Piston-based extrusion for viscous products

A method for preparing a dry viscous material for packaging, the method comprising:

• exerting pressure on the dry viscous material in a tank, the tank having a tapered nozzle at one end and a piston at the opposing end, wherein the piston extrudes the dry viscous material out of the nozzle into a mold;
• moving the mold once a predetermined amount of the dry viscous material is in the mold, wherein the process of moving the mold separates the dry viscous material in the mold from the dry viscous material in the nozzle to form a molded portion;
• ejecting the molded portion out of the mold and onto a receiving surface
• wherein the step of ejecting the molded portion out of the mold includes pressing on the molded portion with a plunger to push the material out of the mold;
• and
• wherein the receiving surface is a container positioned below the mold such that when the plunger pushes the molded portion out of the mold the molded portion falls into the container.

A system for packaging a dry viscous material, the system comprising:

• a tank containing a dry viscous material, the tank having a tapered nozzle at one end;
• a piston in the tank configured to exert pressure on the dry viscous material in order to extrude the dry viscous material through the nozzle;
• a stationary bottom plate positioned below the nozzle;
• a mold movably positioned in a first position between the stationary bottom plate and the nozzle;
• wherein the mold has rigid sides surrounding a hollow with the stationary bottom plate forming a bottom surface of the hollow when the mold is in the first position;
• and
• wherein the mold is configured to receive the dry viscous material extruded from the nozzle so as to form the dry viscous material into a molded portion;
• a mold moving mechanism configured to move the mold off of the stationary bottom plate to a second position once a predefined amount of the dry viscous material is received therein, such that there is no bottom surface of the hollow when the mold is in the second position;
• wherein the system is configured such that when the mold moves from the first position to the second position it separates the molded portion from the dry viscous material in the nozzle;
• and
• an ejection mechanism configured to eject the molded portion out of the mold and onto a receiving surface.