Resources

Resources > Mixing Technology Insights

Mixing Technology Insights

Mixing Technology Insights offer a brief look into ROSS' products, process expertise and market strengths. The reports delve into how the equipment can be used to improve your process and to add to your bottom line. ROSS strives to provide its customers with up to date information covering new technology in the industrial mixing and blending industry.

Select a specific product, process or market to view a list of related Insights:

• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Wood Putties and Fillers
  Wood putties and fillers are compounds used to hide woodworking imperfections such as holes, scratches and gouges.
• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Emulsion Adhesives
  Water-based emulsion adhesives serve multi-purpose uses in packaging, construction, textile and other applications. They bond plastic, coated papers, wood, metal surfaces, ceramics, concrete, glass and other substrates.
• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Structural Adhesives
  Structural adhesives are formulated from different chemistries depending on their end use and desired performance. Base resins are typically epoxy, acrylic, polyurethane or cyanoacrylate.
• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Silicone Elastomers
  Silicone elastomers are highly versatile materials used in making various end products, from automotive gaskets and power cables to sanitary tubings and medical implants. Also commonly called silicone rubber, this type of elastomer consists of crosslinked silicone polymers typically filled with additives to achieve desired physical and chemical properties.
• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Urethane Sealants
  Urethane sealants are applied in a wide variety of substrates. Different chemistries give rise to specific cure rates, bond strength, flexibility, hardness, chemical and heat resistance, vibration and sound absorption, consistency and other properties that affect sealing performance.
• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Pressure Sensitive Adhesives
  Formulated from rubber, acrylic or silicone polymers, pressure-sensitive adhesives are produced in several different ways depending on their chemistry, end-use and application.
• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Medical Adhesives
  The growing demand for prescription and over-the-counter transdermal products encompasses a wide range of uses and conditions, from motion sickness and smoking cessation, to hormone replacements and pain management.
• Recommended Mixing Equipment for Encapsulation Materials
  The majority of encapsulation materials utilized in electronic packages are highly-filled epoxy and hardener resin systems.
• Multi-purpose laboratory mixers
  Multi-Shaft Mixers are highly efficient and versatile equipment ideal for developing formulations of wide ranging viscosities and characteristics.
• 5 ways to reduce labor costs in your mixing operation
  Labor costs account for a significant portion of mixing costs. This bulletin presents five basic tips for optimizing labor costs and improving productivity in the mixing operation.
• Multi-viscosity mixing in a Triple-Shaft Mixer
  This bulletin provides a step-by-step look at a typical multi-shaft mixer application which demonstrates the system’s processing flexibility in terms of mixing, heating, cooling and deaerating batch material at different viscosity stages.
• Processing techniques for multi-agitator systems
  This bulletin discusses some processing techniques for mixing in a multi-agitator system.
• Buying reconditioned mixing equipment
  When properly restored to perfect working condition, ideally by the OEM, a reconditioned mixer or blender is comparable, if not equal, in efficiency to new equipment. The savings in cost and faster shipment help you get to the profitable stage sooner without sacrificing reliability.
• One pot mixing
  Multi-step mixing operations involving two or more pieces of equipment can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. With the use of a versatile mixing system, some of these applications can be batched and completed in a single vessel. This one-pot processing approach can significantly reduce cycle times, simplify clean-up and maintenance, enhance batch-to-batch consistency and improve overall production efficiency..
• Mixing highly filled compounds
  Obtaining a good dispersion of fillers into a mixture is critical to end product quality. Highly filled, viscous compounds can be successfully prepared in multi-shaft or planetary mixers.
• Advantages of double planetary mixers over sigma blade kneaders
  Many high viscosity materials that are being made on sigma blade kneaders can be processed in double planetary mixers. The advantages of switching to the double planetary mixer design include better cleanability, smaller footprint and lower capital cost.
• Preparing for a mixing trial.
  Simulation trials are useful experiments that help identify the right mixer for a specific application and predict machine performance. This bulletin discusses some preparation ideas for a smooth and productive mixer testing.
• Mixing dilatant materials
  Dilatant materials pose a unique mixing challenge due to their very nature: the greater the shear forces applied to the material, the more resistance is encountered. Heavy-duty, high-torque double planetary mixers operated under comparatively low speeds are ideal for processing shear-thickening mixtures.
• Mixing high solids formulations
  Mixer selection for high solids formulations depends on viscosity rather than percent solids. Regardless of solids concentration, low-viscosity mixtures can be prepared in single-shaft rotor/stator mixers or high speed dispersers. For products that undergo a high viscosity phase, multi-agitator and planetary mixing equipment are commonly employed.
• Shorten your dissolution time by switching to a multi-agitator mixer.
  Dissolution processes can be optimized through the use of multi-agitator mixers which provide a combination of low-speed blending, high shear mixing, particle size reduction and superior heat transfer.
• Hybrid planetary mixers produce high viscosity mixtures with ultra-fine dispersion quality.
  Hybrid planetary mixers are utilized for creating fine dispersions in viscous mixtures, typically within the viscosity range of 100,000 to 2 million cP. Intense mixing is applied to the product by constantly advancing a high speed disperser and a low speed stirrer into the batch. Solids are quickly incorporated into the viscous bulk material and agglomerates are dispersed regardless of product flow characteristics. Designs for multiple planetary stirrers and disperser blades are available for more demanding applications.
• High speed mixing: saw-tooth dispersers vs. rotor/stator mixers
  The saw-tooth disperser and rotor/stator mixer are two of the most widely used high speed mixers yet many are unaware of the differences in their utility and operating capacities. Knowing the unique attributes of these devices is important in mixer selection and process optimization.
• Consider the advantages and disadvantages of scrapers.
  Consider the advantages and disadvantages of scrapers.
  The use of scrapers in batch mixing operations helps improve product homogeneity and heat transfer efficiency. However, there are cases wherein scrapers are not recommended such as in the processing of abrasive applications or highly viscous, sticky materials.
• Multi-agitator mixer/reactors
  Multi-agitator mixers are ideal for reaction processes that require intense mixing, high speed dissolution, emulsification, deagglomeration or heating/cooling of viscous liquids.
• Double planetary mixers are ideal for low shear dispersion of viscous materials.
  Viscous products possessing shear-sensitive behavior, fragile components or abrasive properties require gentle but thorough mixing. In most cases, a double planetary mixer is the best choice for processing such applications.
• Helical double planetary blades promote better and cleaner mixing
  Traditional double planetary mixers equipped with rectangular-shaped paddles are prone to ‘climbing’ issues where product tends to ride up the blades and out of the mix vessel. Precisely angled helical planetary blades overcome this problem and promote better, cleaner mixing.