Ribbon Mixer
Tiermax ribbon mixer is a basic industrial mixing machine and the most popular solution for the homogenization of different kinds of material. This U trough-shaped shell with a horizontal shaft mixer and also known as the slow-speed mixer is ideal for free-flowing or fragile material and thermosensitive ingredients.
There is the possibility to inject a certain level of one or more liquids in order to modify the characteristics of the products. Ribbon mixers can be supplied with different blade designs ( based on ingredient and application ) and heating or cooling jackets.
Ribbon mixers are used in all process industries including:
Plastic Powders, Pigments, Pharmaceuticals, Catalysts, Protein Powders, Vitamins, Spices, Food & Animal feed, Nutraceuticals, Cosmetics, etc.
Ribbon mixer - Benefits
A Ribbon Mixer provides an efficient solution for homogeneous blending of powders, granules, and other bulk materials. Its gentle mixing action ensures consistent product quality while maintaining material integrity in various industrial applications.
High Mixing Uniformity −
Delivers consistent and homogeneous blending by creating efficient material movement throughout the mixing chamber.
Gentle Product Handling +
Fast Mixing Performance +
Low Energy Consumption +
Excellent Batch Repeatability +
Versatile Material Processing +
Ribbon Mixer - Features
A Ribbon Mixer provides an efficient solution for homogeneous blending of powders, granules, and other bulk materials. Its gentle mixing action ensures consistent product quality while maintaining material integrity in various industrial applications.
- Double Ribbon AgitatorCounter-rotating ribbons ensure fast, uniform mixing.
- Horizontal U-Shaped ChamberOptimized design for efficient material circulation.
- Wide Capacity RangeAvailable for laboratory to industrial applications.
- Custom Material ConstructionAvailable in carbon steel, stainless steel, or wear-resistant materials.
- Multiple Discharge OptionsVarious outlet designs for efficient product discharge.
- Optional Process EnhancementsOptional jackets, choppers, liquid injection, and ATEX configurations.
Ribbon Mixer
Technical Specification
| Type | Model | Min. Useful Vol. (l) | Max. Useful Vol. (l) | Power (kW) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer | Ribbon Mixer |
| TRB 100 | TRB 150 | TRB 250 | TRB 400 | TRB 600 | TRB 800 | TRB 1000 | TRB 1300 | TRB 1500 | TRB 1700 | TRB 2100 | TRB 2500 | TRB 3200 | TRB 3800 | TRB 4500 |
| 55 | 100 | 160 | 240 | 340 | 460 | 620 | 800 | 910 | 1020 | 1280 | 1570 | 1900 | 2290 | 2720 |
| 135 | 235 | 370 | 555 | 790 | 1080 | 1440 | 1875 | 2120 | 2385 | 2980 | 3660 | 4445 | 5335 | 6340 |
| 0.75 - 1.5 | 1.1 - 2.2 | 1.5 - 3.0 | 2.2 - 4.0 | 3.0 - 5.5 | 4.0 - 9.2 | 5.5 - 11.0 | 7.5 - 15.0 | 8.0 - 16.0 | 9.2 - 18.5 | 11.0 - 22.0 | 15.0 - 30.0 | 18.5 - 37.0 | 22.0 - 45.0 | 30.0 - 45.0 |
Ribbon Mixer
The ribbon mixer is a versatile and efficient mixing equipment commonly used in various industries, including food processing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and more. It consists of a U-shaped trough with a set of inner and outer helical ribbons that rotate in opposite directions. This unique design facilitates thorough and uniform mixing of dry powders, granules, or pastes.
The ribbon mixer operates by loading the materials into the trough, and as the ribbons rotate, they create a fluidizing action that lifts and tumbles the ingredients. This movement ensures that all particles come into contact with each other, promoting efficient blending and homogeneity.
The helical ribbons in the ribbon mixer are carefully engineered to achieve optimal mixing performance. The inner ribbon moves the material towards the ends of the trough, while the outer ribbon pushes it back towards the center. This counter-current flow pattern ensures that the materials are continuously circulated, resulting in consistent mixing without dead zones.
The ribbon mixer offers several advantages. Firstly, it provides excellent mixing efficiency, even for materials with different particle sizes, densities, or flow characteristics. The gentle but thorough mixing action minimizes product degradation or damage, making it ideal for fragile or heat-sensitive materials.
The design of the ribbon mixer also allows for easy cleaning and maintenance. The trough can be accessed for thorough cleaning, and the ribbons can be removed or opened for inspection and maintenance purposes. This ensures hygiene and prevents cross-contamination when switching between different batches or products.
The ribbon mixer is highly versatile and can be customized to suit specific applications. Various options, such as jacketed troughs for temperature control or spray nozzles for liquid addition, can be incorporated to meet specific processing requirements.
Cleaning
Because of the shape and geometry of the spirals, reaching all parts inside the drum can be rather challenging. Usually, to keep costs low, inspection doors on the mixing drum are not provided (although they can be supplied). This means that access to the blender’s internal parts is only possible through the top lids: reaching the bottom of the drum is complicated, as is cleaning all sides of the 4 ribbon flights.
Maintenance
In terms of routine maintenance, this technology is user friendly: in the food industry, in particular, there is very little wear, the seals are not particularly subjected to wear and tear (all one needs to do is periodically check the packing and, if needed, tighten it.
From time to time it will need replacing). If, for any reason (although very rarely), one needs to repair or replace the spirals, then operations will involve major works (the unit needs to be completely disassembled, the rotor shaft extracted and repaired or replaced, and the whole blender needs to be re-assembled)
Frequently Asked Questions
A Ribbon Mixer is an industrial mixing machine designed for the homogeneous blending of dry powders, granules, and other bulk materials. It consists of a horizontal U-shaped trough with a rotating shaft equipped with inner and outer helical ribbons. The ribbon movement creates a counter-flow mixing action, ensuring uniform distribution of ingredients throughout the batch.
A Ribbon Mixer works by rotating a horizontal shaft fitted with helical ribbons inside a U-shaped mixing chamber. The outer ribbon moves material toward the center, while the inner ribbon transfers material back toward the ends, creating continuous circulation and achieving a consistent mixture with minimal segregation.
A Ribbon Mixer is suitable for blending a wide variety of dry and semi-dry materials, including powders, granules, food ingredients, chemicals, plastic powders, animal feed, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products, pigments, and catalysts. The mixer can be customized to match specific material properties such as bulk density, particle size, moisture content, and flowability, ensuring consistent and efficient mixing performance.
An Industrial Ribbon Mixer offers high mixing efficiency with excellent product uniformity while gently handling fragile materials. Its compact, energy-efficient design minimizes product degradation, is easy to operate and maintain, and can be equipped with liquid addition, heating, or cooling options to meet a wide range of processing requirements.
The capacity of a Ribbon Mixer depends on the application and model selection. TiERMAX ribbon mixers are available with batch sizes from approximately 55 liters up to 35,000 liters (35 m³), making them suitable for laboratory, pilot, and large industrial production applications.
Yes. A Ribbon Mixer can be equipped with liquid injection systems to add controlled amounts of liquids such as oils, additives, binders, or other process liquids during mixing. Heating or cooling jackets can also be provided when temperature control is required.
Ribbon Mixers are widely used across the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, plastics, cosmetics, animal feed, and nutraceutical industries for accurate and consistent blending of powders and granules. Their gentle yet efficient mixing action makes them ideal for applications requiring high product quality and uniformity.
Yes. A Ribbon Mixer can be fully customized to meet specific process requirements, including AISI 304 or AISI 316 stainless steel construction, abrasion-resistant materials, heating or cooling jackets, vacuum or pressure operation, various discharge valve configurations, variable speed drives, and ATEX-compliant designs for hazardous areas. These options ensure optimal performance across a wide range of demanding industrial applications.
A Ribbon Mixer uses helical ribbons to create a strong axial and radial mixing flow, making it highly effective for homogeneous blending of powders and granules. A paddle mixer generally provides a gentler mixing action and may be preferred for applications where extremely fragile materials must be protected.
The best choice depends on material properties, required mixing accuracy, batch size, and process conditions.
