Why Your Equipment Strategy Matters More Than You Think

Every manufacturing professional who produces either paints, inks, chemicals (or any other type of food) will have experienced that feeling of a "bad batch". The texture is not right, the separation has begun or the particulate sizes are not where they need to be.

This feeling is always very frustrating and can be extremely expensive. The majority of times these off-spec mixtures could have been avoided if the company invested in a proper system for how the machines interact with the specific ingredients they are mixing together.

There is often only one key difference between a "perfect" run and a wasted day: how well machines work with specific materials in producing a final product. It's more than just purchasing a machine and putting it into use; consideration must be taken into creating a company-wide process for producing a final product.

The High Speed Disperser (or "High Shear") is the foundation of every great batch. It breaks down all solids and introduces all solid particulates as quickly as possible into a mixture. It acts as the work horse of your floor, breaking down clumps (or agglomerates) and providing fast wetting for all solids.

High speed dispersers work differently than standard mixers to produce a final mixture with specific property characteristics. Standard mixers create movement of the mixture and the disperser "pulls" apart the fluid (creating shear).

If the initial mixing and wetting out process is not completed correctly and thoroughly, there will be no amount of fine grinding that will rescue the product. The initial mixing stage is the foundation of every quality mixture and should always be done thoroughly and effectively using the correct equipment.

Grinding: How a Custom Solution is Best for Your Needs

After mixing your materials, it's time to take the next step – Grinding Dispersion Equipment. This is the stage where you are attempting to achieve smaller particle sizes than the initial pre-mix (micron and nano sized particles). To accomplish this, you will need to grind the material down to the desired size.

This is also the point at which many manufacturers go wrong – purchasing a machine that works for someone else's application, instead of purchasing a custom solution developed specifically for their product. If you are working with an adhesive that has a low thermal limit (heat-sensitive) or with a ceramic that is abrasive, a stock stone mill may actually burn your product and become unusable within a month's time.

Due to the increasing number of manufacturers expecting their existing mills to work for all of their products, Custom Grinding Equipment has become the industry standard. Custom Solutions allow for modifications to be made to internal pieces of the machine, such as changing the metallurgy used for different products to minimize or eliminate contamination as well as designing the machine to maximize the cooling jacket. When a machine is designed specifically for your product, your overall productivity can be greatly increased when compared to going through a generic stone mill.

Don't Forget the Vessel

Now that we have covered the various components of an agitation system, let’s look at one of the most important aspects of agitation systems—vessels. A lot of people think that if they buy an expensive disperser they will be just fine, but if you put that blade inside of a poorly designed vessel, you are wasting your money. The two major ways manufacturers waste money on agitation systems is through using low-cost vessels and not understanding how vessels and mixers work together. Low-cost vessels often have dead spots (places in the vessel where the product does not flow) and very little heat transfer.

When working with a dedicated Agitator tank manufacturer, the manufacturer will make sure that the tank’s geometry meets with the mixer specifications. A manufacturer that understands fluid dynamics will ensure that the tank is designed to provide complete fluid flow during mixing by controlling the baffles, the bottom shape, and the volume ratios.

Final Thoughts

Every machine in a manufacturing plant is a puzzle piece. The High speed disperser provides the base, the Custom grinding equipment refine the texture and the correct partnership with a tank manufacturer holds everything together. When all of these pieces are integrated and working together, the end result is not only a better product but also peace of mind.