APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EXTRUDING A PRODUCT

摘要

Apparatus for producing a striped or variegated product comprises means for co-extruding at least two different base products into a common flow path such that the base products combine to form a layered, co-extruded product stream and a die means (10) for receiving the layered co-extruded product stream. The die means is arranged so as to divide the layered co-extruded product stream into at least two separate sub-streams of layered co-extruded product which follow a rotational path about each other and to subsequently recombine the at least two sub-streams into a single recombined product stream in which the layers are re-orientated. The die may have one or more helical screws (48, 49) mounted statically in a passage (47) through which the product steam flows. A leading edge of each screw divides the stream into sub-streams which flow along either side of the screws before being recombined at the trailing edge of the final screw. A corresponding method is also disclosed.