Efficiency in bulk solids mixing: Ribbon versus tumble blenders

The current manufacturing landscape is rife with supply chain issues that generally fall out of a manufacturer’s control. To ease the strain on production lines, it is key to have processing equipment that is efficient and able to support growing demand. Choosing the right equipment can be daunting, but due diligence up front can pay great dividends in the long run. For bulk solids mixing processes, several factors must be taken into consideration, such as plant size, budget and batch size, as well as the bulk density and friability of the materials being mixed. 

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Bulk solid mixers perform a variety of functions, including blending ingredients, heating or cooling, vacuum drying, and coating solid particles with small amounts of liquid. The goal when selecting equipment is to ensure that the equipment will be able to achieve the objectives of the process accurately and efficiently. 

Among solid-solid blending systems, two of the most common types are the horizontal ribbon blender and the tumble blender. While both blenders offer superior mixing capabilities and can be customized with advanced recipe control systems, there are some significant differences between them and how each design can best be utilized.

Ribbon blenders

A ribbon blender consists of a U-shaped horizontal trough and an agitator made up of inner and outer helical ribbons that move material in opposite directions. The agitator is powered by a gearmotor drive, which rotates the ribbons at peripheral speeds up to approximately 300 feet per minute and moves material both radially and laterally.

Radially, the outer ribbons move the material inward toward the blender’s center, while the inner ribbons push the material outward toward the blender wall. Simultaneously, the close tolerance between the outer ribbon and the trough wall provides shear. 

Versatility is one of the ribbon blender’s major advantages. When mixing a range of products, manufacturers can use interchangeable agitators, such as paddles to handle fragile materials or high-speed chopper blades to quickly break apart large lumps. Ribbon blenders are available in sizes ranging from ½-ft3 lab-scale models through 1,000-ft3 large production systems, making them easily scalable. 

Ribbon blenders are widely used for blending dry powders, granules, pellets, flakes, and other solid forms in a variety of industries. Many applications, including food, beverages, cosmetics, chemicals, plastics, agricultural products, animal feed and many others rely on ribbon blenders for quick, dependable mixing, with little chance of overmixing or undermixing, particularly when ingredients have similar particle sizes and bulk densities. 

Ribbon blender operation is simple, and the maintenance is minimal. While the ribbon blender is extremely versatile, it is not well suited for some applications, such as sticky materials or very dense powders. Also, highly friable materials are better served by using a low-impact tumble blender.

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Blender controls

Whether choosing a ribbon or tumble blender, pay attention to the control system. Applying PLC recipe controls to the blending process provides multiple benefits, including batch-to-batch consistency, automated data logging, reduced operator error, faster changeovers and longer service life, just to name a few. Recipes can be written and stored into memory, so that switching the batch protocol from one formulation to another takes only seconds, maximizing production time. Preprogrammed maintenance screens can help minimize downtime due to preventable maintenance issues, reminding technicians to check grease, seals, bearings, and other components after a certain number of run hours. In a customized control scheme, hardware can also be networked to existing systems that may require a degree of handshaking with other equipment in the overall process.

Erin Dillon is media and marketing coordinator at Ross Mixers. 

Ross Mixers

www.mixers.com

Technology Brief

This bulletin presents some ribbon blending tips to ensure long service life and produce consistent high quality blends.

Long-term relationship with your ribbon blender

Many solid-solid and liquid-solid applications rely on the ribbon blender for fast, straightforward and reliable mixing. The ribbon blender can achieve complete mixing in a short time - in many cases, 15 minutes or less - with little possibility of overmixing or unmixing, especially for ingredients with similar particle sizes and bulk densities. Operation is relatively easy and maintenance is minimal.

Indeed, a well-designed, well-specified ribbon blender operating under normal conditions can easily last 20, 30 years and beyond. To help ensure a long service life out of your capital investment and obtain high quality blends in every single batch, consider the following tips on ribbon blending.

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