Whitepapers

In processing plants around the world, ribbon blenders are used to mix many thousands of products, from fertilizers and plastic resins to flavored coffees and cosmetics. The ribbon blender is one of the most common mixing devices in service today, because it is one of the most versatile and cost-efficient mixers ever created. Its simple design makes it relatively easy to build. Simplicity also ensures easy maintenance.

But during the last few years, business conditions have changed in many industries. Competitive pressures have mounted worldwide to increase production, reduce waste, and improve end-product quality and consistency. Suddenly process managers are finding that the "common" ribbon blender isn't so simple anymore.

One by one, the process industries have recognized that many small improvements on the process line can add up to a big gain in overall production.

• Faster discharge means shorter blending cycles and greater production on every shift
• More thorough discharge means less cleaning, greater accuracy, and less risk of cross-contamination between batches
• A variable-speed drive allows you to fine-tune the blending process, so you can intensify blending without fear of product degradation

Several years ago, selecting a ribbon blender was mainly a matter of matching your drive and ribbon design to the bulk density of your product. In most applications today, this is only the beginning of the design process. In drives, ribbon design and materials, seals, packing materials and discharge valves, we now have many new choices to consider in order to boost productivity.

The result is that ribbon blenders are now being used in many applications - in plastics, pharmaceuticals, foods and other industries -that are surprisingly sophisticated.