Extruders & Compounding Machines

MEGAtex cooling die series for High Moisture Meat Analogues (HMMA)

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With the MEGAtex cooling die, Coperion has developed a discharge for its ZSK Food Extruder that makes plant-based HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogues) meat substitute manufacturing significantly more flexible and profitable.
With the MEGAtex cooling die, Coperion has developed a discharge for its ZSK Food Extruder that makes plant-based HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogues) meat substitute manufacturing significantly more flexible and profitable.
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Together, Coperion’s ZSK Food Extruder and the MEGAtex R90 cooling die give meat substitute manufacturers a production unit that allows for high quality HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogue) production at high throughput rates.
Together, Coperion’s ZSK Food Extruder and the MEGAtex R90 cooling die give meat substitute manufacturers a production unit that allows for high quality HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogue) production at high throughput rates.
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HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogue) produced with Coperion Technology
HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogue) produced with Coperion Technology
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Cooling Die Offers HMMA Meat Substitute Manufactures Significantly Greater Flexibility

Coperion offers the MEGAtex cooling die for manufacturing plant-based HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogue) meat substitutes. The texturizing unit is designed especially for use with the ZSK Food Extruder.

The ZSK Food Extruder and the MEGAtex cooling die are the core technologies within the high moisture extrusion process that generates meat analogues from plant proteins with a dense, fibrous structure that closely resembles lean animal meat.

For many years, Coperion has been a proven supplier of production systems for plant-based meat substitute products. In the HMMA manufacturing process, protein-rich raw materials are first mixed with water and worked into a homogeneous mass in a ZSK Food Extruder. This mass is then pressed through the MEGAtex cooling die, where the meat-like texture is formed and a solid strand is discharged for further processing.

With the MEGAtex cooling die, Coperion has developed a discharge for HMMA production that allows for various textures for meat substitutes. Moreover, Coperion has equipped the MEGAtex cooling die with features that simplify handling and make both recipe and configuration changes possible with just a few quick adjustments.

AREAS OF APPLICATION OF THE MEGAtex COOLING DIE

  • Plant-based meat substitutes
  • HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogue) 

HMMA

HMMA produced with Coperion Technologies

HIGH MOISTURE MEAT ANALOGUES

HMMA is a plant-based intermediate product that is primarily used for ready-to-eat meals.

It contains 50 to 70 percent water and 30 to 50 percent plant proteins with less than 10 percent fat content. Characteristics of HMMA quality are the product’s texture and strength as well as the length and strength of the fibers.

Coperion Cooling Die MEGAtex S7
Texturizing Unit MEGAtex S7

MEGAtex S7 Cooling Die

Coperion has developed the MEGAtex S7 texturizing unit in order to provide more flexibility to smaller companies, research organizations, and startups.

The MEGAtex S7 achieves throughputs of 5 to 50 kg/h and can be combined with the ZSK Food Extruder sizes 18, 27 and 34. 

All advantages of the MEGAtex S7

  • The MEGAtex cooling die features a modular design. It consists of individual segments which can be combined as needed, depending upon the requirements of the raw materials and the desired product structure.
  • The MEGAtex S7 comes with interchangeable inlays that give the machine operator the flexibility to vary the strand width between 35 and 70 mm and the length between 10 and 15 mm. Just a few simple steps are all that is needed to open the cooling die and exchange the inlays.
  • With its clever opening mechanism, the MEGAtex S7 provides optimal access along its entire length. Product samples can be extracted at any time in any segment of the cooling die.
  • The MEGAtex S7 features a hygienic design which reduces machine downtime for cleaning to a minimum, increasing the efficiency of the entire production line.
  • At the end of the die, there is a special cutter to facilitate quick sampling of HMMA at the discharge.
  • The cooling die is mounted on rollers, making it mobile. 
Coperion Cooling Die MEGAtex R90
Texturizing Unit MEGAtex R90

MEGAtex R90 Cooling Die

The MEGAtex R90 texturizing unit achieves throughputs of up to 500 kg/h and is optimally matched to Coperion’s ZSK Food Extruders in sizes ZSK 43 and ZSK 54. 

The MEGAtex R90 cooling die builds upon the principle of a round cooling die. Following discharge from the ZSK food extruder, the protein mass passes through a round channel in which the product is cooled to the desired temperature and the meat-like texture is formed to specification. 

Advantages of the MEGAtex R90

  • For HMMA manufacturers, the cooling die opens up a broad spectrum of possible ingredients and textures – from smooth to loose, dense, foamy, large-pored and all the way to long- and short-fibered.
  • The machine operator can precisely target process parameters such as temperature, pressure, shear rates and mass flow. 
  • The central element of the MEGAtex R90 is its rotating, cooled core. This core is provided with a pitch to influence the texture and the nozzle flow. This in turn affects the pressure in the upstream extrusion process and alters the HMMA’s texture, form, color and surface.
  • All of the cooling die’s surfaces are easily accessible to achieve very good and fast cleanability.
  • With just a few manual adjustments, the die core including the drive section, can be retracted out of the cooling barrel on linear guide rails. The product channel is then fully accessible and can be cleaned in no time at all.
  • Retracting the die core also makes the ZSK food extruder’s process section directly accessible. Its twin screws can then be removed as needed to easily clean the process section without moving the MEGAtex R90.

You want to learn more about Coperion's technologies to produce plant-based proteins?

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Coperion ZSK Food Extruder

ZSK Food Extruders

ZSK Food Extruders provide ideal conditions for the extrusion of many types of food and pet food products. They are available in hygienic design and achieve first-class product qualities.

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