Hi there,

First of all, I am new here and I would like to thank everyone for such a helpful website/forum. Anyway, I am an employee of a certain food processing company and I am left to figure out all the machines on my own. I, being an economics graduate have no background in physics or engineering to be able to understand how those food processing machines work. I am faced with a big dilemma and where I work people are so selfish to give information as they are afraid that you'll easily surpass them. So I don't really know if I have come to the right place, but I hope some of you may be able to help me with regards to my inquiry.

Basically, right now, I have to start with the STEAM KNEADER. It uses paddles inside the kneader to mix all the starch/ flavoring and water. But that's basically all I know of it. I really have to understand how this machine works and maybe some science behind it. I can see that there is a big motor that makes the circular pulley run and there's a big exhaust chamber where all the released steam goes into. I just really need help! Please if anyone have worked in a food processing company before, I am desperate and need your help. Actually, the company that I am working for right now, produces snacks like prawn crackers, cookies, chips and cereals.

Again thank you every one... I hope any of you can offer some assistance.

The Steam Kneader looks like this:

steam kneader

Might it not be better to contact the manufacturer of the steam kneader?

i do not know who and where the manufacturer is. the link that i included was just browsed from the web coz i wanted to include a pic of more or less how the steam kneader looks like.

Whoever made it .. you MUST get some safety guards on this thing before you fire it up again. Maybe that is why nobody will help - they want to kill the machine before it kills them.