Mixing & Blending Spotlight - June 2010

Rotary Drum Batch Mixer
This massive Rollo-Mixer rotary drum batch mixer rotates at only 2 rpm and will uniformly blend 65,000-lb batches of friable, cube-like particles in three minutes. The dimensions of the Model 132-1286/50s are 19 ft OAL, 16 ft OAW, and 14 ft 6 in. OAH, and the unit weighs 52,000 lb. Effective batch mixing volume is 1286 cu ft. A video is available at www.continentalrollomixer.com/videos/worlds_largest.php. Continental Products Corp., Milwaukee, WI 414-964-0640 www.continentalrollomixer.com

Square-Bin Blender
The SFM-2000 blender speeds ingredient handling by accommodating pharmaceutical manufacturers’ most commonly used square bins. This minimizes campaign disruptions and shortens loading time and changeout. The blender can be configured to blend square-shaped bins of any design. Bohle can also provide square bins to match existing configurations or to utilize its patented blending technology. The square bin blender provides homogeneous blending of dry powder batches using patented blending elements mounted to the inside of the container lid. The blending procedure can be scaled from 5 to 2500 L. Users also can exchange blending containers to accommodate different volumes.  L.B. Bohle LLC, Warminster, PA 215-957-1240 www.lbbohle.com

Conical Vacuum Dryer-Mixers
These conical vacuum dryer-mixers offer high mixing accuracy and low shear force to the products being dried and mixed, while requiring low energy consumption, along with the ability for variable volume filling down to 20% of overall volume design on powders, pastes, and slurries. Many different processing tasks can be carried out simultaneously to include drying, mixing, heating/cooling, de-aeration, crystallization, granulation, agglomeration, and the injection of liquids or gases directly into the batch during processing in a totally enclosed safe environment. Typical applications range from plastics, spices, adhesives, soap powders, and food premixes, to shampoos, toothpastes, gelatins, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. Bolz-Summix (USA), Swedesboro, NJ 856-241-9970 www.mpegroupusa.com

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Miniature Rotary Batch Mixer
This miniature rotary batch mixer blends bulk ingredients, adds liquids, and achieves 100% batch uniformity in less than three minutes while heating or cooling the batch. It features an internal spray line for liquid additions and a jacketed mixing drum that can be piped to an oil, steam, or chiller system. The unit is equally effective at blending batches from 100 to 15% of its 1-cu-ft capacity. Four-way mixing action rapidly distributes particles without degradation, while causing the greatest number of particles to contact the vessel walls, maximizing thermal transfer efficiency. It is suitable for 3-A, USDA, or industrial lab or production applications. Munson Machinery, Utica, NY 800-944-6644 www.munsonmachinery.com

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Continuous Blender
The Vibra blender utilizes a combination of a rotating paddle and material fluidization to blend dry solids with the ease of liquids. Gentle controlled vibration of the mixing trough fluidizes ingredients on entry where a cut and fold mixing rotor provides agitation. Materials flow through the blender by gravity, making it completely self regulating to changes of infeed rate. The unit’s simple rugged design offers dust-tight operation, easy cleanout, and years of maintenance-free operation. The blender is available in capacities up to 1500 cu ft/hr. Vibra Screw Inc., Totowa, NJ 973-256-7410 www.vibrascrew.com

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Batching & Blending Systems
PRO series batch automation allows formulas to be manually or electronically entered into the system to automatically ensure that the proper amount of ingredients are measured into each scale and that the material is transferred to the mixing operation where the proper mixing cycle is handled, including mix time and transfer of ingredients to packaging or bulk load out. PRO series blend automation allows formulas to be manually or electronically entered into the system to automatically ensure that the proper ratio of liquid and dry ingredients are proportioned and blended into a homogeneous mixture. When used in conjunction with the Mistcoater liquid applicator and mass flow and volumetric metering systems, this system allows material to be accurately and consistently blended together automatically in a continuous flow process. APEC, Lake Odessa, MI 616-374-1000 www.apecusa.com

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Paddle Mixers
These high-performance paddle mixers mix free-flowing materials in under one minute to Cv. 5%. Features include: no shear rotors; aggressive shear can be added; high and low liquid additions; high and low volume; batch and continuous; and mixing systems with computer-based or PLC control. A&J Mixing International Inc.,  Oakville, ON, Canada 800-668-3470  www.ajmixing.com

Sanitary Mixers
These sanitary mixers offer compact and powerful designs from 5 to 1500 cu ft with options to suit any food, cosmetic, biotech, and pharmaceutical application. The ES Series is designed to meet budget constrained projects that require sanitary features such as: all stainless-steel construction; a range of high polish finishes with continuous welds that are radiused and ground to finish; and ribbon or paddle agitators with flanged journals for easy removal and cleaning. The Sanimix40 Series has additional features including more generously formed radius corners, and a cantilevered and inverted-drive mount, offering superior bearing protection while improving water and cleaning agent shedding capability. Sanitary 80 offers more robust designs for abrasive or high density materials.  S. Howes Inc., Silver Creek, NY 716-934-2611 www.showes.com

Double Shafted Fluidized Zone Mixer
The Bella XN double shafted fluidized zone mixer includes access doors that not only increase accessibility but also make it easier to clean when necessary. The mixer achieves fast, high-capacity, low-shear, precision mixing of either dry bulk solids or liquids with solids. Regardless of particle size, shape, or density, materials are mixed with a fast, efficient, and gentle action. Typical mixing times are 60 seconds or less. A weightless zone created by low-speed counter rotating shafts generates very low friction without shear. This makes it ideal for fragile products that cannot tolerate rough handling. Even flakes or spray-dried bodies remain intact. The mixer includes twin bomb-bay door openings for fast, efficient discharging and to minimize segregation during discharge. The Bella mixer is available in stainless steel for sanitary applications. Custom sizes, finishes, and materials of construction are available upon request. Dynamic Air Inc., St. Paul, MN  651-484-2900 www.dynamicair.com

Horizontal Blenders
Each of these two 900-cu-ft horizontal blenders is 9 ft wide, 9 ft, 2 in. tall, and 25 ft long with 125 hp direct-connected drives. The Multi-Pitch agitators are furnished to blend granular polypropylene with additives to the customer’s exact mixing requirements. Accessories furnished with each blender include a temperature gauge, temperature transmitter, and four 15,000-lb-capacity load cells all pre-wired to a local control panel with hand switch and weight indicator. Young Industries Inc., Muncy, PA  800-546-3165  www.younginds.com

Automated Mixing System
Designed specifically for fully automated introduction, transfer, mixing, and blending of multiple, sluggish materials, this integrated mixing system produces such homogenous blends that downstream production scrap is virtually eliminated. A lift-and-seal gaylord discharge system, with a dust-tight, custom discharge hood introduces the material to the transfer bin. An integrated agitator and vacuum pump transfer system supply material to the high-volume material mixer. Within the mixer, a 16-in.-diam auger mixes material in a 17-in.-diam, 10-gauge mix tube. In-feed scoop blades at the base of the mixing auger, and broad-throw dispersion paddles at the top of the mixing auger ensure a homogenous and consistent blend supply to downstream processes.  National Bulk Equipment Inc., Holland, MI 616-399-2220  www.nbe-inc.com