Simulation of the Extruder Screw Parameters

Extrusion of feed ensures a high quality of the fi nished product.(Research purpose) To increase structural elements durability of the press extruder by optimizing their strength characteristics.(Materials and methods) The authors studied the technological principle of extrusion. The experiment planning method was applied. They examined the process of press extruder operation with a variable pitch screw during the lentils processing. The strength characteristics of the press-extruder elements were checked during design or strength calculations.(Results and discussion) The authors showed the role of the main geometrical parameters of the extruder screw – the slope of the turn and the cutting step – in the preparation of high-quality grain feed. It was found that the turn pitch should be calculated depending on the friction coeffi cient of the starting material against the press-extruder body, the type and properties of the supplied material. The auger fatigue stresses were determined as a result of constant sign shear load and temperature eff ects. The drive power, the extruder productivity were calculated to clarify the screw characteristics, as well as the hydraulic resistance of the matrix output head, the distance of the technological zones. It was confi rmed that the prefabricated screw structure, consisting of sections with diff erent pitch, gave the press extruder versatility.(Conclusions) The authors found that the key was one of the most loaded structural elements of the press-extruder screw. The maximum calculated voltage from a constant load was calculated – 26.98 megapascals. It was determined that the stress in the cross-section of the key under temperature action was 591 megapascals, which exceeded the yield stress for the selected material, equal to 360 megapascals for steel 45. In the course of experimental studies, a value of impact strength was obtained that corresponded to the standard value of the initially selected steel grade (38 kilojoules per cubic meter), but didn’t meet the requirements for this structural element (at least 50 kilojoules per cubic meter).