Lödige CoriMix® ringlayer mixer for continuous operation: intensive mixing
A basic feature of the CoriMix® ringlayer mixer for continuous operation is the high circumferential speed of the mixing unit that forces the product into a concentric ringlayer. The process demonstrates its true strengths wherever liquids must be efficiently distributed at high to very high throughput rates. Additional benefits of the use of ringlayer mixers are cost-effectiveness and versatility.
The mixing unit of a ringlayer system rotates with circumferential speeds of up to 50 m/s. As a result, the product components are accelerated through centrifugal force, causing a ringlayer to be formed. Within this concentric layer there are enormous differences in speed between the rapidly rotating mixing tools and the stationary container wall. As a consequence, friction is particularly high in the ringlayer profile. The specially shaped tools of the mixing unit move the product through the mixing chamber during the subsequent process in a pattern similar to plug flow. Because this happens very rapidly, residence times are very short with narrow residence time deviation.
Lödige offers the high-performance CoriMix® (CM) ringlayer mixer in a variety of sizes as both laboratory and production mixers. Depending on the product, throughput of up to 0.50 m³/h can be achieved in a laboratory setting and up to 500 m³/h in production, with an effective volume of between 5 and 3,000 litres.
Variety of processes
The individual application-specific design of each machine means that a wide variety of processes can be implemented cost effectively. The CoriMix® CM was especially designed for homogeneous introduction of liquid or pasty ingredients onto a dry powdery product. The spectrum of processes ranges from mixing, dispersing, deagglomerating, wetting, gluing and paste production to densifying, granulating, agglomerating and back mixing. It is thus the perfect choice for the production of moist mixtures and suspensions, as well as for coating primary particles and producing fine agglomerates of small particle sizes within a narrow granularity range.
The CoriMix® can easily be connected to a continuous KM Ploughshare® mixer to produce a dry mix with many components to the highest mixing quality. Likewise, products can be post-processed in a KM to further optimize the product properties after liquid is added. Liquid and dry components are fed separately, directly into the product ringlayer. This ensures even distribution within the mixture. Liquids can be added in two different ways:
- externally, materials are introduced by means of feed pipes installed in the drum wall and which project into the product layer.
- internally, the liquid is guided through a rotary device via a hollow shaft to reach specially perforated tools, and is thus fed directly into the mixing material ring.
Both additive techniques avoid wetting the shaft and mixer wall, thus preventing product adhesion.
