In processing plants from Cincinnati to Shanghai, ribbon blenders are used to mix many thousands of products, from fertilizers and plastic resins to flavored coffees and cosmetics. The ribbon blender is one of the most common mixing devices in service today, because it is one of the most versatile and cost-efficient mixers ever created. Its simple design makes it relatively easy to build. Simplicity also ensures easy maintenance.

But during the last few years, business conditions have changed in many industries. Competitive pressures have mounted worldwide to increase production, reduce waste, and improve end-product quality and consistency. Suddenly process managers are finding that the “common” ribbon blender isn’t so simple anymore.

One by one, the process industries have recognized that many small improvements on the process line can add up to a big gain in overall production.

• Faster discharge means shorter blending cycles and greater production on every shift…
• More thorough discharge means less cleaning, greater accuracy, and less risk of cross-contamination between batches…
• A variable-speed drive allows you to fine-tune the blending process, so you can intensify blending without fear of product degradation …
  

Ten or fifteen years ago, selecting a ribbon blender was mainly a matter of matching your drive and ribbon design to the bulk density of your product. In most applications today, this is only the beginning of the design process. In drives, ribbon design and materials, seals, packings and discharge valves, we now have many new choices to consider in order to boost blending productivity.

The result is that ribbon blenders are now being used in many applications - in plastics, pharmaceuticals, foods and other industries - that are surprisingly sophisticated.

But the ribbon blender still has its limitations. Often, as we refine the design to make the ribbon blender more and more productive, we eventually come to this critical question: Is this an application that would really be better served with a more advanced blender? Specifically, would a switch to a vertical cone screw blender deliver production gains large enough to justify a higher price tag?

In many cases this question is easily answered. But this is sometimes a hard question to answer theoretically. Testing in a well-equipped laboratory is invaluable, because it allows the equipment buyer to evaluate each blender design and confirm which is the best choice.