The difference between puffing machine and extruder

1、 Definition and working principle of puffing machine and extruder
Puffing machines and extruders are commonly used equipment in the plastic processing industry and food processing industry. Although there are similarities between the two, their essential differences are still quite significant.

Puffing machine uses high temperature and high pressure to release a large amount of water vapor in an instant, causing the material to expand and deform, producing puffed foods with large volume, loose texture, crispy and tender taste, and easy digestion and absorption, such as corn flakes and popcorn, which are the most common puffed foods. The working principle of the puffing machine is to heat the material under specific conditions, causing its saturated vapor pressure to continuously increase, exceeding the material’s own structural resistance and causing decomposition. Then, the moisture vapor expands instantly, causing the material to deform and expand instantly, thus achieving the puffing effect.

Extruder is a process of heating and melting plastic, and then extruding it from a metal mold under high pressure to produce various shapes of plastic products and pipes, such as jewelry, toys, etc. The working principle of an extruder is: after heating and melting, the thermoplastic material is extruded from the mold head through the forced compression of the screw. Due to the high extrusion pressure, the extruded material is in a dispersed state, and then continuously stretched as the mold descends, forming the desired strip or circular diameter perforated plastic products.

2、 The difference between puffing machine and extruder
The main difference between puffing machines and extruders lies in their working principles, application scope, and processing materials.
1. Different working principles
The puffing machine is formed by evaporating and puffing the moisture inside the material under high temperature and pressure, while the extruder is formed by spiral extrusion inside the plastic.
2. Different application scopes
Puffing machines are particularly suitable for producing puffed foods such as corn flakes, melon seeds, etc. And extruders belong to general machinery, as an important equipment for producing plastic products, widely used in fields such as construction, food, agriculture, etc.
3. Different processing materials
Puffing machines are mainly used for processing natural materials such as grains, while extruders are used for processing polymer materials such as PVC, PE, etc.