| |
Industrial Mixers Industry Information
Industrial mixers combine different substances in order
to create a uniform mixture suitable for use in a variety of industrial
applications. Industrial mixers, or blenders, provide an adequate stirring
and mixing area for the material. Industrial mixing equipment comes in
a variety of shapes and sizes. The impeller is the component that imparts
motion and shear to the fluid or solid, inducing mixing. The type of
industrial mixer and impeller chosen depends entirely on the nature of
the application. The impeller is more application-specific than the industrial
mixer, as the industrial mixer can be used for a wide variety of tasks.
Industrial mixers are common in the food processing, pharmaceutical,
cosmetic and toiletry, chemical, agricultural, pulp and paper, automotive
and adhesive and sealant industries. There are countless substances that
blenders are used for, including beverages, medicines, toothpaste, glue
and petroleum products. Certain applications require specific types of
industrial mixers, while other applications can be achieved by a variety
of methods. Cost effectiveness and efficiency are the most important
considerations. For example, static mixers or in-line agitators are good
choices for neutralization or other chemical reactions involving liquid/liquid
or liquid/solid constituents. If the mixture contains fluids of widely
differing viscosities or agglomerates that need to be broken down, however,
then a rotor/stator mixer, which provides high shear to disperse the
fluids more finely, would be more efficient.
Multi agitator mixers are the cutting edge of industrial mixing equipment.
They feature several independent agitators and a flexible controls system,
allowing them to easily switch gears to accommodate a fast-changing variety
of products. Multi agitator mixers are advantageous to companies that
are focused on short campaigns and fast changeover. Significant advances
have been made in this technology, specifically in the agitator design,
power/liquid induction, heat transfer and controls. These mixers allow
the operation of two or three different agitators in an almost infinite
variety of functional combinations during the processes of charging ingredients,
mixing and then discharging the end product. The addition of a third
agitator greatly enhances the functionality of the mixer. Each agitator
is independently controlled and separately powered by an electronic variable-speed
drive.
There is a significant difference between the terms agitator and mixer.
Agitators are basically process aids, because their main functions, including
producing flow in a vessel and ensuring in-tank uniformity, are secondary
to the whole process. Industrial mixers have primary functions, such
as dissolving solids, dispersing powders into liquids, breaking down
agglomerates and combining two immiscible liquids. Choosing one of the
two for the application depends largely on batch size. Industrial mixing
equipment that operates within the mixture performs the mixing task (e.g.
disintegrating and solubilizing solids and creating fine emulsions or
suspensions) and circulates the contents of the vessel. Simple agitators
can be used in large batches but are not very effective outside of producing
flow, promoting heat transfer and maintaining in-tank uniformity. Agitators
can be combined with other in-tank mixer types, but as the batch size
increases, so does the power requirement, making the immersion unit too
costly. A cost-effective solution is to use an in-line mixer that operates
from outside of the stirring vessel.
|
|
