What Can Ribbon Mixers Do For You?

By Isaac Fletcher, contributing writer, Food Online

With benefits ranging from ease of cleaning to low energy use, ribbon mixers are an efficient solution for food manufacturers working with powder materials and ingredients

When it comes to working with free-flowing or sticky powder material, ribbon mixers are a very popular solution throughout the food industry. With a simple structure, ease of cleaning, and low energy use, ribbon mixers are used by heavyweight food manufacturers like Kraft, General Mills, Pepsi, Mars, and many others. Here are some of the benefits and advantages, in greater detail, of ribbon mixers.

Straightforward Design

Ribbon mixers employ a simplistic design and structure with a limited number of components. The mixer consists of a ribbon agitator, U-shaped vessel, two end plates, and a drive unit. Thanks to its straightforward design, the ribbon shaft can be easily cleaned and troubleshooting and maintenance are conveniently performed. Additionally, the smooth surface and rounded edges ensure any leftover residues can be easily removed.

Drive Unit

Since the ribbon mixer is only a mild mixing machine, the shaft speed does not need to be fast and therefore does not require a high-powered motor for the drive unit. Additionally, just like the mixer’s overall structure, the structure of the drive unit is very simple and can be separated into a belt drive and direct connection drive. Another added benefit is that there is no risk of oil pollution into the product since the drive unit is located outside and away from the mixing vessel.

Seal Construction

Food manufacturers prefer simple and effective seal structures that can be easily maintained and changed in the future. With this in mind, the ribbon mixer uses a split packing seal structure that allows for the quick and easy alteration of the packing seal, making the mixer adaptable to a variety of processes.

Discharge

To reduce residue and limit the amount of wasted space, flap valves are the best choice for discharge. Slide gate valves and butterfly valves are effective options as well, but with roughly 80mm of height space, the flap valve tends to provide the most efficient spatial use, as the valve can lie flush with the bottom of the vessel.

Easy To Clean

As mentioned earlier, the mixer is designed to be easily cleaned and maintained. The lid on the top of the ribbon mixer allows a worker to easily clean the machine from the top. Additionally, a safety grid and safety switch ensures that there is no potential for injuries to occur during cleaning.