Conical Powder Blender/Mixer
The Cycone vertical conical screw blender easily handles foods, detergents chemicals, resins, rock products, plastics, and pharmaceuticals, providing quick and precise mixing of batches in a single vessel with multistep processing. The rotating screw does not have a bottom bearing support, eliminating any dead spots or difficult areas to clean and allowing for full-bore open discharging of product. Discharge of the material is fast and simple. Rotating with the mixing screw is a spray nozzle that allows the user to inject liquid or gas ingredients into the batch. A sidewall-mounted lump breaker can be incorporated for more intense mixing. The design also lends itself to fast CIP cleaning.
Bolz-Summix, Swedesboro, NJ 856-241-9970 www.bolz-summix.com

Planetary Mixer
The planetary design of this patent-pending mixer makes it one of the fastest and most thorough units available. The countercurrent rotating action of the mixing arms can produce a homogeneous batch of refractory sand, conditioned waste dust, and other materials in as little as 60 seconds. Since reducing maintenance is an important factor in maintaining productivity, this unit is designed to minimize downtime. The mixing paddles are made of cast nickel-hard material to be abrasion resistant. Urethane guards protect the mixing arms to extend their service life, and the planetary-style gearbox is sealed to prevent contamination. The mixer is available in 0.5-, 1-, 1.5-, 2-, 3-, and 4-cu-yd sizes.
Mixer Systems Inc., Pewaukee, WI 800-756-4937 www.mixersystems.com

Paddle Mixers
Phlauer paddle mixers have low intensity and apply advanced mixing principles instead of simply mixing at a high speed. As a result, product is mixed in 60 seconds to CV <5 in small sample sizes. This performance ensures high product quality and minimizes batch-to-batch variations. The mixers are customized to suit specific applications. Liquid can be accurately added and shear can be applied to the batch using the Phlauer-Tech shear maker. Benefits include ingredient savings and high volume production in the same floor space as less-productive units.
A & J Mixing International Inc., 905-827-7288 www.ajmixing.com

Twin-Rotor Mixer and Hydrator
The twin-rotor Hydramix gently mixes and hydrates a wide variety of dry or sticky materials in a continuous flow without clogging. Rotor speed is about 10 rpm, which minimizes material shear and particle degradation, even during long residence times. The unit is capable of high production rates and residence times in excess of 60 minutes. Mixing speed and paddle angle can be adjusted separately, allowing the operator to vary the mixing energy imparted to the material independently of conveying speed. Liquid-injection nozzles can be located near the feed inlet or anywhere along the length for staged addition. Typical applications include blending feed supplements, fertilizers, or pesticides; hydration of phosphates; and hydration of soda ash.
Bepex International, Minneapolis, MN 612-331-4370 www.bepex.com

Continuous Powder-Liquid Mixer
The MHD 2000 continuous powder-liquid mixer is designed for controlled feeding and dispersing of solids into liquids. The patented design minimizes aeration by mechanically feeding in the solids instead of using a vacuum. The unit provides a truly closed system for dust-free feeding of powders and dispersing in one step. It can wet out powders at faster feed rates than previously achievable. The second mixing stage utilizes proven rotor-stator mixing technology to produce a homogeneous, lump-free product. It can be used as a stand-alone machine or incorporated into a complete turnkey system.
IKA Works, Wilmington, NC 800-733-3037 www.ikausa.com

Split-Shaft Seals for Vertical-Shaft Agitators
Top-entry agitator shafts on reactors and similar machinery are a frequent cause of sealing problems. Most shafts lack lower bearings and leak because of radial shaft misalignment, inaccessibility, shaft flotation, or thermal growth. Patented Meco OFS seals are effective in vertical-shaft vessels from vacuum to high pressure and require no purge or flush system. Split models can be quickly installed in place of packing glands without lifting the drive.
Woodex Bearing Company, Inc., Georgetown, ME 800-526-8800 207-371-2210 www.woodex-meco.com

Powder Induction System
The Fastfeed powder induction system provides consistent powder delivery even as viscosity and solids levels increase, ensuring that the system will never plug or foul. It offers the benefits of an in-line, skid-mounted dispersion system that feeds powders and disperses them instantly. It delivers powder in-line at controlled feed rates from 3 to 200 lb/min. The unit allows processors to add dry ingredients to mixing vessels in a more ergonomic fashion, reducing operator injuries. The system provides the shear required for mixing tougher ingredients, ensuring maximum yields.
Admix Inc., Manchester, NH 800-466-2369 www.admix.com

Pneumatic Blending Systems
Pneumatic blending is a quick, clean, and efficient method of obtaining homogenous batches of powdered, granular, or abrasive materials in transporters, atmospheric bins, and storage silos. The Model 244 and Model 277 pneumatic blenders are equipped with 6 or 12 wear-resistant aerators mounted around a housing cone. When the aeration valves are pulsed, gentle blasts of compressed air are injected into the batch at various angles to gently and continuously lift the materials upward and outward until the blending target is achieved. Built with few moving parts, these units have long service lives and require minimal maintenance.
Nol-Tec Systems Inc., Lino Lakes, MN 651-780-8600 www.nol-tec.com

Vertical Mixers
Gardner vertical mixers are available in a range of sizes from 100- to 25,000-L capacity. Each one offers wide fill variation and can mix to an accuracy of 1 part in 12,000. The mixers are successful where small trace elements are required to be mixed in large quantities of a carrier or base material.
Kemutec Inc., Bristol, PA 215-788-8013 www.kemutec.com

Horizontal Mixers
These horizontal mixers create a mechanical fluidized-bed mixing action. The mixing tools project and hurl material away from the wall into free space in a crisscross direction and inversely back again. Appropriate to the application, the size, number, geometric shape, arrangement, and peripheral speed of the mixing tools are designed to achieve the action. The plow separates and lifts the product into 3-D motion, while the number and arrangement of the tools ensure agitation back and forth along the length of the vessel. When required, the mix action is assisted by chopper devices—independent high-speed motors with customized blades for adding shear to the product mix. Agglomerating is controlled to the desired particle range and improves the densification and flow properties of the project.
Littleford Day Inc., Florence KY 859-525-7600 www.littleford.com

Fluidized Zone Mixer
The Bella fluidized zone 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 low friction without shear. This makes it suitable for fragile products that cannot tolerate rough handling. Even flakes or spray-dried bodies remain intact. The Bella XN mixer includes twin bomb-bay door openings that perform fast, efficient discharging and minimize segregation during discharge. Units are available in stainless steel for sanitary applications.
Dynamic Air Inc., St. Paul, MN 651-484-2900 www.dynamicair.com