The unique process of combining different materials to get a homogenous product is called mixing. Mixing is an essential process, because the quality of the final product mainly depends on the mixing procedure. This process is widely used in almost any industry, because a homogenous product with a specific weight, volume, size, color and other attributes is always needed. For that reason, today there are many different types of mixing equipment, and the buyers can select a particular type in order to ensure an effective and efficient mixing. Effective and efficient mixing results in shorter batch cycle times and less operational costs.
Contractors and business owners today look for equipment that is capable of fast blend times, lower power consumption, easier cleaning, equipment flexibility, etc. But the most important thing is to choose the right mixer or agitator for specific application. Although there are many different types, the following three are the most commonly used types of mixing equipment.
Agitator – The mixing agitator is the most efficient mixing equipment that can be used for many mixing processes. The mixing agitator is especially efficient for mixing liquid with liquid and liquid with gas. This agitator is used extensively in every industry. A typical mixing agitator consists of an impeller that is located on the shaft of the motor. The impeller provides quick turnings and allows efficient mixing process. Depending on the angle of the blade, the impeller of the mixing agitator can be axial or radial. The axial flow impeller is used when the angle of the blade is less than 90 degrees, while the radial flow is aligned to the axis, discharging the flow along the radius of the impeller.
Heavy-Duty Mixer – Another extremely efficient agitator or mixer is the heavy-duty mixer. The heavy-duty mixer is used for high-viscosity and pasty materials because it provides high drag force. This mixer is capable of mixing even the heaviest compounds of a homogenous mixture. The heavy-duty mixer comes in many different shapes and sizes, such as a double arm mixer, dual/triple shaft mixer, planetary mixer, etc.
Blender – The blender is always related to kitchen, cooking or to the food industry, but it is also very efficient in many other industries that require solid with solid blending. There are several types of blenders, each coming with unique specifications. By specifying the mechanism of mixing, the buyers can easily select a mixing agitator. Blenders can be classified as convective, tumbler and fluidization types of mixers.
