Mixers for solid products

Mixers for solid products are widely used e.g. in food, cosmetic and agricultural industries. They can be used to mix powders, grains of solids or plastic substances of high viscosity (e.g. paste). Depending on the properties of the substances being mixed, the mixer is equipped with a special type of agitator, ensuring the appropriate degree of mixing of the ingredients.

Sigma mixer

The sigma mixer has a special slow-running double sigmoid mixer. The agitators rotate in opposite directions. They can also rotate at different speeds. With this type of mixer, it is possible to carry out the process of mixing or kneading of solid products, e.g. plastic products with complex rheology (various types of paste). These materials are usually characterized by high viscosity. The sigma mixer is used in the food and cosmetics industries and wherever a proper mixing of high viscosity solids is required and achieved in a short time.

Ribbon mixer

The ribbon mixer is equipped with a special ribbon spiral, which is located in the central part of the tank along its entire length. This type of mixer is used to obtain uniform mixtures of solid products. The substances used may have relatively large differences in bulk density. Dusty solids such as spices, powder aromas, sports nutrition, but also dusts with fine solids grains can be mixed.The degree of mixing depends on the type of particles used in the mixture, i.e. their size, proportions of components or physicochemical properties, process time and agitator speed. The ribbon mixer is characterized by higher mixing efficiency in relation to the paddle mixer and gravity mixer. Optionally, the mixer can also be used for controlled wetting of solids through a system of integrated spray nozzles. This type of mixer is best used in continuous operation due to the complex washing out of the ribbon agitator. These devices are widely used in various industries, e.g. food or agriculture. An important parameter of ribbon mixers is the volume factor, which determines the degree of filling of the mixer chamber volume. It is usually at the level of 0.3 – 0.4 of the tank volume.

Paddle mixer

The paddle mixer has a shaft with the paddles placed on it along its entire length and around its entire circumference.The blades are set appropriately so that the mixing process takes place correctly. This mixer is used for coarse mixing of materials from 2-3mm to several centimetres. Mixing efficiency is characteristic of the large volume of solid product per paddle. A typical application is the humidification of coarse fractions of solid products, e.g. the humidification of tobacco slices with aromas, the humidification of peat, the humidification of biomass or granules. Important aspects when designing a paddle mixer are the way it is loaded and unloaded and the mode of operation: continuous or periodic. The polished internal surface of the mixer contributes to more effective tank cleaning and reduction of deposits.