Flex-Mix™ Instant Mixer

Flex-Mix™ Instant

Flex-Mix™ Instant is a high performance vacuum processing unit suitable for a variety of industrial applications. It is designed to recombine, dissolve and disperse powdered products in liquids using high shear vacuum mixing.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• Unique high shear mixing ensures high powder consumption
• Air is efficiently evacuated during mixing, extending run time and ensuring consistent product quality
• Provides closed and continuous production to increase throughput and reduce dust
• Handles a large number of blends

MIXING PRINCIPLE
Powder is sucked into the circulating liquid by vacuum. Dispersed powder is homogenized and passed through a mixer head located next to the reservoir.

Flex-Mix™ Instant consists of an integral rotor/stator mixer which is connected to a tangentially directed outlet at the bottom of the tank. The built-in mixer simultaneously pumps and mixes the product, thereby creating an intensive flow of liquid that circulates through the tank using a bypass. Flow through the bypass returns tangentially to the tank, thereby creating a funnel. Forced funnel means that the liquid “rises” along the wall of the tank, whereby free surface of the liquid becomes much larger than the cross-section of the tank. There is a vacuum in the tank and the powder product is fed into the tank through a special powder inlet valve (patent pending). Mixture of powder and air is fed directly into the liquid below the surface of the liquid and, thanks to the forced funnel and the difference in density, air/gas and liquid are separated very quickly. Air/gas is concentrated in the middle of the tank and subsequently removed. Large free surface of the liquid ensures efficient and continuous deaeration of the product. This distinguishes vacuum mixing from traditional mixing, in which the mixture normally absorbs air. As a result, oxidation is reduced, while quality and consistency of the product is improved.

Due to the fact that the bottom of the tank has a shape of an inverted cone, the forced funnel is held at the bottom, and it is impossible to suck in air in the tangential outlet during the introduction of the powder product. This ensures that no air is drawn into the built-in mixer and therefore into the product being mixed. If the product is heated/cooled indirectly, forced vortexing significantly increases heat transfer efficiency (due to the large surface area and high speed).

Flex-Mix™ Instant is specifically used to obtain the following products:

• Recombination/reconstitution of powdered milk
• Infant formula
• Homogeneous food emulsions
• Puree and jelly dispersions
• Dissolving sugar
• Drinks
• Ice-cream, yoghurts and desserts