Source: Trade XL
Anywhere you try to look at – if it pertains to manufacturing, it involves industrial mixing. Mixing is one of the most vital operations that usually takes place in the middle of the processing of raw materials. In the food industry, typical procedures would start off with harvesting the fruits, then proceed with removing the hulls, cleaning the kernel or bean or fruit, reducing their size, grinding them until they become refined into a paste.
Adding of auxiliary ingredients will occur next and an agitated mixing will begin. Heating and cooling might be needed in the process. Packaging, labeling, and distribution too, as the conclusive steps.
The heart of the manufacturing process is the mixing operation. It is where the physical and intricate attributes of the products are meticulously formed and achieved. The right texture, shape, color, taste, viscosity, smoothness, etc. Therefore, the mixers are much more important.
Introducing The Planetary Mixer
Among all types of industrial mixers, you can be familiar with the most common: rotor-stators, ribbon blenders, vacuum emulsifiers, homogenizers, etc. Yet, we also have the powerful and operative planetary mixer. People might not hear it quite often, but the use of planetary mixers is totally in high demand in manufacturing companies, particularly in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and chemical industries.
What is a planetary mixer? A planetary mixer is an industrial machine that is mainly designed for intensive mixing. Yes, much more intense than that of high shear mixing, dry blending, emulsification, and high viscosity batch mixing. Its agitation pattern is considered as planetary. Planetary blades rotate on its own line and direction while a mixing bowl also spins at the center.
The efficacy of planetary mixers come from the mass shifting of the concentration in a uniform manner. Thus, medium to high viscous fluid or overall mixture is properly and evenly blended.
Main Elements and Features
Planetary mixers, depending on the type or capacity and size, all have a bowl or tank where the ingredients, samples, or elements can be held. Mixing element such as blades, flat beaters, hooks, etc. act as the agitator of the equipment. Another element is the motor. It enables whisking automatically. Of course, to control the entire thing, an operator box with all the necessary buttons and options allows the manufacturer to spearhead the mixing process, speed, pressure, timing, and others.
The following are some of the main features of planetary mixers:
- User-friendly structure and operation
- Small to large amounts of working capacity
- Able to handle and mix medium to high viscosity
- Usually comes with a wall scraper and disperser complementing the planetary agitator
- Typically contains lifting system; easy to clean and maintain
- Owns a portable tank for the process of mixing batches continuously
- Easy operations assisted by a control panel
- Hydraulic power
- Extrusion pressure
- Dimensions
- Lifting distance
- Can be treated and hardened through heat
The Advantages of Using a Planetary Mixer
- It reduces manual labor and prolonged mixing time for other types of mixers. Planetary mixers are effectively utilized for much thicker ingredients and pastes. The ones that are difficult to blend. Other machines would either take a much longer time in mixing and processing the elements or won’t be able to perform at all. Planetary mixers save them all the time.
- Proper mixing is guaranteed. Say goodbye to dead spaces, because planetary mixers operate very well such that aeration or the entry of air bubbles has no place in the overall composition. As mentioned earlier, uniform mixing is attained through a mass shifting of ingredients.
- Higher densities of the product can be developed by using it. Voids within will be eliminated especially if the planetary mixer comes with a vacuum feature. Due to enhanced shearing, the components will upgrade its pliability – tensile properties. Mixing will be much easier in manufacturing.
- It only requires low maintenance. Keeping the planetary mixer at its best state does not demand expensive preservations and mechanical support. Issues on leakage will not be a problem. Though it is not a high-maintenance machine, its performance is still optimum.
- It is double-efficient in mixing. How is this possible? The mixing blades are set on an axis different from the rotating bowl that holds the ingredients.
- Each ingredient or material circulates repeatedly and rigorously. In connection with proper mixing, planetary mixers are one of the best apparatuses that turn the elements of the product upside down (figuratively). But true enough, no ingredient is left untouched or in the same place. Everything will surely be transported anywhere in the tank.
- Most of the planetary mixers contain a ‘power hub’ in front of it. This statement is chiefly accurate for food application. This means the mixing instrument is interchangeable with other utensils designed to fit the machine. Additional attachments can also be accommodated by the planetary mixer that comes with a power hub.
Conclusion
Planetary mixers are very much versatile. They also work with minimal noise and vibrations. It has been stated that they also consume less energy, which lowers production costs. The safety of food or other materials processed through a planetary mixer is ensured. It can be maintained without spending too much and it is proven to be durable with a longer shelf life. Overall, planetary mixers are a good choice for any mixing operation!
