Dry mortar, tile adhesives and fillers are supplied in packages weighing up to 25 kg.

To comply with health and safety regulations, more and more manufacturers are now producing low-dust or dust-reduced products.

Dust suppressants are mixed into the products during production to bind or reduce the dust. They are normally in the form of liquids which are added in small quantities. It is important that the liquid wets all of the fine particles, and this is an area where problems can occur.

Essentially, two mixing systems are currently used around the world in production of dry mortar, tile adhesives and fillers, namely horizontal mixers and Eirich intensive mixers.

Independent studies have shown that Eirich intensive mixers produce superior results.

Due to the design characteristics, horizontal mixers produce good radial distribution (centrifugal mixing), but axial distribution is nowhere near as good. As a result, it is difficult to uniformly distribute the small amounts of liquid that are added following dry mixing. Users of horizontal mixers work around the problem by deploying special techniques (such as tangential spraying) or handling the mix with special high-wear cutter heads.

In contrast, the Eirich mixing system ensures fast, uniform distribution of liquids even when only small amounts are added. Comparative studies have shown that mixing times are shorter compared to horizontal mixers, and liquid consumption is also lower. The fact that the liquid normally can be squirted in rather than being injected through nozzles is an added advantage, because it further reduces total mixing time.

This is yet another instance where Eirich intensive mixers have a significant advantage in mixing / dispersion applications compared to other mixing systems.

Manufacturers of dry mixes who would like to witness the advantages of Eirich machinery first hand in practice-related trials can see various sizes of the mixers in action at the Test Centre in Hardheim.