Industrial mixers have unique design and fabrication requirements to ensure their safe and efficient operation, especially when mixing harsh elements such as paint or chemicals for downstream processing.
That’s because harsh materials are often abrasive, corrosive, sticky, sludgy, or have a varying consistency that can damage the mixer’s shaft, seals, paddles, and other critical components. This concern not only applies to the raw materials, but also to the reactive material after processing.
To help mitigate the risk of damaging the equipment and avoid expensive downtime, time-consuming cleaning, and costly parts replacement before their time, special considerations must be taken into account during the design phase of the fabrication project.
Construction Materials
Carbon steel is often the preferred choice for many mixing applications. However, when mixing harsh feedstock, consider using a harder specialty alloy to protect against abrasion, corrosion, or a temperature rise in the reactive materials.
It’s crucial to plan for worst-case scenarios when determining which grade of steel or specialty alloy to use when fabricating the mixer. We recommend conducting material lab tests to observe the wear effects that the mixing compounds and reactives have on the building materials you’re considering. Assessing the results will enable you to find a balance between the corrosion and abrasion resistance you need and the associated costs, as tougher raw materials will increase your budget.
Your fabrication service provider will also be able to advise on the best material options for your specific application.
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Engine Power
Dealing with thick, sticky, or sludge-like materials requires sufficient horsepower and torque to mix them properly. This is also true if your reaction thickens with processing. There is also the risk of tramp material entering the mixer and becoming stuck; your mixer must be powerful enough to dislodge it before it can cause any damage.
When designing your mixer, ensure that you factor in adequate horsepower to achieve consistent performance throughout the mixing process.
Many engineered equipment manufacturers recommend integrating variable frequency drives (VFDs) into their customers’ mixer designs. This technology enables processors to automatically control motor speed in response to changes in feedstock or the production environment. Furthermore, these units help improve energy efficiency, lower operating cost and extend equipment lifespan
Paddle Arrangement
Fabricators typically install various paddle arrangements in industrial mixers, allowing operators to have greater control over the material moving through the equipment and how long it stays in the mixer to achieve the desired results. With thicker materials, the paddles may have to work harder to move the material through the mixer, placing additional strain on the drive components and potentially shortening their lifespan.
There are several ways that fabricators can configure the paddle arrangement to ensure consistent material movement. The number of paddles, as well as their placement, direction, and pitch, can all be adjusted to influence how long the material stays in the mixer before being processed, while preventing material from colliding against itself and creating a rolling action that can put additional stress on your equipment.
Liquid Spraying System
This important component of an industrial mixer uses a network of nozzles to evenly introduce liquids into a dry powder mix during the mixing process. Sticky materials can often prove challenging for efficient mixing with liquid, especially if the feed rate is difficult to control.
Fabricators can customize the elements of the spray system to meet specific application requirements, including the type of nozzle, spray rate, binder concentration, nozzle cleaning mechanisms, number of spray ports, spray height above the material bed, and more. Specifically, the binder feed rate needs to be adjustable so operators can respond quickly to changes in the feedstock. Additionally, including extra spray ports in the design provides operators with an additional way to manipulate the material.
Safety Modifications
Although all industrial mixers are typically made with robust factory features, additional measures may be required when working with harsher materials. The measures will depend on the machine’s specific application, as well as feedstock and reactive concerns such as toxicity, causticity, dust or vapour inhalation, or the risk of combustion.
Fabricators can mitigate these concerns with various integrations. For example, hazardous vapours and dust can be channelled out of the mixer through a venting system. Additionally, automatic kill switches can be installed to stop the unit if the cover or inspection door is opened during operation.
AEP Stratford: Your Only Stop For High-Quality Custom-Engineered Industrial Equipment
AEP Stratford has partnered with world-class brands to offer a wide range of high-quality, engineered industrial products, including mixing and dispersal systems, above-ground and field-erected storage tanks, heat exchangers, autoclaves, hot water and expansion tanks, pressure and process vessels, and more.
Our Arrow fabrication team utilizes advanced technology when fabricating our engineered products to meet every design need, regardless of its size, intricacy, or complexity. Our goal is to help you save on OEM fabrication costs, lower your lead times, and increase profits with cost-effective solutions delivered quickly and efficiently.
Call us when you’re ready to design and build your next engineered product that will help you achieve sustainable, long-term success and profitability.
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