GENERAL
Ribbon mixers are a basic industrial mixing tool. They consist basically of a trough-shaped casing (usually 2 to 3 times longer than it is wide) with a semicircular bottom, fitted with a horizontal longitudinal shaft on which are mounted arms supporting a combination of ribbon blades, paddles or helical screws set at a fairly close clearance to the semicircular mixer body so that no layer of material remains on the bottom of the mixer. The most effective design of ribbon layout is the double spiral in which the outer ribbon moves the product in one direction and the inner ribbon moves it in the opposite direction. This creates axial flow and prevents any buildup of material moved by the blades as they rotate is relatively small so that mixing times can be long. The capacity of the mixer should not be exceeded otherwise the ribbon and/or blades are not effective and the surface layers of the powder do not get adequately mixed.
APPLICATION
Ribbon blenders are used in blending applications in the chemical, Pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and plastics etc industries.
TYPE
There are a number of different type of mixers used in the feed industry with the most widely used being.
Vertical Ribbon Blenders – Used in small farms, they consist of a vertical screw which takes material to the top where it falls back down again, and repeats that process to mix materials
Horizontal Ribbon Mixers – Consisting of paddles or blades attached to a horizontal rotor, these mixers are normally mixer and can usually have a higher consistent homogeneity and short mixing times.