For the Floor: Mixing & blending

Charles Ross and Son's DPM-R.

Vacuum-packed mixer
The DPM-R is a new version of the company’s Double Planetary Mixer, typically used for the vacuum mixing of high viscosity materials. It incorporates a reverse hydraulic lift to enable convenient discharge from the raised mixing position. This design also allows the permanent connection of vacuum and feed lines to the fixed position vacuum hood. The new model contains two helical mixing blades that revolve on their own axis, as well as on a common axis. The mix pattern ensures that all materials in the vessel are intermixed within a few minutes. Capacities are available up to 750 gal.
Charles Ross and Son; Hauppauge, N.Y.
631-234-0500; www.mixers.com


Consider custom
Custom-designed vessels are ASME code-certified up to 300 psig and are available in any capacity to 10,000 gal. The fabricator offers top-mount mixing with single, double or pharmaceutical-grade mechanical seals, as well as bottom-mount magnetic-coupled mixing options. Jacketing can be dimple or the company’s Uniflow jacketing.
Lee Industries; Philipsburg, Pa.
814-342-0470; www.leeind.com


High-speed paddle blender
The new Fluidizing Paddle Blender mixes five times faster than a ribbon blender; fluidizes powders quickly and efficiently; mixes homogenously independent of large range of particle size, shape or density; has less degradation than ribbon blenders; generates low heat due to friction; has a low cost due to unique single U shaped vessel and rotor design; and is easy to clean out. Units are available in carbon steel, stainless steel and sanitary construction for a wide variety of solids to solid and solids to liquid blending applications.
Eirich Group; Gurnee, Ill.
847-336-2444; www.eirichusa.com


Powder-saving technology
The Ytron ZC Powder Disperser is engineered to incorporate and disperse extremely difficult-to-wet gums into a liquid stream in a single pass. The advanced design of the rotor/stator provides for intense shearing of the gums prior to hydration, to produce homogenous dispersions that are completely free of lumps and “fish-eyes.” A near-perfect vacuum permits concentrations up to 25 percent by weight to be generated with minimal air entrainment. Because the powder is completely hydrated, yield is maximized and over-processing and waste are eliminated.
Quadro Inc.; Millburn, N.J.
973-376-1266; www.quadro.com

Munson Machinery Co.'s rotary batch mixer.

Three-minute mixer
Model 700-TH-20-SSJ is a 20 cu. ft. (.6 cu. m) sanitary, jacketed rotary batch mixer, which gently blends batches of ingredients in parts as small as one per million with 100 percent uniformity in less than three minutes while keeping materials heated or cooled. The mixer can be piped to an in-plant chiller to prevent heat-sensitive bulk products from agglomerating, clumping, degrading, smearing and/or sticking to contact surfaces; or to an in-plant steam, hot water or hot oil system to maintain elevated material temperatures during processing.
Munson Machinery Co.; Utica, N.Y.
800-944-6644, www.munsonmachinery.com


A clean sweep
A new design Clean Sweep mixer uses a swinging motion instead of the customary rotating motion, providing a hermetically sealed environment with no rotating shaft seal (mechanical seal). The mixer features a FDA/USP Class VI elastomeric seal, is suitable for low-shear, high-purity mixing applications and easily accommodates mixing at low-liquid levels. A new impeller provides global mixing throughout the vessel and easily reaches the bottom of the tank.
Chemineer Inc.; Dayton, Ohio
937-454-3200; www.chemineer.com


Touch screen to blend
The BD Series blenders provide homogenous blend quality through unique mix chambers. The BD 450 features a 2-6 component blender that can process material at 10-450 lbs/hr (4.6-204 kgs/hr). The BD 900 can process material at 10-900 lbs/hr. or 4.6-204 kgs/hr. They share a distinctive diamond design slide gate metering assembly and offer an Allen-Bradley PLC-based blender controller. The PanelView 550 touch screen interface simplifies operations by providing a menu-driven interface screen for complete control and monitoring of any batch blending operation.
AEC Inc.; Wood Dale, Ill.
630-595-1060; www.aecinternet.com


Thrown a curve
The curved leading edge of the Sanfoil impeller allows the CIP solution to effectively wet the underside of the blade. The free-flowing hub and blade design have no flat surfaces to encourage product collection. The 304/316L blades are available in a wide range of diameters, and are electropolished for cleanability. The impeller may be welded to the shaft, or a sanitary adjustable hub (with no exposed threads) is available for greater flexibility.
JV Northwest; Canby, Ore.
503-263-2858; www.jvnw.com