Introducing The ROSS Technical Services Group
The mark of a world class equipment manufacturer is leadership - a company's ability to develop innovative technology, new equipment, and new techniques for making familiar equipment more productive.
That requires a solid commitment to research & development and a clear vision of what process engineers really need to boost production and product quality. The company's R&D effort must be dedicated to development that can lead quickly to significant gains in process-line efficiency.
This is the mission that drives the team of engineers who comprise the new Technical Services Group at ROSS.
We believe that ROSS is really in both the mixing equipment business and the information business.The goal of our Technical Services Group is to manage the information and expertise that ROSS has accumulated over the years. No other company has been in the specialty mixer business longer. No other company has acquired so much front-line experience in such a wide range of industries. Our goal is to make all of that knowledge work harder for ROSS and its customers."
Analytical Laboratory
Quantitative measurement is a critical step in testing. With advanced laser diffraction particle size analyzers and other specialized instruments, ROSS offers its customers excellent accuracy in assessing test results. Especially when the process requires sub-micron emulsification or dispersion, this degree of accuracy ensures that customers are buying the best possible equipment.
"Developing new test methods is a key element in our plan to improve the resources we can offer our customers," says Mr. Langhorn. "By quantifying the mixing process, we can apply our experience much more effectively. Innovation and meaningful progress in equipment design requires a combination of imagination and rigorous analysis."
Research and Development
- New product development is moving faster than ever at ROSS, and the program is already paying dividends.
- Recent breakthroughs in rotor/stator generator design have yielded the "X-Series" family of Rotor/Stator Mixers, which produce sub-micron emulsions faster than any other mixer - and much less expensively than high pressure homogenizers or colloid mills.
- The new PreMax has achieved a similar advance in pigment dispersions. These new mixers can drastically reduce the number of passes needed in a media mill, or eliminate the mill completely.
- Numerous new devices, like the SLIM Solid/Liquid Injection Manifold and the SISAL vacuum injection system, are accelerating the mixing process and improving operator safety in many industries.
A dedicated design and fabrication shop gives the R&D team the resources necessary to keep the program rolling in high gear. The shop is fully equipped with lathes, mills, and equipment for grinding and polishing. This is where the Technical Services Group develops prototypes for testing new mixers and blenders, and for improving ROSS's current line of equipment.
Technical Publications
Technology in mixing, blending, emulsification and dispersion is advancing quickly at ROSS. Through our newsletters, we are making that knowledge available to the entire community of ROSS customers.
As new application data emerges from our testing program, we prepare application data sheets to share insights with our customers. Although these analyses are strictly limited to information that is not proprietary, they often spotlight processing techniques that are useful throughout our customer base.
Put Our Resources to Work
If you are not already taking advantage of all the experience and expertise ROSS can offer, call 1-800-243-ROSS to discuss your needs with the ROSS Technical Services Group. We will be glad to give you more details on our testing program. We can also provide application information to help make your process operation more efficient, and to improve the quality of your products.
Today, most process engineers consider quantitative testing a critical step in selecting and optimizing mixing equipment. The ROSS Analytical Laboratory is equipped with sophisticated instrumentation, such as a laser diffraction particle size analyzer, to measure particle/droplet size as well as size distribution.
In the ROSS Test & Development Center, customers work with highly-trained lab professionals to simulate their process, test a variety of equipment, and optimize its performance before a purchase is finalized.
Mixing and Blending Equipment Available
Mixing and Blending Equipment available for evaluation in the ROSS Test and Development Center:
- VersaMix- 2 and 100 gallon
- Dual Shaft Mixer- 50 gallon
- Double Planetary- 2 and 40 gallon
- PowerMix- 2 and 10gallon
- Discharge System- 2, 10 and 40 gallon
- Three Roll Mill- 4 x 8"
- Rotor/Stator Mixer- Batch 1, 2, 5 hp
- Rotor/Stator Mixer- In-Line, 1, 5 hp
- Ultra High Shear Batch- 20 hp
- Ultra High Shear Inline- 20 hp
- Vertical Blender- 1 cu.ft.
- V-Tumble Blender- 1 cu.ft.
- Ribbon Blender- 1 and 18 cu.ft. Batch models
- Paddle Blender- 1 cu.ft.
- Turboemulsifier- 50 liter
- Kneader Extruder- 15 gallon
Ancilliary Equipment
Heating and Cooling:
- 36 and 18 kW oil heaters
- 24 kW water heater
- 6 and 20 kW steam generators
- Helex heat exchanger and vapor condenser
Fluid Pumps:
- 1" and 3" positive displacement pumps
- 1" and 1 1/2" diaphragm pumps
Vacuum Pumps:
- 2 and 10 hp liquid ring vacuum pumps
- 2 hp rotary vane vacuum pump
Miscellaneous:
- Variable frequency drives up to 250 HP
Analytical Equipment:
- balances and scales with ranges from 0.1g to 450kg (0.0002 to 1000 lb.) capacities
- Digital pH/ion meter
- Light microscope with 1500x magnification
- Moisture determination balance
- Malvern Mastersizer Laser diffraction particle size analyzer
- stainless steel testing sieves
- Brookfield viscometers model DVII+ digital and model HBT with Helipath stand