Hot melt fragmentation extruder and process

A co-rotating twin screw extruder for forming fragments comprising an intake zone for receiving one or more excipient(s) suitable for oral dosage or one or more excipient(s) suitable for oral dosage along with one or more active pharmaceutical ingredient(s), a melt zone for softening at least one excipient to form a viscous mass or melt, a fragmenting zone and an extruder outlet, the fragmenting zone comprising at least one element having a continuous flight helically formed thereon with a lead ‘L’, wherein either the flight transforms at least once from an integer lobe flight into a non-integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’ and transforms back to an integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’ or the flight transforms at least once from a non-integer lobe flight into an integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’ and transforms back to a non-integer lobe flight in a fraction of the lead ‘L’, for simultaneous fragmenting and cooling the viscous mass into cooled fragments, and wherein the cooled fragments are recovered from the extruder outlet of the extruder.