Nearly every major product industry has a use for mixers at some point in its production process. Whether the industry is medical, technological, agricultural, or pure manufacturing – there is always a need for things to be mixed together. The types of mixers necessary depend on the type of product to be mixed and the output required. Industrial mixers are not like counter-top blenders, there is no one size fits all model. When it comes to industrial mixers, there are a variety of types and sizes. Here are a few of the more common types of mixers and a short description of how each operates.

Ribbon Mixers – This type of mixer is used primarily in pharmaceuticals and the food industry. Ribbon mixers are best used when the mixing involves a solid (either with other solids or a liquid). From a distance, ribbon mixers resemble maypoles, with interweaving blades (typically around a single axis, but not always). The ribbon like design creates blades that effectively cut the mixture as they blend it.

Dispersion Mixers – The goal of a dispersion mixer is to minimize the size of the mixing particles to keep them in suspension within the mixture. These are often used in industries that require chemicals (often powders) to be mixed. In this device, the propellers operate at extremely high speeds to disperse the particles within the mixture for the best result.

Double Arm Mixers – These devices are frequently used for the most viscous materials. Double arm mixers operate with two blades side-by-side that are shaped like the Greek letter sigma. These blades operate in conjunction, but at different speeds. This leads to the mixture frequently being transferred from blade to blade horizontally while the sigma shape moves it up and down vertically.

Twin-Cone Mixers – These are similar to the design that one would see on the back of a cement truck, but with two heads instead of one. Each head contains a screw that allows for the mixing to be performed in two separate directions, each one perpendicular to the other. These are commonly used for product that requires a lengthy mixing process and cannot be allowed to solidify after the fact.

Nauta Mixers – Nauta mixers are highly recognizable for their inverted conical shape. The screw and blades push the mixing material upwards while gravity pushes it back down, creating an even mixture throughout. An extra advantage of this design is that the mixture can be drained directly from the bottom simply by removing a seal. These are used commonly for products that require mixing to be done gently and slowly, possibly even with the addition of a little heat.

Continuous Mixers – Everybody reading this has seen a continuous mixer. When Mom was baking a cake and dropped the electric egg beaters into the open bowl batter, that was a form of continuous mixing. Of course, on the industrial scale, the size is much greater and usually fully contained. And the batter is more likely to be chemical compounds than Betty Crocker’s ready-to-bake recipe.

Author Bio: By Felix Chesterfield; If you have an interest in industrial mixers (specifically ribbon mixers), please contact the author or click on the link to discover more.

Category: Business
Keywords: Industrial mixers, ribbon mixers, dispersion mixers