Single-Pot Process

Mixing, granulating, coating, drying, heating, and cooling can all be performed in this single unit that was developed for the food industry.

This machine was designed and built for a producer in the food industry, Intended for use in R&D, the machine had to be as compact and as multifunctional as possible. The "single-pot" process achieves chemical reactions or mechanical product treatment in one single machine: several process steps can take place without having to isolate the intermediate products. Depending on the application, all reactants can be added into the machine right at the beginning of the process or one after the other as required.

This all-in-one solution is based on the classical concept of the Lödige Ploughshare mixer. It is composed of a horizontal, cylindrical drum that is equipped with a main mixing shaft fitted with Ploughshare shovels, generating a mechanical fluid bed by rotating. These achieve a rapid and intensive mixing of the product. Thanks to the new process, the vacuum drying can then be performed in the same machine, saving time and treating the product with care. Subsequent cooling down of the product is also possible, if necessary, for further processing. Pressurized operation is possible in the new machine for the production of reaction flavors, for example. Furthermore, there is the possibility to perform a coating and granulating of the product in this same machine. The liquid introduction is performed using spray nozzles.

Whatever is needed to produce -- soup, paste, or powder -- the field of application with the all-in-one process is large and there are nearly no limits. The design and size of the machine complies with the flexibility required in R&D: Having a 50-l mixing drum allowing filling degrees from 25–75%, the unit is not only compact, but also mobile. The machine, together with its periphery equipment (control cabinet, vacuum pump), is placed on wheels for mobility within the research facility.

Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH, Paderborn, Germany +49-5251-309-159 loedige.de

For more articles, news, and equipment reviews, visit our Equipment Zones