Mixers
Mixers are high-performance machines designed to blend, homogenize, emulsify, or otherwise combine materials and substances into a single, uniform mixture. They are engineered to thoroughly integrate solids, liquids, or a combination of both, ensuring consistency and uniformity in the final product. Whether used in industrial, commercial, or laboratory settings, mixers play a crucial role in manufacturing, food processing, pharmaceuticals, and chemical production, facilitating the creation of precisely formulated mixtures for a wide range of applications.
The History of Mixers
The first mixer was a small, domestic model patented in 1856 in Baltimore, Maryland. Following that, a new type of mixer, such as the whisk, was patented almost every year. However, it wasn't until around 1885 that the first electric motor was invented. It’s believed that it was in this year that American inventor Rufus Eastman created the first electric mixer.
The company that truly revolutionized the commercial and industrial mixer was the Hobart Manufacturing Company. Their journey began in 1908, when one of their engineers, Herbert Johnson, invented the first standing mixer. By 1915, his 20-gallon model became widely used in commercial bakeries across the United States. Non-food mixers also began to appear in some form during the early 1900s.
In the past one hundred years, mixers have undergone significant improvements in effectiveness, efficiency, and versatility. Today, they are capable of handling large amounts of material at once, all while maintaining durability and performance without wear.
Advantages of Mixers
One of the biggest advantages of industrial mixers is their consistent output. These machines are designed to mix and blend products thoroughly and efficiently, ensuring reliable performance every time. Additionally, because the components of a mixer are precisely machined and assembled using high-quality materials, they not only perform better but also have a longer lifespan, reducing the need for frequent repairs or replacements.
Mixer Design
- Production Process
- Although mixers vary in size and design, most consist of several core components: a large tank or vat, a head or cover attachment, and motorized blades or flat paddles that rotate on a stationary shaft. The attachments or heads are typically removable, allowing for increased flexibility when mixing different materials. Some mixer designs feature stationary blades with a rotating tank to mix materials effectively. Additionally, manufacturers have developed various blade styles to optimize performance depending on the material being mixed.
- Mixer Materials
- The majority of mixers are made from stainless steel, as it is both sanitary and corrosion-resistant. However, mixers can also be constructed from materials such as thermoplastic, titanium, steel, cast iron or aluminum, depending on the specific application and material handling requirements.
- Design Considerations
- When designing mixers, engineers focus on several critical factors. These include the placement of paddles, the design of the blades, the motor's power, and any additional features the mixer may need. For example, certain mixers may require the ability to provide significant pressure drops or must be capable of handling large particles moving at high velocities without compromising performance.
- Customization With Mixers
- While custom mixers are not as common, they are available to meet specific operational needs. Specialty machines can be designed to perform with precise specifications, allowing operators to better control the mixing process and minimize excess wear and tear. Mixers vary greatly in size, ranging from small, portable food processors to large mixers capable of stirring 55-gallon drums. Depending on the application, mixers may use sharp blades for fine mixing or large flat paddles for heavier-duty tasks.
Types of Mixers
There are several types of industrial mixers, each designed for specific applications. These mixers cater to industries where processes are broken down into precise requirements based on the ingredients and desired outcome. Below are the most common types of industrial mixers:
- Ribbon Mixer
- Ribbon-shaped mixing blades, which are flat and thin, are used in static mixers. These mixers do not have moving parts. Instead, they employ carefully designed obstructions that force the flow of materials to mix and blend together. Thanks to the simple arrangement of stationary blades, static mixers are sanitary and easy to clean.
- High Shear Mixer
- Ideal for industries such as pharmaceuticals, paper manufacturing, food preparation, and cosmetics, the high speed mixer is known for processes like homogenization, emulsification, disintegration, and dispersion. It also offers particle size reduction of various solid and liquid materials, making it highly versatile.
- Paddle Mixer
- This mixer features a horizontal rotating axis with broad shearing paddles that radiate from spokes around the axis. Paddle mixers are designed to handle a variety of materials and provide consistent mixing through the rotation of their paddles.
- Rotor Mixer
- Uses metal blades or arms at the bottom of a container. These blades spin at variable speeds to mix substances effectively. A common example of this setup is found in a blender used in households or industries for blending ingredients.
- Planetary Mixer
- Named after the orbital motion they use, planetary mixing agitators rotate around the outer edges of the mixing bowl on a circular or elliptical axis. They are primarily used in cooking applications like making dough but can also mix chemicals.
- Commercial Mixer
- Refers to all mixers designed for commercial use, especially in kitchens and other food production environments. These mixers are built to handle larger volumes of ingredients compared to residential models.
- Stand Mixer
- These mixers are upright and mounted on top of their motor. Stand mixers come in various sizes, ranging from 25-gallon commercial models to 1-gallon countertop home models, providing flexibility for different scale applications.
- Drum Mixer
- Drum mixers use gallon drums that rotate to mix materials. These are typically used for blending low to medium viscosity mixtures, such as cement or adhesive slurries. They can mix substances with varying particle sizes effectively.
- Industrial Mixer
- Industrial mixers are designed to handle large amounts of materials and are commonly used in large-scale commercial productions. They usually have large tanks or vats where substances are mixed by powerful blades.
- Batch Mixer
- For materials that require variable lengths of mixing, batch mixers are ideal. These mixers work with one load of material at a time, providing the necessary flexibility for different batch requirements.
- Homogenizer
- Used for the complete breakdown and blending of materials, homogenizers are widely used in industries such as science, food processing, and some industrial mixing processes. Examples of commonly homogenized products include milk and cream.
- Mixing With an Agitator
- Agitators are typically used as process aids for mixing substances with low viscosities, like liquids. However, agitation is not as effective with thicker, highly viscous materials. Agitators are designed to provide consistent mixing but are best suited for simpler, less viscous substances.
- Mixing Through an Emulsifier
- Emulsifiers are designed to mix substances that are generally unblendable. They work by using a perforated screen and high velocities to thoroughly blend the materials together.
- Food Mixer
- A specific type of mixer, food mixers are used for blending, mixing, folding, whipping, beating, or kneading ingredients in food production. These mixers must adhere to strict regulations and be completely sanitary to ensure food safety and quality.
- In-Line Mixer
- In-line mixers can handle large batches with lower horsepower than other mixers and have predictable batch turnover. They are increasingly popular in high-volume operations. There are two types: dynamic in-line mixers, which use a combination of pump pressure and high-speed rotating elements, and static in-line mixers, which use stationary mixing elements within a tubular housing that integrates into a pipeline.
- Mixing With a Blender
- Blenders are used when materials need to be broken down into smaller pieces. With their sharp blades and high speeds, blenders excel at rapidly reducing the size of materials. The terms "blender" and "mixer" are often used interchangeably, but blenders are more focused on breaking down ingredients into finer components.
Applications for Mixers
The main purpose of an industrial mixer, also known as a tank mixer, is to act as a catalyst for combining various substances or for stirring settled materials. Many companies rely on these mixers because mixing is often the first crucial step in creating products that require further processing.
Mixers play a vital role across multiple industries during the manufacturing and processing phases. Thanks to their powerful motors and blades, industrial mixers can handle a wide range of materials. They are used extensively in industries such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, research and labs, chemicals, agriculture, food and beverage, pulp and paper, automotive, water treatment, and adhesives and sealants.
In these industries, mixers are used to process a variety of products, including toothpaste, glue, petroleum products, cement, biodiesel, chemicals (both dry and wet), medicines, syrups, beverages (like milk), medical ointments, lotions, creams, vitamins, shampoos, detergents, hair dye, petroleum products, silicone, adhesives, and polyurethane, among many others. Additionally, mixers are commonly employed for agitating chemicals and creating fused solutions.
Mixer Features
Industrial mixers are typically powered by electric motors operating at speeds of 1800 RPM or 1500 RPM. To help reduce speed and increase torque, these motors are paired with gearboxes. Smaller mixers, such as those used in laboratories, may operate using magnetic mixers instead.
Regardless of their power source, mixers function by agitating or mixing liquid and/or solid substances until they are either evenly distributed (such as in animal feed) or homogenized (such as in the mixing of flour and water). Depending on the application, mixers can operate either in batches or continuously.
Mixers are essential because they provide a service that would be impractical for customers to accomplish without them. Alternative mixing methods are often slow, labor-intensive, and inefficient, making industrial mixers a crucial tool in many industries.
Standards and Specifications of Mixers
It is essential that the mixing machine you purchase is both reliable and durable, particularly if you are working with materials that require a long time to mix thoroughly. To ensure that the mixer you are getting is of high quality, it’s advisable to ask for certain standard certifications.
One important and universally beneficial standard is the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) code. If necessary, your manufacturer should be able to provide you with an ASME stamp to verify compliance with these standards. Other certifications you might want to secure for your industrial equipment include USFDA, BISC, ABS, API, and UL. The specific certifications required will largely depend on your industry, application, and region.
Things to Consider When Purchasing a Mixer
When properly chosen, mixers prove to be essential for many customers. This equipment can truly make or break an application. So, it's critical to select the best mixer for your specific needs. But how do you ensure that? Our advice is to start by finding the right manufacturer to guide you through the process. This leads to two important questions: Who is the right manufacturer, and how do you find them?
The right manufacturer is the one that will carefully consider all your specifications, respect your budget and timeline, and have the necessary expertise and tools to build you the perfect mixer. Now, how do you go about finding this manufacturer? Start by browsing the websites of the industrial mixer manufacturers listed on this page. Every company we recommend is skilled, knowledgeable, and trustworthy.
After reviewing their products and services, reach out to one or more for a quote. Be sure to clearly communicate all of your specifications and ask any questions you may have. Once you receive all the information, compare and contrast your options, then select the manufacturer that best meets your needs and expectations.
Proper Care for Mixers
As with all industrial equipment, ensuring the longevity of your mixer requires using it only with the materials it is designed for. Additionally, always adhere to the capacities, speeds, and frequencies specified for the mixer. Ignoring these limitations can lead to premature wear and tear or even a complete machine breakdown. Proper cleaning is also essential, especially between batches. If you're working with food, medicine, or chemicals, follow the proper cleaning protocols to avoid cross-contamination. Even if you are mixing less critical substances, negligible powders can still build up and cause the mixer to clog or slow down.
To further optimize the efficiency of your mixer, keep the following in mind:
- Only blend materials for as long as necessary—avoid overblending.
- Ensure that your mixer has the appropriate horsepower for the tasks you need it to perform.
Mixer Terms
- Agglomeration
- The recombination of finely dispersed particles into larger particles, typically caused by a disturbance of surface forces due to a change in environment.
- Alginate
- A salt found in the cell wall of brown algae. Alginates are commonly used in food processing to stabilize mixtures (e.g., emulsions), retain moisture, and thicken textures, among other applications.
- Axial Flow
- The movement of fluid from the top to the bottom of a tank, commonly observed in certain mixing processes.
- Batch Mixing
- A mixing process involving the weighing and measuring of ingredients, creating a mixture from separate components, removing the mixture, and cleaning the mixer and tools before starting a new batch.
- Brine
- Mineralized water consisting of sodium chloride, metallic and/or organic contaminants. Brine solutions are often used in food processing procedures.
- Colloid
- Fine particles of a substance that remain between the dissolution phase and the suspension phase. Colloids do not dissolve into other substances, remain suspended, nor settle out of the substance.
- Continuous Mixing
- A mixing process where a metering mechanism, such as a pump, automatically creates a series of mixtures. The mixer measures, combines, and mixes ingredients continuously, allowing for quicker cleaning of the mixer and tools.
- Density
- The ratio of a substance's mass to its volume, typically measured in g/cm³ (grams per cubic centimeter).
- Dispersion
- Small particles of a substance evenly distributed throughout another substance. Dispersed particles are larger than colloids but still remain suspended within the substance.
- Emulsion
- A suspension where one substance is suspended within another, like oil and vinegar. These substances cannot be blended or mixed, but they can be combined without dissolving.
- Heterogeneous
- Composed of different components that may not be evenly distributed throughout the mixture. The components remain separate, even though they are mixed together.
- Homogeneous
- Consisting of identical components uniformly distributed throughout the mixture. The components blend together into a single entity, as seen in a solution.
- Impeller
- The part of the agitator that imparts force to the material being mixed. Examples include propellers, turbines, gates, anchors, and paddles.
- Kinetic Energy
- Energy derived from motion, used to create and transmit power.
- Laboratory Mills
- Specialized equipment used to break down materials into powder form, typically for small-scale processes.
- Mechanical Seal
- A device with two rings: one stationary and one rotating with the agitator shaft. These rings seal against pressure where the shaft enters the vessel, with springs or tank pressure forcing the faces of the rings together.
- Micrometer or Micron
- A unit of measurement equal to one-millionth of a meter.
- Mixture
- A substance containing two or more components that may not be evenly distributed and do not chemically bond. The components of a mixture maintain their separateness.
- Mixer Machines
- Machines used in various industries to produce a final product by mixing or combining two or more materials.
- Paddle
- A two-bladed impeller whose diameter is slightly larger than the radius of the tank.
- Residence Time
- The average amount of time a component remains within a continuous-process mixing environment.
- Size Reduction
- The process of breaking down immiscible particles in a mixture that cannot dissolve.
- Solution
- A homogeneous formation created by dissolving a substance or substances into another substance.
- Solute
- The substance(s) that dissolve into a liquid or gaseous substance (the solvent) in a solution. Solutes usually exist in smaller quantities compared to the solvent.
- Solvent
- The liquid or gaseous substance into which a solute is dissolved, forming a solution.
- Suspension
- A heterogeneous mixture in which fine particles of a solid remain suspended in a liquid or gaseous substance. These particles do not dissolve or settle out but are supported by buoyancy within the substance.
- Viscosity
- The resistance of a fluid (liquid or gas) to flow. High-viscosity fluids, such as molasses, flow slowly, while low-viscosity fluids, such as water, flow easily.
