Process Equipment Update
Mixers can be used with single or multistage rotor/stator configurations, so we have included that option with the Verso as well.” A full range of interchangeable workheads is available
for the Verso, allowing it to perform the widest range of mixing duties, including blending, emulsifying, homogenising, solubilising, suspending, dispersing, particle size reduction and reaction acceleration. Another innovation from Silverson is its new Flashmix
mixer. “It is a simple, effective and economical solution for some of the most complex powder/liquid mixing applications in the processing industries,” says Peter Matthews, technical manager, Silverson Machines. “In the design, we were able to combine intense high
shear, which gives us an agglomerate free mix, with a high rate of powder incorporation of up to 250 pounds/minute (130 kg/min).”
High powder flow rate Ergonomically designed, the Flashmix does not need a feed pump nor does it require adjustment during operation to maintain the high powder flow rate as viscosity increases. Powder incorporation is consistent, batch to batch. Its sanitary design incorporates an EHEDG and 3-A certified mixer that can be cleaned-in-place. The Flashmix is also energy efficient, requiring 65 per cent less power than similar machines. It is available in two models,
Why continuous is better than batch
R
eadco Kurimoto has been supplying industrial mixing technology for over 75 years and today specialises in the supply of continuous mixers to the process industries.
The company says that there are ten reasons why continuous mixing is better than batch mixing:
1. It requires far few people to be involved in the mixing process. 2. Cycle time is reduced. 3. Safety is improved because continuous processing systems are totally enclosed and, for example, there is no need to open and close processing units in order to add ingredients or check temperatures.
4. Environmental impact is reduced because dusts and vapours have less chance to become airborne and create work place hazards.
5. The whole process is less complicated and less expensive because there are fewer items of equipment involved.
6. Numerous processes such as mixing, cooking and reacting can be combined into one unit.
7. A vastly smaller footprint. 8. Reduced work in progress (WIP), because a continuous processing system means you become a just in time facility rather than a storage facility.
9. Since a continuous processor is only working on a small quantity ofmaterial at a time, the value of scrap is greatly reduced in the event of a downstream problem.
10. Improved product quality and consistency. Because loss in weight feeders and pumps are used, the consistency and quality of the finished product is always the same: no more batch to batch variations. ■
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each with or without a stainless steel sack table: the FMX30 with a 10 hp motor, and the FMX45 with a15 hp motor.
Test drive Buying a piece of production equipment is a long-term investment, so it stands to reason that customers may want to take it for a test drive, so to speak. Silverson understands this desire. In response to industry needs, it has initiated a free,
no-obligation, two-week trial programme that lets customers try out its mixing equipment prior to purchase. “Customers want to be certain the mixing equipment
they are buying is optimal for their production process, and rightfully so,” says Matt Smith, vp of sales, Silverson Machines. “It’s an important decision and no small investment.” From years of experience across a wide swath of
industries, the high shear mixing experts at Silverson have learned that every mixing application is unique. Because of this, Silverson tests its mixers under the
most realistic conditions possible. Then it helps customers choose the right mixer or customises one for their particular application.
End product viscosity Knowledge of variables such as raw material characteristics, end product viscosity, batch size and mixing temperature is used to determine the best mixer for each application. In addition to its trial programme, Silverson maintains two
dedicated test facilities - one in the United States and one in the United Kingdom - each equipped with a complete range of laboratory and production scale machines. At either of these sites, customers can test their
applications, try out new products and discuss specific applications with the technical staff. “We are confident that once a customer tries our
equipment, we’ll be able to help them optimise their processing,” says Smith. “Our high shear mixers can often reduce mixing times up to 90 per cent compared to conventional mixing equipment.”
Improving efficiency and energy use A JR Boone Delta Blade mixer has helped UK-based cementitious flooring manufacturer F Ball to improve its efficiency and cut energy usage. The mixer is being used for high-speed production in F
Ball’s new powder mixing plant. This is designed to produce up to 30 t/h of blended material. At any time there may be as many as six batches within
the process. With this amount of work in process, mixing speed and efficiency are paramount – thoroughly blending the additives throughout the bulk materials before the bomb door opens and the mixed material is deposited into the underhopper. A key objective of the plant was that it would have as
small an environmental impact as possible and a vital part of that objective was to minimise the energy used, for example by the use of gravity-fed rather than mechanically conveyed processes and making every element of the process as energy efficient as it could be – including the mixer itself.
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