machinery feature | Mixers
B&P says that its TriVolution combines the mixing features of a reciprocat- ing kneader with those of a twin-screw machine
more valuable to customers. If we solve a problem for one compounder, we can commercialize the solution and apply it to others.”
Another supplier of continuous
mixers, Technical Process & Engineering Inc (TPEI) continues to upgrade and expand a design it commer- cialized several years ago – its Free Rotor (FR) machines. FR rotors are three-piece
constructions that are installed without opening a machine’s driveshaft bearing block. This is possible because the rotor shafts are separate from the rotor body. The rotor itself is installed with couplings, says engineer Jim Hower. This facilitates installation and doesn’t expose bearings to contaminants. FR models also come in extended FRE versions,
which lengthen the rotor body by 1 L/D. Hower says this permits an extension of the feed chamber, which improves the feeding and processing of lightweight and other hard-to-feed materials such as recyclate. Eight models of the FR and FRE mixers are available
– two in FR confi gurations and six in FRE versions. Hower points out that TPEI’s rotors evenly disperse
highly loaded materials such as colour concentrates. Some formulations have an 85/15 ratio of concentrate and base material. Ajax Equipment of the UK recently supplied a
continuous mixer to replace a large batch mixer at Swedish compounder Polykemi. It is said to provide more process fl exibility and faster cleaning. The improved fl exibility of the continuous machine means that it mixes short runs more effi ciently than the batch unit, notably by providing greater control over com-
pound quality and lower residence times. Rapid cleaning reduces downtime during material changeovers, which increases productivity. The mixer is from Ajax’s LynFlow
range of designs, which are offered in four screw diameters (100, 200, 300 and 400 mm), and in single- or twin-screw confi gurations. Polykemi selected a twin- screw 200 mm unit, says Eddie McGee, technical director at Ajax.
The machine uses a special paddle design for effi cient mixing and conveying of materials. This screw has
“benefi cial effects for mixing,
cleanability and resisting clogging,” he explains. Throughput is up to 5 m3
/hour,
about 11,000 lb (5,000 kg). Polykemi specifi ed the new mixer because of the
“almost food-quality high standard of fi nish” on the stainless steel twin-screw mixer, as well as its quick-release couplings and polycarbonate covers that permit visual inspection of mixing. One continuous mixer that utilizes innovative
technology to optimize process capabilities is the TriVolution line of single-screw machines from B&P Process Equipment. The system achieves dispersive and distributive mixing. It also allows controlled shear mixing with high surface area regeneration for devolati- zation and reactive processing of materials. The unit performs these and other capabilities by
blending the mixing features of a reciprocating kneader with those of a twin-screw extruder, says Michael Lazorchak, global product manager for mixing systems. But there is a twist. Whereas reciprocating kneaders allow one stroke (a forward and backward movement) per screw revolution, the TriVolution mixer generates
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