New technology has cut the cost of Baker Perkins MPF food extruder barrel liner replacement by up to 50%.

By making liner replacements easier to fit as well as enabling only the worn sections to be replaced, the cost, complexity and downtime needed to replace barrel liners have all been significantly reduced with savings for snack manufacturers.

The savings are achieved by replacing the original one-piece liner with a backing block and a liner comprising a number of individual inserts. Like previous liner replacements this is a high-precision operation requiring specialist equipment and is best carried out by factory-trained engineers.

However, subsequent liner replacements can be undertaken by the customer’s own engineers in a fraction of the time, saving both cost and plant downtime. A barrel retrofit also involves replacing cartridge heaters with the latest slab heaters, which are easier to replace and provide improved heat distribution and longer life.