Oct. 28, 2024
Industrial mixing has evolved over time into a sophisticated and complex process. There are a multiude of mixers and integral accessories on the market, each combination typically focused on mixing a specific set of ingredients. While the range of mixing machines and attachments seems infinite, the number of mixing technologies available is finite. This article explores the top five types of mixing technologies in detail: ribbon, tumble, planetary, centrifugal, and ResonantAcoustic® Mixing (RAM).
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This is a common mixer in regards to industrial mixing. This type of mixing technology has ribbons attached to the shaft. The ribbons are typically thin, sharp, corkscrew-shaped blades that rotate to break up the contents within a mixing vessel. The outer ribbon blades rotate in one direction while the inner blades rotate in the opposite direction, creating material movement within the mixer. Ribbon speeds are adjusted to achieve a desired mix result. This method is a good option for dry, free-flowing solids such as powders as well as liquid-solid combinations.
An everyday example of this form of mixer is a food blender. Two of the main challenges for ribbon mixers are uniformity and attrition. The ribbon blades often damage the particles, especially when operating at higher speeds that generate high shear forces within the mixer. Additionally, the level of mixing varies within a container. It is greater nearest the blades, so a given mix is not consistent or uniform throughout the vessel. For this reason, ribbon mixers often need to be operated for a long period of time to achieve desired mixing uniformity and consistency. This in turn increases cycle times and operating costs.
Tumbling mixers use diffusion to achieve the desired mixing. These mixers consist of a sealed mixing drum orvessel that blends and rotates at a given speed, using gravity to assist with material flow within the vessel. One key differentiator from other mixing methods is that tumblers do not have an agitator. For this reason, particle damage and particle size reduction are less of a risk with tumblers. One challenge for this technology, however, is segregation after mixing, or &#;overmixing.&#;. This makes tumble mixers most suitable for liquids and solids in which segregation does not occur easily(namely materials that do not have large differences in particle size and density).
Planetary mixers are heavily used in regards to industrial mixing and involve a mixing drum with an attachment referred to as an agitator or impeller. The agitator rotates in a circular motion to create movement of materials within the vessel. This movement mimics the rotation of planets around the sun, hence, the name planetary. The mixing vessel is stationary in many planetary mixers, but for applications that require additional mixing the bowl can rotate in the opposite direction of the agitator to create more movement of the ingredients. Agitator attachments such as paddles, whisks, or beaters can be affixed to achieve the desired mixing results. An example of this type mixing technology is a stand-up kitchen mixer.
This technology is often referred to as planetary centrifugal mixing that uses rotation and revolution simultaneously to achieve blending without the use of an agitator. Revolution generates centrifugal forces where the material moves to the exterior of the vessel; rotation and tilting of the vessel causes changes in the direction of the flow, resulting in shearing forces which can quickly generate a high level of heat. The combination of these forces results in quick, uniform mixing and the ability to mix a variety of ingredients including materials with different densities. This mixing method is also able to de-aerate a mixture during mixing, reducing or eliminating time required to de-aerate after the mixing step is completed.
RAM technology employs low-frequency energy to generate unique material movement and sound-induced (acoustic) interaction within the vessel without the use of internal, mechanically-driven parts such as an impeller. The combined energy generated by motion and sound imparts a high level of energy to virtually any kind of mix.
RAM can impart up to 100 times the force of gravity into mix ingredients, which causes dry or powder particles in the mix to rapidly and continuously collide in a random, chaotic pattern. This results in immediate and continuously efficient mixing. For liquid or viscous mixes, RAM Uniquely generates &#;fingers&#; and &#;cavities&#; at the interface between liquids and gasses, dramatically increases the surface areas where the materials meet, both speeding and greatly improving mixedness and quality.
RAM results in uniform blending on all levels: macroscopic, microscopic, and even down to molecular-sized particles. RAM can blend virtually any combination of powders, liquids, highly viscous or solids-loaded materials. A single RAM mixer can effectively blend a wide range of ingredients, eliminating the need for multiple specialized mixers their required accessories, and the non-productive task of cleaning those devices while reducing overall capital and operating expenses. Additionally, RAM mixers require little maintenance and can dramatically cut mix times &#; in many cases from hours to just a few minutes.
To illustrate just how well RAM outperforms traditional mixing methods, here are some results from customer on-site demonstrations:
Resodyn is the only company in the world to offer RAM technology and its unique benefits. It is a ground-up technological departure from traditional industrial mixing methods, and there&#;s no better way to understand the difference than to witness RAM in action. Request a RAM demonstration today, which can be performed live on-line or on-site at your facility, using your own materials, and solving your uniquely specific mixing challenges. Contact us today to schedule a free demonstration and learn more about how RAM can improve your mixing process and results!
Resodyn industrial mixing and processing products are made in the USA and are in use in more than 40 countries today. Resodyn&#;s mixers feature universal processing technology for mixing virtually any kind of material without blades, propellers, baffles, or any other internal engineered mechanical devices. RAM mixers deliver flexible, reliable, and repeatable performance in countless industrial applications from bench-scale development through continuous volume production.
Resodyn&#;s highly experienced team works with customers to mix virtually every combination of ingredients including liquids, pastes, and powders ranging from nano sizes to large particles as well as highly viscous materials. Resodyn products provide advanced solutions for a broad range of difficult industrial mixing and processing challenges across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, energetics, adhesives, batteries, advanced and nano-materials and ceramics, as well as many other industries.
Industrial mixers are a complex, intricate, and precision tool used to mix and combine chemicals and substances for production, manufacturing, and industrial use. The wide range of industrial mixers includes small compact ones that are capable of quickly combining plastic polymers for plastics production to ones that can pulverize and mix pellets and stones.
The industries that depend on mixers are the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food industries since mixing is a necessary part of their production processes. Most people associate mixing with food production because of the obvious relationship. Beyond the production of food there is a limitless number of uses for mixers. They can be found in any industry that requires the combining of like or unlike substances.
It is impossible to have just one type of mixer since raw materials and ingredients widely differ. Materials for mixing, blending, and combining have different properties, characteristics, and attributes that require the adjustment of the mixing method to accommodate the diversities of the materials. The specialization of mixers includes homogenizers, dispersers, and particle reducers.
Though there are a wide range of mixers, they can be divided into three categories, which are diffusing, shearing, and convection.
Diffusion mixers rotate about an axis in a tumbling motion and use gravity to impel materials.
Convective mixers have a horizontal or vertical static shell, which can be in an assortment of geometrical shapes. Mixing is completed using some form of impeller or mixing element such as paddles or blades.
Shearing mixing is a high speed process that is part of the convection group. The shearing process involves the rapid movement of an impeller that shears, disperses, pulverizes, and greatly impacts materials such that they become smoother and mix easier.
Convective mixers have a short mixing cycle that rapidly mixes materials using an impeller that rotates at a high rate of speed. The rapid movement of the impeller creates heat that assists in the mixing process. The speed of the mixing process splits the particles of the material, which optimizes the mixing. Convective mixers are too aggressive for use as diffusive mixers.
Tumbler mixers are a form of diffusion mixer that rotates to mix the materials and use air in the mixing process. Mixing occurs by gravitational force as the tumbler rotates around its axis at a controlled speed. Tumbler mixers do not have agitators, impellers, or paddles but complete the mixing process very efficiently.
Fluidization mixers use the high flow rate of gases to fluidize powders, which assist in heating or cooling the mixture. Fluidization mixers are recommended for mixing low to medium density materials ranging from powders to pellets. They are the fastest type of mixer capable of completing a cycle in ten seconds up to two minutes with 30 seconds being the most typical. The paddles are placed at an angle and have overlapping paths to increase the efficiency of the mixing process.
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Agitator mixer is a general term that covers a wide arraign of agitator types that include anchor, paddle, propeller, turbine, and helical. The agitation process includes the rotation of an impeller or impellers that releases centrifugal force. They are ideal for combining immiscible substances that do not mix easily.
The main function of an emulsifier mixer is to combine two substances that do not normally combine, such as oil and water. When two materials are unable to naturally blend, they are referred to as immiscible, or unable to form a homogeneous mixture. In the emulsification process, the materials are forced through tubes and small filters that place the liquids under great pressure. The process breaks down the molecular structure of the substances such that they are able to blend easily.
The homogenization process is breaking down bigger molecules into small ones such that even distribution can occur. It is the emulsification of globules that have a macron size and forcing them into micron size in order to produce a stable and balanced dispersion. A homogenizer mixer is the tool that is used to produce emulsification. Homogenization is a shearing process that spins and crushes materials.
Drum mixers have the broadest number of variations of mixer types and include ones that are portable. The choice of a drum mixer is due to their tight seal, maneuverability, and stackability. The variations of drum mixers include ones that can have their contents mixed while other versions serve as a container for mixing, much like typical mixers. They are used to mix materials that have a low to medium viscosity such as slurries and cement. Drum mixers can have internal blades or impellers and serve as batch mixers.
Paddle mixers have a set of paddles that are set at the precise angle to supply a sufficient amount of axial and radial dispersion to break up materials. During the mixing process the paddles churn and turn the ingredients to achieve the appropriate consistency.
The name of ribbon blenders is a reference to the ribbon-like blades that form the paddles of the blender that rotate around a central axis. They have a &#;U&#; shaped shell that contains the double helical ribbon that creates the convective two directional motion. The rotational force of the two part ribbon pushes the product in one direction while a second ribbon moves it in the opposite direction.
A static mixer has a helical static mixing element, which is inserted into a pipe or tube. They are used to mix gases, liquids, or to mix a gas and a liquid. Static mixers are capable of dispersing a gas into an immiscible liquid to form a homogenous solution. The mixing components can take a variety of shapes depending on the manufacturer and the types of materials to be mixed. The flow of the gases and liquids, through the pipe, breaks down their molecules to blend and mix them.
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