fastened together such that the openings of the first and second bores of adjoining plates are respectively aligned with one another, whereby the first bores form sad plurality of extrudate flow channels and the second bores form a plurality of discrete coolant channels extending through the length to the cooling fie body.

A cooling die according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further including a die extrusion end plate with apertures, the die extrusion plate located adjacent to the outlet end and adapted to impart to the extruded food products a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the shape of the apertures of said die plate.

A cooling die according to claim 13, wherein the apertures are located on the die plate such that, when in the first position, substantially all of the apertures of the first cross-sectional shape are in alignment with corresponding extrudate flow channels, and when in the second position, substantially all of the apertures of the second cross-sectional shape are in alignment with said corresponding extrudate flow channels.

A cooling die according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the apertures of the first cross-sectional shape are radially spaced from apertures of the second cross sectional shape.

A cooling die according to claim 15, wherein each of the apertures of the first cross-sectional shape are arranged sequentially with the apertures of the second cross-sectional shape.

A cooling die according to any one of claims 13 to 17, wherein the die plate is mounted to the cooling die for rotation about a central axis thereof.

A cooling die according any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein the apertures of the first cross-sectional shape are elongated slits and the apertures of the second cross-sectional shape are elongated sifts having cutting element traversing said slits.

A cooling die according to claim 19, wherein the cutting elements am blades or wires mounted across the respective slits in an arrangement s a to cut the extruded food product exiting the die plate into strips having a substantially square cross-section.

A cooling die according to any one of claims 1 to 20, further including a cutting device arranged downstream of the die plate and adapted for cutting extruded food product into desired lengths.

A cooling die according to claim 21, wherein the cutting device includes a rotatable blade.