The paper presents a classification of technical means used in the preparation of animals for lactation, and based on it, a design and technological scheme of a device for massaging the udder of heifers with a combined principle of action on the breast tissue of the animal is proposed. It is concluded that the rational design of the massage device should provide a combined pneumatic-mechanical massage of the udder of heifers by intensive compression and stretching of the animal’s breast tissue in the stroke of the massage. In this case, a short-term intake of a portion of air into the massage bell during the unloading stroke should completely restore the blood circulation in the udder of the animal that was disrupted in the previous stroke.

Currently, fruit and vegetable powders are widely used in functional foods and medicines. Obtaining plant powders is carried out by drying the source material and its subsequent grinding. At the first stage, a two-stage vacuum-pulse dryer is used, since it allows you to save more solids. When storing dried fruit and vegetable products under the necessary conditions, their initial useful properties are not lost until 6 months, and after this period up to 12 months are able to retain up to 50% of their properties. To study the drying processes, samples of the following plant products were used: «Swallow» pepper; tomato «Black Moor»; garlic «Jubilee»; apples of the varieties Antonovka vulgaris, Bogatyr, Zhigulevskoye, Lobo; pumpkin «Michurinsky». The article presents the results of drying pumpkins and the average results obtained by drying apples (samples were taken of the same mass and a slicing thickness of 5 ± 1 mm). Grinding was carried out using a two-stage disk-ball mill with vacuum removal of plant particles of a given degree of grinding. The authors proposed a methodology for calculating the energy costs of a process. Based on experimental studies, several factors have been obtained that contribute to reducing energy costs. The dependences are examined, according to which a qualitative comparison of grinding plants can be carried out, as well as to calculate and design equipment for effective grinding. A formula for calculating the efficiency coefficient is proposed, which allows one to analyze and select equipment for grinding dry plant materials of fine and ultrafine grinding. Based on the obtained values of the quality factor, the most suitable equipment for grinding dry plant materials is selected. Based on the results of the research, conclusions are drawn.

Feed extrusion is one of the most energy intensive processes in the industry. Because of their many advantages, single screw extruders are of great importance in agriculture around the world. To increase the efficiency of the extrusion process of raw materials, an extruder screw with a grooved edge was developed. This design provides a condition for limiting the extrudable material, which helps to reduce the leakage of raw materials through the gap between the screw edge and the wall of the extruder barrel. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to increase the extruder’s efficiency by optimizing operating parameters, based on the study of the interaction of the feed and screw elements. This article presents the results of experimental studies conducted in laboratory conditions using an EC-40 extruder. Determining the influence of factors, namely, the type of screw with different height of the grooves on the screw edge, the moisture content in the extrudable material and the width of the feeder hole on the extruder efficiency, was carried out using a three-factor experiment and the response surface methodology. The optimal operating parameters have been identified at which the maximum efficiency of the extruder is ensured. At the same time, the extruder efficiency increases by 23-25% compared with a standard screw with a flat edge surface.

One of the main tasks of agriculture - rapid and sustainable increase in grain production is noted, and the importance of wheat as the main raw material for the baking industry in Russia is presented. The dynamics of indicators of wheat acreage in farms of all categories in Russia is given, and the correlation of indicators of acreage, yield and gross wheat harvest in Russia in 2008-2018 is presented. It describes the production of wheat in the Penza region, shows the structure of sown areas of grain and leguminous crops in farms of all categories of the Penza region, the largest area is occupied by wheat-64.2%. The gross harvest and yield of wheat in the Penza region in 2018 is presented. The forecast of development of the region’s economy in the field of grain processing is given, it is noted that a large-scale investment project is being developed for the construction of a new wheat processing plant in the Penza region.

The paper presents material that indicates the feasibility of using grape seeds as a valuable ingredient in a composite extruded mixture. Arguments are given in favor of a rational approach to the involvement of secondary raw materials obtained in the process of processing grapes in the economic turnover. Based on the analysis of the chemical composition and individual technological properties of grape seeds, approaches to obtaining a composite mixture for further use in the development of functional or enriched bakery and flour confectionery products are justified.

This study evaluated the effect of extrusion processing on the specific mechanical energy and physical properties of chickpea extrudates (expansion coefficient, bulk density and hardness). The experimental data were processed using the response surface methodology with the following parameters: temperature at the exit from the die (120-150 °C), humidity (20-24 %), and screw rotation speed (260-340 rpm). The factors that most influenced product performance were die outlet temperature and feed moisture content, and the interactions between them. A significant correlation was found between hardness and bulk density (positive), hardness and expansion coefficient (negative), and bulk density and expansion coefficient (negative). The desired characteristics (high expansion, low bulk density and hardness) for the chickpea were obtained at a high die outlet temperature, relatively high humidity and a high screw speed.

The influence of the operating conditions of the extruder (raw material moisture, die temperature, screw speed and mass flow rate) on the pressure drop in the die for wet raw materials was investigated. An EK-40 laboratory extruder and a slot die / rheometer combination were used to measure the pressure drop across the die. The pressure drop decreased with increasing humidity, screw speed, and die temperature, and increased with increasing mass flow. It was found that the temperature of the matrix is the most significant parameter affecting the pressure drop of the matrix.

The article provides a study of factors (screw speed and mass flow rate) affecting the operating conditions of the extruder, engine torque and specific mechanical energy for high-moisture raw materials. A laboratory extruder and a slotted die with a rheometer were used to measure the die torque. The die torque decreased with increasing screw rotation speed and increased with increasing mass flow. However, the increase in mass flow has led to a decrease in the specific mechanical energy. Increasing the screw speed increased the specific mechanical energy. This was due to the higher shear rates at higher screw speeds.

The current state of sugar beet production in Russia is considered. The dynamics of changes in the acreage of sugar beet in Russia from 2010 to 2019 is presented. The analysis of sugar beet production volumes both in the Russian Federation as a whole and in the context of Federal districts is given. The main region for sugar beet production in Russia is the Krasnodar territory, which produced 10563.9 thousand tons of sugar beet in 2019, which is 20.8% of the total production in the country. The yield of sugar beet by key producing regions in 2019 is presented. The highest yield of sugar beet in 2019 is also in the Krasnodar territory (521.2 C / ha). The forecast of development of sugar beet production in Russia in the near future is given.

The article summarizes information about the technologies of composite mixtures linked by a single concept and based on the principles of thermal vacuum plastic extrusion. Classification features of such technologies, as well as their main parameters, are presented and justified. Rational values of the composition of mixtures in terms of the ratio and humidity of the ingredients included in them are given. The conclusion is made about the prospects of using composite mixtures in the technologies of functional or enriched bakery and flour confectionery products.