Sanitary Mixing

Design Considerations

Description of process
The first step in determining a mixer for your application is to consider the product characteristics and the steps involved in your manufacturing process. For example:

• What volume do you need to produce per shift or per day?
• Is a batch process preferable over a continuous or semi-continuous operation?
• What type of agitation is desired -- gentle blending, high shear mixing, combination?
• Is heating or cooling needed to control the batch temperature?
• What is the batch viscosity? Does it change drastically during the mixing cycle?
• Will the product benefit from deaeration before, during or after mixing?

Materials of construction
What material of construction is compatible with the product that will be processed in this machine? Typical wetted parts are stainless steel type 316 or 304. Hastelloy, titanium and surface coatings such as Teflon, Nylon, Kynar and aluminum oxide can also be supplied.

Elastomers
Many elastomers are available including, but not limited to Viton, Teflon, Neoprene and Kalrez. Which are compatible with your raw materials?

Shaft Seals
Single or double mechanical seals, special dry-running gas-purged seals, magnetic seals and lip seals are all available.

Agitator speeds
Many products require multiple steps to complete. These may include simple slow agitation for blending or heat transfer, high speed rotation for fine emulsification and homogenization, or even particle size reduction.

Polish
Standard polishes for sanitary requirements range from 150-grit to mirror finish. Electropolished product-contact parts may also be supplied.

CIP/SIP
How frequently will the mixer be cleaned? Automated and semi-automated cleaning systems are available as options.

Cover openings
Consideration must be given to how materials are going to be added before and after a process cycle. This will determine the number and size of the openings included in a cover. Thought should also be given to how a batch will be monitored, is a sight and light desirable, possibly including a wiper?

Inlet and outlet connections
Consideration must be given to how materials are to be transferred into and out of the mixer. This will determine the number and size of openings in the cover, as well as the discharge valve design. Does the product flow readily by gravity, or will it require some assistance from positive pressure or a discharge press? In addition to inlet connections, tank lights and glass sight ports are also usually included for batch monitoring.

Operator controls
Ross SysCon Control Panels, offered as an option on all Ross Mixers and Blenders, are built and wired to NFPA-79 and UL-508A standards. A wide range of control options from simple operator stations to fully automated PLC recipe systems can be supplied in any NEMA enclosure type to meet your specific application and environment.