The goal for this MindSumo challenge was to create a system that added visual interest to a lineup of pet food treats. The company already had an extruder, so I designed an extrusion attachment that creates a continuous braid of material, which is more visually interesting than a plain extrusion.

The main extruder is built from two rotating wheels, which rotate in alternating directions in order to braid the treats.

The actual extruding dies fit neatly into the cutouts of these wheels, and are rotated by them to produce the braid.

3 dies and 2 wheels are placed neatly into a centerplate, which is then sandwiched between two endplates.

The 4 other holes are for drive wheels, which fit neatly into the pulley-like grooves on the edges of the wheels and dies. Rotating these drive wheels rotates the main extrusion wheels, creating the braid.

Here is a complete view of the assembly, along with an exploded view. The second endplate has been removed for clarity. From the backside of the extrusion face, only three holes are available for the extrusion to pass through at any time. The changing positions of these holes creates the braid.

A rudimentary animation of the alternating movements of the wheels is provided.