What Are Industrial Mixers?

Industrial mixers are machines that are used to blend, mix, or combine different elements in commercial settings. They are frequently found in food factories, in chemical and pharmaceutical labs, and in product manufacturing facilities. Most industrial mixers bear little resemblance to regular home mixers. Industrial models are typically quite large and often look more like giant boxes or complex machines than anything else. The majority of industrial mixing tasks are performed in closed containers with limited air supply and controlled temperatures.

It is the rare processed food, cosmetic lotion, or pharmaceutical drug that contains but one ingredient. Most consumer products contain proprietary blends of different ingredients and chemicals that are not just mixed together, but are actually melded together through the scientific process of emulsification or chemical bonding. This special kind of blending is most often achieved with the help of an industrial mixing tool.

The main goal of industrial mixers is to facilitate some sort of reaction between ingredients. In most cases, simply combining the ingredients is only the first part of the process. Scientists are usually able to program industrial mixers in order to control their mixing speeds, temperatures, and times. Many mixers also give operators the option of slowly adding additional ingredients into the mix at certain intervals.

There are many different kinds of industrial mixers, most of which are optimized for different reactions and products. Industrial agitators, for instance, are used in situations when liquids need to be shaken together. High shear mixers, on the other hand, are designed to emulsify liquids or powders into solids, often using charged paddles and differing rotation angles. This kind of high shear mixing is essential to the formulation of lotions and other cream-like substances. High viscosity mixers soften thick materials like plastics and pastes by mechanically rolling and kneading them.

Nothing that a mixer does could not be done by a chemist or scientist, and in most circumstances these professionals use their expertise and research to manipulate the mixer’s settings. One of the mixer’s main advantages is volume and efficiency. With an industrial mixer, manufacturers can create enormous amounts of uniform substances without expending much labor capital. In this sense, industrial mixers are essential parts of many modern production endeavors.

Mixers are perhaps most common in scientific settings, particularly where the mass production of chemical compounds or medications is required. Once pharmacologists have nailed down the precise reaction that needs to happen in order to get a certain drug, they can program industrial mixers to facilitate that breakdown and reaction on a much larger scale. Pharmaceuticals could simply not be produced at the volume they are without some sort of high-powered mixing technology.

In food factories, mixers are often used in the course of adding and stabilizing preservatives. In order for food products to be both transportable and suitable for consumption, they are often augmented with various chemical stabilizing agents. These agents must be mixed into the food’s ordinary composition in such a way that their molecules will bind to flavor molecules and other starchy substances.

Almost any time chemical reactions or bonding needs to happen on a large scale, industrial mixers are likely behind the scenes. Not only do these mixers provide a fast way of ensuring a desired end, they also give manufacturers the ability to produce a wide variety of uniform products. This reduces the incidence of human error and ensures a steady stream of quality products over time.