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Dry mixes and plastic compounds from a single machine - how is that possible?

Products with different consistencies are made in a number of industries, e.g. dry mixes, granulate, press bodies and plastic compounds. The unique EIRICH operating principle makes it possible to process all of these products in one and the same machine. This significantly simplifies the equipment customers use on the production floor, and that of course has distinct advantages.

It is common knowledge that a mixer is needed for dry mixes, and a kneader is required to process plastic compounds. These are usually two completely different machines. A simple mixer cannot perform kneading operations. A kneader cannot mix, so it is normally installed downstream from a mixer.

This is not the case with EIRICH mixers which work with a unique operating principle. Because they have a rotating pan which transports the material to be mixed and a variable-speed (slow to fast) mixing tool, they are capable of performing mixing, granulating, kneading and dispersing operations. The separation between material transport and mixing allows the speed of the mixing tool (and thus the energy input into the mix) to vary within wide limits.

The inherent advantages of the EIRICH mixing system are exploited in many industries. During a single rotation of the mixing pan, the entire contents of the pan are stirred. In contrast to other mixing systems, no demixing takes place in these machines. As a result, mixing can continue until the desired homogeneity is reached. The mixing quality is normally beyond the capabilities of other systems. Another advantage is that due to the inherent system characteristics, optimal mixing effects are produced without high speed choppers, and the mixing tools are less susceptible to wear.

For customers who make products with different consistencies, EIRICH reduces the complexity of the production lines. Storage, metering and weighing are only needed once. In addition, multiple production steps which were formerly performed sequentially can be migrated to a single machine.

Depending on the requirements, the materials can be cooled or heated in the mixers. Mixing temperatures can be as high as 250°C. Automatic cleaning systems simplify operation and reduce product changeover times.

Multi-functional EIRICH mixers have a proven track record in the ceramics and refractory industries going back many years. For example, refractory concrete is produced 2 days a week, and press bodies and plastic compounds are made during the rest of the week. Processing lines for factory-produced mortar are designed based on the same approach for the production of dry mortar and ready-to-use "wet" mortar.

At the Test Centers which are located at all company sites, trials are carried out using the customer's raw materials to determine the optimal machine configurations. The resulting designs give potential customers a basis for making future investment decisions.

More information:

Contact: Stefan Vucic, e-mail: stefan.vucic@eirich.de