High Shear Mixer: The Definitive Buying Guide

Well, I guess that you’re looking a high shear mixer that will guarantee a homogenous mixture.

Luckily, you’re at the right place.

Whatever your needs are, we’re aware that selecting an efficient device is crucial.

Therefore, in this guide, I will introduce you to one of the robust available machines that wouldn’t disappoint you.

The High shear mixer not only gives you a uniform mixture but also brings you several economic benefits.

You will learn about the classifications, parts, working principles, technical specifications and applications of the High shear mixer.

Let’s get started.

Chapter 1: What is a High Shear Mixer?

The high shear mixer is also known as rotor-stator style mixer.

It is a technically efficient and versatile machine that scatters and grinds one type of substances, i.e., liquid, solid or gases together.

Thereby, transforming it into a single major homogenous phase that would otherwise be immiscible.

In simple terms, the mixer does the task of entirely mixing, granulating, homogenizing, and humidifying the substances that you place in the bucket.

The materials could be two or more different types of solids such as powdered elements, liquids, and even gases.

So, the machine does exactly the job of thoroughly mixing and churning them together into your desired final product or solution.

The end products solutions are always in the form of emulsions, dispersions, suspensions, lyosols, or granulations.

High shear mixer

An emulsion is merely a uniform mixture of two or more different types of non-mixing liquid component.

That is, in a manner that the final product contains the particles of each element mixed.

Also,the dispersion is a continuous blend of various solid particles.

On the other hand, lyosols refer to gas substances dispersed into a separate liquid material to form a mix.

Lastly, a suspension is a heterogeneous mixture which involves the solute particles settling from a solvent phase a few minutes after their incorporation.

In a nutshell, therefore, the high shear mixer is a must-have product for you if you want to achieve emulsification, material particle size reduction, homogenization, solubilization, and dispersion.

Moreover, all these processes take place in the tank of the mixture by the aid of rotors and stators resulting in a shear.

The shear comes as a result of a constant mechanical or hydraulic system.

Whereby the mixer continuously draws the materials into the rotor and expels them radially via openings or pipes in the stator.

Mixing chamber

The rotor is a system of blades that rotate at extremely high speed dispersing the materials at one end of the mixing tank while the stator is stationary.

Thus the resulting shear process is responsible for achieving the rapid mixing, breaking down solid agglomerates and enhancing emulsification.

The details hereare just a tip of the working procedure; you will get a complete elaboration later on.

Besides, rotors and stators are components of the high shear mixing machine.

But don’t worry; we shall be looking at the parts of the blender later.

From these descriptions, it’s clear enough that high shear mixing technique could be vital among the chemical processing industries such as:

• Pharmaceuticals
• Foods
• Cosmetics, etc.

Nevertheless, the discussion about these applications will come later on.

What do you think?

An exciting discussion still ahead keep reading

Chapter 2: Benefits of High Shear Mixer in the Pharmaceutical Industry.

In recent years till today, a high shear mixer is continuously becoming an attractive option and a favorite brand among the industries.

Many operators opt for this machine as opposed to conventional rotor-stator mills and other equipment.

Now in this section, we shall specifically look at the benefits that come as a result of using high shear mixer.

These have subsequently leads to the uprising popularity of the machine in industries.

High shear mixing

Have a look.

i. The high Shear mixer provides high process shear energy.

Are you running on a tight or fixed budget or do you want to save on unnecessary expenditures?

Then a high shear mixer is suitable for you.

Why?

Apart from giving you an excellent product, the high shear mixer provides a high process of shear energy.

And, at the same time consuming less power as opposed to other rotor-stator mills or standard homogenizers.

The result is that you only spend a little on electricity, but the product is unbelievable.

ii. It offers significantly reduced particle sizes with a decreased processing time.

The powerful high shear mixer generates enormously large process energy during its operation.

So, the resulting advantages of this sheer energy are worthwhile.

It dramatically reduces the material particle sizes bringing about an excellent product.

Besides, in the meantime, it lowers the time that you would otherwise spend in the processing.

So you shall have your desired homogenous mixture within a limited period of processing.

iii. It does several purposes in the pharmaceutical industry

The high shear mixer is adequately versatile for use to perform multiple functions in the pharmaceutical industry.

Some of these functions are:

• Milling for production of drug suspensions or APIs
• Antibiotic and dermatological formulations
• Submicron emulsions for processing ophthalmic products

iv. Significantly decreased operational costs

This machine reduces operational costs in several ways. It achieves the target sizes of particles in only a single pass.

That’s wonderful.

Besides, with this machine, you get reduced particles fast enough with lower process time

All these translate to the fact that at the end, you have huger output per shift.

This eventually points out to significantly lower operational costs.

v. Easier and faster to clean compared to other mixers

To solve hygienic issues with your equipment.

The high shear mixer has got rapidly easy to connect sanitary clamps.

So when cleaning, it’s convenient to remove and clean these clamps.

Removing the clamps also enables you to gain access to some of the interior surfaces of the machine which would be otherwise challenging to maneuver.

Furthermore, the mixer fabrications make it possible to drain the contents thoroughly.

Above all, it’s satisfactorily sanitary.

vi. Requires little maintenance

The robust design and nature of this machine make its usage very much optimized.

You will find it useful since it will only demand less routine servicing which is mandatory such as inspection and servicing.

Plus, its automated nature makes it far much unlikely for frequent mechanical breakdowns.

vii. Simple to install and fit

You don’t have to worry much about the complexity of the installation procedures.

The relief is that you’re capable of performing a safe and entire installation of the machine alone.

High shear mixers have a retrofitting design which makes it possible to fit in almost any convenient facility.

What’s more, the compact footprint nature of the mixer enables it to save much floor space.

viii. Larger capacity

Time is an essential factor in processing.

Consequently, the high shear mixer enables you to save a lot more time when conducting your operations.

Mixing chamber

How possible is it?

The tank has a higher capacity for accommodating large volumes of the contents.

Implying, you won’t bother cutting off the processing to fill it frequently hence saving the process time.

ix. The mixer construction conforms to sanitary and safety regulations.

All the industrial equipment should and have to adhere to several standards set by independent control and inspection bodies.

All the parts of the high shear mixer and working lures meet all the necessary regulatory requirements.

The mixer is 3 – A sanitary compliant, cGMP compliant,ISO certified, CE compliant and ASTM E2500 among other standardization making it safe for use.

High shear mixer parts made of stainless steel

To be sure if your machine conforms to all these certifications, then it’s high time you contacted only reliable and reputable manufacturers.

x. Rust and corrosion free

You can’t ever doubt the mixer’s material of construction.

All the machine parts such as mix head, shaft, drive, and motor including the contact parts are stainless steel grade 316L.

The grade 316L makes it shiny and sparkling appealing to the eye.

Most importantly, stainless steel eliminates any chances of rusting and corrosion.

As a result, the parts become durable and maintain their tenure.

xi. It requires a small portion of the binder solution.

Due to the high intensity of the operation of the rotor and impeller, you will only need little quantity of the binding liquid.

Consequently, it would come in hand to help you save on operational costs.

• Powder would require short duration for drying
• Minimalharmful emissions

The designing and configurations of the mixer are so sophisticated such that most of the parts are capable of handling any extra dust emissions.

Thus, during the effective operations, the neighboring region is free of any harmful specks of dust.

As it’s evident, the benefits associated with the use of High shear mixer are too many to mention.

What’s questionable is:

Do you think that these advantages are enough for you to place a quote for a brand new high shear mixer?

Well, I would say it’s too early to give an informed answer.

Nonetheless, let’s proceed to the next segment of our discussion.

Chapter 3: Classification of High Shear Mixers

Before, indulging into the classifications of the mixers, it’s crucial for us to consider some basics.

There’s a wide range of the high shear mixers in the market.

The differences among the mixers lie in the essential constructions, functions, and sizes.

Every other kind of mixer is unique in terms of its structural designs to bring about the distinctive way of manipulating the components.

In the course of our discussion, you will realize that various parts of the mixers are customizable to deal with its demanding purpose.

Again, each type of mixer performs a specific function meant for it.

For example, the high shear granulator is superb for granulation.

Finally, the sizes differ; some are of comfortably medium size and occupies a limited floor space while others need a bigger space.

Now, these are the basic types of available mixers:

• Batch high shear mixers
• Inline high shear mixers
• High shear mixer granulators
• Inline powder induction mixers
• Ultra high shear inline mixers

I will now take you through each of the types.

1) High Shear Mixer Granulators

A high shear mixer is a sophisticated kind of machine whose design incorporates an inline high shear or a batch high shear mixer together with a fluid bench dryer.

Note that for granulation, the target is the solid component of whatever mixture the machine is processing.

A critical factor with this machine is that it’s a specialty at performing highly precise granulation and mixing process within a limited batch time.

Moreover, it’s also famous for dry and wet, homogenizing and humidifying.

In summary, besides the other application uses, the pharmaceutical use of the high shear granulator is the granulation of very cohesive and dense ingredients.

Furthermore, this mixer easily granulates such material that contains high levels of hydrophilic polymers that you can’t do with the Low Shear granulation.

The compact fabrication and modern design together with a user and maintenance inclusions make the machine essential for applications in various fields.

Design of the parts of the mixer is superior in running their specific functions.

High shear mixer granulator

It’s the impeller which is vital in running a big chunk of operations such as:

• Mixing of the dry powder
• Dispersing of the granulating fluid during granulation

Normally, it rotates at a supersonic speed of approximately 100rpm to 500rpm depending on the mixer.

The chopper which is an equally significant part of the high shear granulator breaks down the wet product lumps to form granules.

The speed of the chopping blade ranges between 1000 rpm to 3200 rpm depending on the mixer in use.

An additional fluid commonly referred to as a binder solution or the granulating liquid in this process assists in the agglomeration processing.

The granulator then processes the solid components breaking it down till it reaches the required particle size.

What’s more?

Scintillating about this granulator is the kind of technology implemented in building it.

Not one but several technological aspects put together to ensure the smooth operation of the machine.

The major one being the full automation of the system which includes instant discharge of fumes together with a control system.

Most common control scheme is the Siemens programmable logic controller (PLC)

Several technologies in one device may seem exaggerative to tell.

However, this technical expertise help in complementing the operation, efficiency, and the general stability of the device.

High shear mixer granulator

That’s just a glimpse of the working mechanism of the machine.

We shall, later on, discuss complete details of the operation of the mixer.

The high shear mixers are available in different types.

Indeed, classifying them depends on some critical factors and considerations such as:

· Kind of dosing systems

Under this classification, the granulators may use either automatic or manual systems to do functions such as powdery material and binding solution injections.

So, then they would either be automatic or manual high shear mixing granulators.

· Type of the impeller blade

The blade has a direct impact on granulation procedures.

So to increase the efficiency of the whole granulation process, different mixers come with a varied number of blades, for example, some machines run a 3 or 6 blade impeller.

The exact location of the tips also contributes much.

A common and recommended inclination of the impeller tips should be in a parallel manner.

The tangential position helps in eliminating any dead spots that might occur in the mixture.

Other parameters such as the speed of the impeller depend on the machine specifications.

· Position alignment of the impellers

In this mode, the specific mixers can either be horizontal or vertical.

It is the geometrical directions of the impellers that determines the subclasses of the machine.

For a vertical high shear granulator, the shaft of the impeller rotates in a vertical direction plus the impellers assume a blade-like shape.

So basically, a vertical high shear granulator may be either have its driving mechanism at the top part or the bottom unit.

While for the horizontal high shear granulator, the impeller shaft rotates in the horizontal mode or by its sides.

The high shear granulator is a state of the art equipment which has got some of the notable features to enhance its operations.

Notable design features

High shear mixer designs

• A conical mixing vessel with spherical bottom corners. This assures you an optimum product movement enhancing uniform mixing. Besides, this special shape makes it easy to tidy.
• PLC control system with a frequency conversion technique that regulates both the speed of the agitator and chopper.
• The lid fitted with a breather system which helps in transferring the product.
• A mechanically sealed air purged agitator and chopper which assists in preventing cross-contamination of the products.
• A better earthing and interlock system that ensures the well-being of equipment and users.
• A reliable graphical HMI which displays all the digital and analog inputs and output parameters, processes of data set and stored.
• The machine has a fluid bed dryer in the building production line so that the ready dustless products can readily move from mixing granulator to the fluid bed dryer.
• A customized pressure and spray binder charging.
• For high heat sensitive materials, you may use a special jacket wall mixing bowl.

Salient Advantages of High Shear Mixer Granulator

Section of high shear mixer granulator

• Optimum design that guarantees the production of round, homogenous and strong granules without mentioning the precision and accuracy of the production.
• Short batch time for granulation.
• The mixing bowl has got a large capacity which comfortably processes a variety of batch sizes. This comes in hand to save time for changing the parts and continuously refilling the bowl.
• A technical and intelligent control system which coordinates every process run by the mixer.
• Production of precise granules without any lumps.
• It features an automated mixing and granulating process that occurs in the single bowl.
• Very little residue discharge is thereby making it easy for cleaning.
• Top speed is mixing assembly to hasten the mixing process.
• A highly fast speed impeller for mixing and a tough chopper for granulating the components.
• Resultant products from the granulation require little time for drying.
• An easy to tell production process and actual results.
• Much limited air pollution due to optimized fumes and dust emission handling.

Aside from the various benefits some of which we never mentioned, the granulator doesn’t fall short of other shortcomings.

Below are a few disadvantages that interfere with the working process of the granulator.

• The machine is capable of degrading the powder quality mainly when handling delicate or heat sensitive ingredients.
• Production of excessively watery products is likely to enhance the occurrence of needless lumps.
• The high shear granulator has got high chances of producing dense

When working with the high shear mixer, it’s vital for you to be cautious since the accuracy of the mixer isn’t entirely independent on its features but also other parameters.

So to help you go about it, here are some of the issues you should watch out for.

Factors that Determine the Accuracy and Precision of the High Shear Granulator

• Variety and the quantities of the ingredients in use.
• Physical and chemical properties of the materials for granulation.
• Active type and quantity of the granulating liquid for use in the operation.
• Dependent process variables and the machine design such as the impeller and chopper speed, amount and rate of addition of the binder solution, loading of the granulator bowl.

Safety Measures

Safety is a crucial aspect when it comes to dealing with any machinery application.

This is because failure to take care might result in physical injury to the user or even lead to the breakdown of the equipment.

High shear mixer

Maybe you have got an insurance cover for your device.

However, we do know that some aspects of accidents and failures aren’t taken care of by the cover.

These are some of the safety tips associated with the High Shear Granulator.

• Full enclosure of the drive compartment to prevent unwarranted materials such as fluids, dust, moisture, falling objects, etc. from interfering with the transmission system.
• Installation of a limit switch on the top of the lid to always ensure the cover remains closed during the operation.
• Air pressure regulatory switch and controller to keep the pressure within comfortable levels.
• An overload relay detection, control, and protection system.
• An emergency stop button.
• The mixer comes with a readily installed limit switch beneath the discharge unit to monitor the levels of material flow.

That’s all about the high shear granulator; we shall discuss other issues related to it in our subsequent parts of the guide.

2) Batch High Shear Mixers

The Batch high shear mixers are distinct in design.

You will notice that it has got a mixing tank or vessel which contains the mixer in its interior section specifically at the bottom part.

Section of batch high shear mixer

The mixer has got a system of a rotating shaft that disperses the material contents.

So when feeding, you input the materials from the upper part into the mixing vessel.

A batch high shear mixer is also standard equipment in many industries.

Why?

Due to its technique of faster processing capabilities.

Most users still employ it in situations whereby there is a need for rapid processing of more substantial volume of materials.

Indeed when we make a comparison between this type of mixer and an inline rotor-stator mixer of similar power consumption rate.

Then it’s notable that the high batch shear has got about twice the speed of the inline one.

However, the operation of the batch high shear mixer demands a large floor space.

Besides, you need to be careful when working with the earlier models of the batch high shear mixers.

Whenever you manipulate sticky materials or solutions, it’s much likely that some elements would get trapped in the tank calling for cleaning.

But when working with an optimized type, then worry no more.

These types automatically run flash cleaning during the operational routine.

3) Inline High Shear Mixers

The inline high shear mixer is unique in design.

For the inline, it’s stand-alone equipment that holds and contains the stator and rotor.

Besides, the compartment vessel has an inlet at one of its ends and the outlet at the corresponding opposite end.

Section on the inline high shear mixer – Photo courtesy: Silverson

Now, the transmission of the respective components for mixing takes place by the action of a centrifugal pumping system.

It then generates the ingredients in a continuous stream into the boundary of the work ahead.

These ingredients then undergo precise milling between the tips of rotor blades and the interior section of the stator.

After that, the active materials get forcefully ejected out through the outlets of the stator into the machine outlet and finally along the pipe.

The ejection process is by the action of the hydraulic shear.

Meanwhile, the pumping action steadily draws the fresh materials into the work head maintaining the process.

Advantages

• Inline high shear mixer operation is more controlled and regulated.
• The mixer consumes little space
• You can incorporate the mixer as a segment of a continuous process.

Shortcomings

Achieving an equilibrium mixing with an inline shear mixer isn’t entirely smooth.

However, it’s still attainable.

What you have to do is to pass the product via the machine at least twice.

4) Inline Powder Induction Mixer

Also known as the high shear powder inductors.

The inline powder induction mixer is specifically built to deal with powdery ingredients.

Besides, this is a highly flexible machine, portable and capable of dealing with several mixing vessels of different capacity.

Powder liquid mixer – Photo courtesy: WAHAL

This mixer wet inducts and disperses various ingredients instantly thereby eliminating fisheyes.

Here, the rotor-stator generates a vacuum force enough to suck in the ingredients (powder and liquids) into the mixing chamber.

At the back of the rotor, there is an adjacent feeding tunnel through which you can inject in solids into the stream.

The rotor and stator then combines and mixes them into a stream.

Proteins, gums, vitamins, fiber, stabilizers, emulsifiers, flavors, colors, starches, and sweeteners are some of the ingredients readily dispersable at high rates with only a single pass.

For better results, you use the inline high shear mixer together with a vacuum pump and hopper.

The whole combination would be beneficial in trying to induct the powders into the liquid stream while the batch tank gets continuously filled.

Advantages

• it’s more than comfortable to interchange working with several mixing tanks.
• The mixer is capable of handling a large capacity of solids without any clogging.
• All the operations happen at the ground level, so you don’t need to work within a mezzanine.
• It’s incredibly accurate at dispersing powders.

5) Ultra High Shear Inline Mixers

Ultra high shear mixer is a similar machine to the standard inline shear mixer except for some little differences.

The ultra-high shear inline mixers do high shear mixing by subjecting the materials through multiple shearing processes in the rotor-stator assembly.

Ultra high shear mixer

Remember, the inline high shear mixers achieve its mixture with only a single pass.

By passing the materials through numerous shearing events, the final product becomes of excellent particle size distribution.

With some machines that fully employ the ultra high shear technology, it’s possible that the products would have thin particle sizes up to sub-micrometer.

To achieve the kind of little sizes, the stators have got precisely designed holes or openings via which the products get ejected by the action of the rotors.

Also, the extremely high speed and turbulent mixing of the rotor and stator enhances the production of smooth emulsions.

Besides, the machine design is customizable so that the rotor and stators momentum is controllable.

Thus, making it easier for much efficient processing in only a single pass of the materials.

But most significantly is the multi-stage design which includes double or quadruple rows of rotating blades which breaks down the components.

Next, we focus on integral aspects of the High Shear Granulator.

Chapter 4: Parts of High Shear Mixer Machine

Like any other pharmaceutical equipment and all other machinery, the mixer has several parts specifically designed to ensure smooth operation.

The equipment segments are dependent on each other to release quality and homogenous products which match your expectations.

Consequently, it’s paramount we review all these parts and discuss mechanisms in which they help in meeting their optimum performances.

Below are the fundamental parts of the High Shearing mixer.

• Mixing container/ vessel/ bowl
• Co-mill
• Mixing rotor/ agitator
• Blades
• Discharge port
• Control system
• Spraying nozzle
• Motor driving system
• The external frame
• Sealing means
• Other complementary units

Moreover, the quantity and the level of design of these components vary by the type of machinery.

Let’s now indulge in the details.

Part of high shear mixer

· Mixing Container

Also known as processing vessel is the center stage for all the operations of the machine, ie.

Mixing and product manipulation.

Its unique design of conical shape and all rounded bottom corners enables the active materials to move uniformly and thoroughly to get rid of dead spots and lumps.

Also, the 8mm thickness of the vessel ensures maintenance of the turgidity of the vessel during the operation.

What’s more, the mixing vessel has got flexible capacities that avail you a working volume from 3 liters to 680 liters.

The mixing speed is so extreme in here some mixers operate with up to 900 rpm.

The lid for use here is easy to lift one of lightweight.

Issues of pressure and maintenance of constant air condition could be a challenging task when dealing with mixers that’s why the high shear granulator is an exceptional one.

The lid in use at the processing vessel is always airtight thanks to the intensity of sealing done by the silicon rubber gasket.

Maybe you’re wondering the degree of safety of the sealing when it comes to use with food products.

The good news is that the sealing material is that of food quality silicon rubber.

Besides, the seals are easy to remove whenever you need to do cleaning and maintenance.

About the walls, both the vessel and lid have got only one wall.

Nevertheless, a double wall is still a choice depending on your preference.

Mixing container

The lid also plays a significant role in taking care of abrasive products due to the fixing of the tempered safety sight glass on it.

The cover doesn’t only serve a single purpose but also several other structural functions.

As a result, you will notice the installation of some of the following ports.

• A port for holding a spray nozzle or the washing ball.
• A port for the installation of manual feeding funnel and other auxiliaries such as blind plugs.
• A port for fixing a connection to the exhaust air system.
• A port for fastening outlet filters such as textile filters which are constructed from polyester besides being electrical conductors.

· Co-mill

The co-mill is stand-alone equipment which performs a great function in the line of mixing production.

The co-mill serves quite a few tasks including:

• Homogenising the dry and wet ingredients to specific particle sizes.
• Crushing the bigger sized particles into the preferred sizes.
• Milling the agglomerates into their original sizes.

The co-mill operates in a direct way.

You initially have to drain the materials into the working chamber via the hopper.

The blades then rotate rapidly cutting down the materials.

A centrifugal force created at this section would then force the particles to the sieve plate.

A constant and strong shearing action builds up between the continuously rotating blades and the sieve plate, granulating the materials into smaller even particles.

The granulation takes some time but when eventually ends, the material discharge occurs via the sieve pores.

That’s it.

Other applications of the co-mill are the recycling of the food, biscuits crushing and granulating the rough material.

Above all, it’s perfect equipment for dealing with low viscous blocks, gum shapes, and wet materials.

Aside from the functions, the co-mill also has got several sections that work together to achieve your desired level of granulation.

These parts include:

i. Support system that holds the whole equipment in position even during the constant high-speed mixing operation.

Distinct four wheels form part of the support system. The wheels assist in moving the equipment about smoothly throughout the floor working space.

Among the wheels, two of them are stationary while the other two are loose so that they propel the equipment in a specific destination. The dual wheels can negotiate corners or move in different directions.

ii. Charger hopper which continually charges the equipment to provide a constant electric power supply.

iii. Milling unit holds in position the screen insert, gearbox, and the rotor. The milling unit is the center stage for all the applications of the co-mill. Besides, it has the flanges both on the inlet and outlet regions to make a connection to the charge hopper and the discharge chute.

The rotor here is flexible and rotates at high speed to achieve a homogenous mixture of the materials.

High shear mixer part

· Agitator

You will always find the agitator inside the processing or mixing vessel.

Besides, it has got a unique configuration with a Z- shape configuration.

The agitator design could be of three blades or two blades.

The differences between the two are next.

Three blade agitators need high rotational speeds which can reach a thermal stressing point and produce denser granules.

While the two blade agitator has prolonged sideways that ensure a high rate of mixing even though it rotates at low speeds.

The function of the agitator is straightforward yet essential in achieving an optimum result.

The agitator assures you an excellent mixing and a fine homogenous granulation.

Remember, agitator blades don’t run independently, but they’re driven by a motor together with a right-angled gear.

High shear mixer components

The standard agitator speed should be about 53 rpm to 480 rpm and fully reliant on the motor current.

Also, the ideal position for the electric motor and gear is beneath the working vessel.

As we earlier mentioned, the ability to regulate the speed of the agitator is a standout feature here.

To control the speed, you will only need to initiate the command from the frequency converter located in the control cabinet.

Always be on the lookout for the speed and torque of the agitator, again you will find all this information fully displayed in the control panel.

These parameters are a must-have whenever you want to alter the operation procedure and also though optional when determining the endpoint of your process.

The design of the agitator shaft is special and unique in some ways outlined below:

• The shaft has got a mechanical sealing and air purging capabilities.
• A set of dry running seals which ensures efficient lubrication free rotation.
• An air purge system that prevents unnecessary material entry into the center of the agitator besides helping in avoiding any cross-contamination of the products.

· Chopper / blades

The granulator comes ready with a set of blades.

The choppers are responsible for cutting down the materials or disintegrating them into smaller, fine required particle.

To locate the choppers, check at the sides of the cylindrical sections of the mixing vessel.

For the choppers to function effectively, they have to move in extremely rapid speed approximately 1500 to 3000 FU to slash down the powders.

The only way to achieve such speed is by use of a motor.

Blades

Therefore the motor for the chopper has to be close and also beside the grinders on the sideways of the working vessel.

So that to prevent any possible corrosion of the motor parts, its casing is stainless steel.

You also have an option to adjust and regulate the chopper speed by use of the frequency converter found in the control cabinet.

All the information concerning the degree of the speed variation shall be well displayed in the setting screen.

Similar to the agitator shaft,

• A set of dry running seals supplement the movement of the chopper shaft making thereby making it free from any lubrication.
• An air purge system ensures no product enters behind the shear blades nor the region next to the seals in the course of production.

· Discharging unit

The discharge unit primarily is the arena where the emissions of the final products occur.

This unit is critical and thus taken well care of since it’s at this point that often product contamination occur.

So then, the unit has a system of pneumatically operated discharge cylinder and valves.

The pneumatic discharge valve is in the bottom region of the mixing trough.

At this point, the valve ensures the achievement of a complete emptying process.

Furthermore, a silicone O -ring tightly shields the valve plug from the rough surface.

The process of product discharge is reliant on the rate of movement of the agitator.

During the discharging process, the valve will always be open.

Discharge port

Meanwhile, you should be able to regulate the agitator speed by use of the frequency converter.

For most mixing granulators, both the discharge valve and pneumatic cylinders are at a hinge.

During inspection or maintenance, you should open the barrel in retracted position.

· Spraying nozzle

The spraying system is solely to introduce a binder liquid into the processing vessel through the action of a peristaltic pump.

Spraying nozzle is critical in a wet granulation procedure.

Spraying nozzle

The nozzle should be able to introduce suitable droplets of the binding solution uniformly on the material.

Aside from the peristaltic pump, you are free to choose a mechanical pump or even a special type but the ultimate decision of the type of pump depends on the kind of material for granulation.

The frequency converter comes in hand again here when you need to tweak the speed of the peristaltic pump head.

However, you need to note that, the pump should deliver fast and optimum pressure of the binding solution.

After that, you can monitor the subsequent spray time and spray intervals input values on the display panel of the control system.

For efficient spraying of the solution, most manufacturers design the spraying nozzle in a position that is directly above the material that you need to granulate.

Conversely, the positioning of this spraying nozzle varies in accordance with the structural design of the mixer.

· Control system

The control system is a comprehensive component of the mixer and may consist of the following aspects:

• Control hardware
• Operational model
• Electrical auxiliary parts
• Functional software

Permit me to take you through each of them.

Control panel

i. Control hardware

Control hardware is the overall system that holds the whole operational, technological unit, especially the programmable logic control system.

The control system thus consists of several components such as electro switch devices, pneumatic switch devices, sensors, actuators, control valves, remote I/O terminal boxes and the needed software.

Generally, the function of the control system is to allow a complete, fast and straightforward access to the entire process.

To achieve this rapid kind of access, a windows GUI environment hosts all the process parameters and plant conditions.

The GUI control system is famous for its quick reaction and an entire guide to the operator.

In cases of any malfunctions, the system promptly relays the information to the operator through a pop-up window view.

So it means if you input an invalid data, the programmes automatically blocks the user and then displays the information for viewing by the operator.

For a wide range of accessibility by multiple users, the system accepts three levels of authority management.

They include:

• Operator
• Administrator
• Guest

However, each user needs to input different permissions to run the machine.

Briefly, the operator access to the machine is usually purely based on the purposes of running the production sequences.

Therefore, the operator may have broad access to almost all the mixer’s operational parameters and control over their working mechanisms.

However, the operator’s access to the mixer isn’t unlimited to some settings.

The administrator can be taken to be exactly like the machine owner or caretaker, which means that the administrator has got control over the entire machine.

Thus the administrator entry guarantees complete authority over all the aspects of the equipment such as:

• Installation of new operational software
• Full control of the whole system, etc.

Generally, the administrator hasn’t any restricted access to the device.

The guest has minimal authority over the machine.

This entry is for only by the people who don’t need to use the equipment regularly but would like to use it anyway for such reasons like drilling.

But, the guests don’t have any critical permissions like those of the operator and the administrator.

ii. Operational panel

The panel located at the working platform and constitutes a cloured touch screen display, ethernet connections all of them shielded under a stainless steel casing.

On the operational panel is the “emergency off,” control ON/ OFF buttons with a status indicator.

iii. Electric components

The most common electronic elements include the electronic and pneumatic switches, electrical parts, relays, control transformer, etc.

They are all found in a cabinet located in the technical room.

iv. Operating software

The software does the monitoring and operational role over the entire machine system.

So then, the operator is flexible to initiate different functioning such as mixing, chopping, spraying, etc.

From the control panel after which the operational software communicates and transmits the data correctly.

Some of the available modes of operation are manual, automatic, and cleaning process.

Above all, in every means, you have got authorization to the entire control loop that includes set value, actual value, controlling values and PID adjustments.

In some cases, the analog values may have simple recordings in the form of a trend chart.

· Motor driving system

Motor is another essential part of the mixer that drives necessary components of the mixer such as the agitator, system of blades, etc.

Normally, the motor provides an electric power supply that drives all these components to ensure effective operations of the mixer.

· External frame

The frame of high shear mixers is mostly made of stainless steel; however, the frame quality is liable to the structural design of the mixer.

The frame keeps in place all the components of the mixer such as drive mechanism, processing vessel, control system, discharge port, etc.

External frame

To perform its function optimally, the frame should be strong and turgid in order to sustain the weights of the components together with the associated vibrations.

· Sealing Means

The kinds of the seals for use in High shear mixer are only of those that are compliant to the cGMP policies.

For the application of wet granulations, Teflon seals are key for use in the chopper and impeller shafts.

· Complementary units

The mixer may come readily installed with some other extension units such as data recording module, UPS, remote Diagnosis modem

I. Data Recorder module:

The recorder consists of a printer interface, USB network for relaying data in different formats ie.PDF/CSV.

Plus an offline trending mechanism for graphical batch evaluation.

II. UPS for the Control system

The UPS plays a vital role in the regulation of the power supply in the mixer.

When the electric amount is regular and steady, the UPS initiates a self-battery charge.

After that, in case of electricity interruption during the operation, the UPS supply sufficient direct voltage or convert the batteries Direct current into enough

Alternating Current to run the whole equipment as a back up for power supply.

The UPS then protects the software and the hardware components of the machine from electric damages/ faults.

Again, it will help in storing consistent operational data without creating a significant lapse.

We shall discuss more on the UPS later on in our discussion.

III. Remote diagnosis modem

Whenever you want to access the PC and the PLC of the mixer you can straightforwardly do that.

All you need is to use the remote diagnosis modem.

That’s all about the varied sections of the High Shear Mixer.

The next segment of our discussion is such important and you wouldn’t want to miss any content. Keep reading.

Chapter 5: Working Principle of High Shear Mixing Machine

As you might have realized, we have a lot of these kinds of mixer machines.

Now, it’s very tiresome to talk about each of the types.

Therefore, for the purposes of our guide, we shall majorly focus on the working principle of the high shear mixer granulator.

You don’t need to worry about other mixers because the working mechanism is quite similar to all of them.

Dealing with the mixing granulator then means that we shall be also focusing on the granulation process.

Just to keep our tabs together.

Let me briefly get into some basics.

We have got two types of granulation techniques i.e .wet granulation and dry granulation.

High shear mixer

What about the differences?

Wet granulation is the procedure of binding together varied powder particles by use of adhesives or solutions known as granulation liquid or binding solution.

Elsewhere, for dry granulation you don’t have to add any fluid or solution to the powder materials, binding of the particles only happen through the compression force.

With that little information, we should go on and focus on the working mechanism.

Step 1: Getting the materials ready for high shear mixing and granulation

Preparation of materials is fundamentally the initial step in the process.

The only way to achieve this is by using any of the different pharmaceutical machines in processing the materials.

You may opt to use milling machines, IBC bin blenders, ovens, vibro sifter, etc.

When getting the materials ready of course the big question to ask yourself is the kind of granulation technique you want to achieve.

Material for high shear mixing

For wet granulation then you should ensure that your choice materials:

• Are compressible
• Have an adequate moisture content
• Favorable particle size
• Optimum rigidity
• Porous
• Bulky

On the contrary for dry granulation, you need to choose heat and moisture sensitive materials.

Once you achieve the right powder material then we proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Charging of the materials

With the right powder material, it’s time to inject the powders into the mixing vessel.

This is very easy to do a process, not stressful at all, especially with a piece of fully automatic equipment.

With a fully automatic machine, you only need to press the start button to initiate the automatic filling of the ingredients into the processing vessel.

Material loading port

Conversely, with a manual type, you need to place the powder into a container, open the lid of the vessel then drain the contents directly into the vessel.

Again, you shouldn’t completely fill the trough but instead, fill it till a reasonable level that would allow you to close and seal the lid airtightly.

For an automatic filling, the process would instantly stop when the ingredients reach the desired level.

The ability to stop automatically occurs with the help of sensors.

Step 3: Kick-starting the machine

When the charging process is complete, the vacuum valve closes while the exhaust valve opens.

Switch on the operational process machine.

You should hear some little sound coming from the rotation of the impeller and the choppers.

The actual rotation of the impeller and choppers is in a counter direction to guarantee uniform mixing action.

Now via the control panel, you have to set both the chopper and impeller speed of rotation.

Remember, the degree of rotation would depend on the properties of the ingredients in use.

If in doubt then set it at a standard level.

In the vessel, the mixing assembly makes the ingredients turn in an upward direction ie.

From the center all the way up to the walls of the container.

It should be in a whirl direction.

At this stage, patience is paramount for achieving a quality mixture.

When achieved, we shall get into the next step.

Step 4: Addition of Binding Solution

Addition of the solvent is also another automatic procedure.

Thus the spraying nozzle automatically opens thereby targeting the binder onto the powder particles which are in a mixing action at the moment.

By the way, the granulation solution is important in achieving a successful agglomeration procedure.

Dealing with the binding solution is technical in terms of selecting the right one.

Generally, there are two forms of binding solution.

Before selecting any you need to reconsider the properties of your materials.

So the granulation liquid is available in two forms ie.

· Organic solutions

These organic solvents are for use only if you’re dealing with moisture sensitive materials.

They are good if you want rapid drying since they are very volatile.

However, it doesn’t fall of shortcomings.

They are expensive and pose an environmental threat. Organic solvents include ethanol etc.

· Aqueous solution

This type is very cheap and readily available.

Besides, the aqueous solvents are eco-friendly and harmless when handling.

The only problem with these solutions is the longer time they take for drying.

So you need to be ready to consider the probability of achieving less stable products.

An example of an aqueous solvent is pure water.

The introduction of the solution comes from the top of the mixing vessel directly above the powder.

Meanwhile, the blades and the impeller continue to rotate at the initial set speed acting upon the powder.

Moreover, the materials still experience a mechanical shearing force.

Remember, introducing a solution should happen in a continuous manner.

Thereafter, the particles would begin agglomerating into sized granules.

High shear mixing and granulation

Now this entire process forms the basic unit of wet granulation process.

During this process, you may note the formation of several big lumps.

No worries, the rotation of the chopper would crush the lumps into fine sizes of the granules.

When you realize your desired granule sizes and the density then it would be the right time for discharging.

Step 5: Discharging Granules

The spraying nozzle turns off by the help of the various sensors, the impeller speed greatly reduces too and the discharge unit door widely opens.

Then the granules exit the mixing vessel into the milling unit.

The milling chamber is for purposefully crushing the now wet granules into the required sizes.

Once you achieve the right granules, drying follows.

Step 6: Drying the granules

At this point, you should have wet granules ready.

Unfortunately, moisture filled products aren’t ready for use and that’s why you require drying.

For effective drying, move these wet granules onto the drying chamber such as fluid bed dryer for final tweaking.

Thumbs up, finally, you will have you’re ready to use granules.

It’s clear enough that the working principle of high shear mixing granulator isn’t complicated as perceived by many.

The process is the same no matter the type of high shear mixer you use.

Next, we will discuss the technical specifications and some of the salient features of the high shear mixer.

Chapter 6: Technical Specifications and Features of High Shear Mixing Machine

The kind of technology in place in constructing the mixer is very comprehensive.

Appreciably, the development doesn’t end there but researchers and manufacturers work every day in advancing new techniques that could enhance efficiency.

Even as we continue to look forward to that advancement, currently, numerous features and technical specifications of the high shear mixer exceeds specifications.

Below are critical specifications.

High shear mixer technical specification

1. Loading scheme

There are various means you can load the powdered batch material.

You can do it:

• Manually
• Automatically through the use of other equipment such as IBC bins by vacuum transfer or gravity.

2. Unloading system

The mechanism for discharging the finished products is either by manual or by vacuum transfer to the IBC bins.

3. Observation panel

There is an opening for the entire observation and monitoring of processes.

Besides, a lighting device usually FLP lamp in the chamber illuminates and visualize the whole mixing and granulation procedure.

4. Sample review chamber

An online sample review chamber that is accessible for monitoring the quality of the products without interrupting the general process.

5. Operation mode

The mixer has got three modes of operation which are:

• Manual mode – on the manual mode, the operator has full control of all the vital functions and working of the machinery. Meaning, that the user has freedom of altering some critical parameters of the mixer under this channel.
• Maintenance mode – in this technique, you’re able to initiate repairs to the mixer by performing a full diagnosis or troubleshooting. However, there is a constraint in access to interlock.
• The automated mode which gives you permission to organizing and regulating the input of ingredients though it offers meager operational interaction.

6. Measuring

You have to configure the settings related to the ingredients via the HMI terminal.

Such settings include the temperature of the product, spraying rate, peristaltic pump RPM, predictable drying period, actual drying time, batch ID, etc.

7. Control system

The HMI displays a complete visual of the process to the operator.

More importantly, the PLC regulates these parameters and operates them via a color touch screen located in a control cabinet.

The Siemens is a popular brand for the PLC and HMI.

A printer captures all the data while you can initiate the entire programs from the standby phase.

The writings including texts on the control buttons, switches and operator panel are all in the English language.

8. Temperature regulation

There is an inbuilt thermostat for temperature control of the batch products, drying system, and the overall machinery.

Remember, temperature regulation is an automatic function.

9. Timing operation

You can track the period of operation by an automatic timer.

10. Pressure monitor

The mixer has several pressure monitoring tools including:

• Compressed air pressure
• Steam pressure.

11. Material flow monitoring

Check for a solid flow monitoring tool that is broken bag filter detector to confirm the occurrence of a leak averting any possible material loss and air pollution.

12. The type of material for construction

 Stainless steel material

i. Main compartment

The compartment is purely stainless steel 316 L.

Furthermore, it’s in one piece construction to facilitate easier cleaning.

ii. Filter bag

It’s a medical grade antistatic multi-pocket filter bag sequence for preventing any excess particle from escaping.

iii. Seal

The seals usually in use are PTFE, silicon, Viton rubber, etc. and compliant with safety regulation measures such as the FDA, ET etc.

iv. Product vessel

The product storage or containment is either of Stainless Steel 316 L or Stainless steel S 304.

v. Duct

Both the inlet and outlet duct are made of Stainless Steel 304 L.

vi. Other sections

Every other equipment part that comes in contact with the product is of stainless steel AISI 316 or AISI 316L. also, these parts are inactive, additive and poor absorbents.

All lubricants in contact with the product are of food grade quality.

The other non-contact mixer parts made of AISI 304.

13. Safety

The mixer’s outer panel is flameproof.

14. Noise

The noise level of the equipment when operating at the highest speed is almost 75 dB (A).

15. Emergency stop

The mixer has a stop mechanism which closes down the system down in a procedural way without any unintended damage.

Most importantly, the emergency stop button is easy to reach.

16. Earthing

Earthing is the positive earthing connection that neutralizes the excessive static charges at some points.

17. Electrical components

Every equipment in the process regions is of IP55 rating meaning that they are dust and waterproof not unless stated otherwise.

The other electrical parts found in non-process regions are of IP41 minimum rating.

18. Interlocking

The mixing granulator comes with a ready product securing technique which prevents batch failure by promptly interlocking all the key procedural settings.

19. Locking gadget

The locking device operates with the aid of pneumatic system.

20. Utility failure

• When an electric power fault occurs, the PLC and HMI programmes aren’t interrupted. So then you can initiate a system recovery when power is back through the HMI.
• The equipment only starts with your input when power is back after a power failure.
• The machine stops automatically during other utility failures.
• In cases of hardware breakdown or fault, the whole mixer stops abruptly but in a safe mode.

21. Alarms

The alarm of the mixer sounds and at the same time producing a flashing light.

Interestingly, the potential error messages display on the HMI in a text with the corresponding error code.

Additionally, the printer gives a print out of the errors.

So some of the critical errors or instances which prompt alarms are:

• When the emergency stop button is on.
• Pressure sensors become faulty
• The ongoing task is incompletable of which a full alarm report would be printed.

22. Recovery mode

Under the power failure situations, the system falls into a ‘safe mode’ whereby all the ongoing actions come to a break, a reset will be a must before starting the operation.

The good part of it all is that absolutely no mechanical breakdown to the machinery occurs with almost no product loss.

Above all, you can restart the mixer based on the last state before the power failure.

23. Heat Insulation

Overheating is dangerous not only to the quality of your products but also to the life span of your equipment.

That’s why, under normal operation, you need to ensure that no external part of the machine reaches a temperature above 55°C.

However, you have to insulate all the parts that are likely to suffer from excessive temperature with enough insulators or clads.

The class should always be in stainless steel AISI 304.

Asbestos components, on the other hand, isn’t an option for use in insulation or cladding.

24. Maintenance procedures

The equipment should at all time be accessible to servicing and maintenance.

Your machine supplier is also responsible for providing all the users with relevant training and proficiency in operating and maintaining the control system.

Ensure you seek a maintenance schedule and lubrication list from your supplier.

25. Spare parts

It’s an obligation of the manufacturer to supply you with spare parts for a period of two years besides providing you with a full list of the best spare parts of your control system.

Some other tools essential for servicing and maintenance will also be available in a separate quotation.

26. Cleaning

What’s fascinating about the high shear mixer is that the designing ensures limitation of sharp corners and axis which are difficult to reach during cleaning.

In short such sections are round and spherical for easy accessibility.

Almost all the sections are easy to dismantle to carry out cleaning purposes.

Your manufacturer will also provide comprehensive cleaning techniques and validation ways.

You will notice a spray ball nozzle in the spraying nozzle port that is good for tidying the interior segments of the equipment.

A WIP is available when you make a quote.

For the automatic WIP, portable water washes the equipment then the PW does the final rinsing.

Now with these specifications, am sure you have all the enlightenment about the High shear mixing machine.

Don’t you think so?

Chapter 7: Applications of High Shear Mixer Machine

High shear mixer machines are autonomous with several applications in numerous sectors.

The material processing brought about by the equipment is significant in various industrial applications.

In the relevant industrial applications, the granulation process is significant in mixing several ingredients, chemicals, food, solvents etc to achieve a homogenized and consistent mixture.

Some of the common industries that benefit from such type of material handling machine are:

• Pharmaceutical industries
• Food and beverage processing industries
• Chemical processing industries
• Fertilizer manufacturing industries

I will take you through the practical applications of the mixer in each of the above industries.

Let’s begin.

High shear mixing – Photo courtesy: Tetra Pak

Pharmaceutical industry

In pharmacy, the mixer is critical for the following purposes.

i. Production of drugs in the form of tablets.

The granulation technique subsequently aids in mass production of varied types of tablets for medication purposes.

Distinctively the wet granulation procedure results into tablets which have got admirable properties beside the quality achieved.

So the final product tablets would have stable ingredients composition, be homogenous, and compressible.

They would also have better flow traits, bioavailability etc.

ii. Preparation of pharmaceutical suspensions and tablet coatings

This is done by means of disintegrating tablets, dispersing powders into liquids, uniform mixing of different modes of materials ie. Liquid/ solid or liquid/liquid components.

iii. Production of pharmaceutical creams and ointments

Pharmaceutical creams and ointments are helpful for the treatment of skin related conditions including rashes, irritation, fungal infections etc.

The products involved in the formation of creams are either:

• Water in oil emulsions or oil in water emulsions
• Waxes, lubrication in an oil phase
• Water phase comprising of emulsifying
• Thickening and stabilizing agents
• Preservatives and maybe colorant.

iv. Forming of ophthalmic and contact lens solutions

Most of the ophthalmic solutions such as prescriptions, and over the counter products come from the granulation process.

Besides the several contact lens solutions which do cleaning, disinfecting, lubrication, and rinsing.

i. Production of cough treatments and medicinal syrups

ii. Mixing and processing of sterile materials

iii. Manufacture of medicinal tablet coatings

iv. Manufacture of water in oil emulsified vaccines

Food and Beverage Industries

In this sector, the high shear mixer is suitable for coming up with the following:

i. Manufacture of cloud emulsions for the soft drinks in the beverage industries.

ii. Preparation of smoothies, sugar syrups and isinglass finings

iii. Preparation of samples for aflatoxin testing.

iv. Dispersion of beer foam head retaining agents, filter aid powders,

v. Manufacture of soft drinks specifically by dispersing artificial sweeteners.

vi. Manufacture of baby milk and infant formula, condensed milk, ice cream, and ice cream mixes.

vii. Processing cheese

viii. Production of tomato sauces, mayonnaise, and ketchup,

ix. Production of margarine and low fat spreads, high flavor milk drinks, salad dressings

Chemical industries

The chemical industry is also laden with several products and application information of the mixer.

They include:

i. Manufacture of agrochemical products such as pesticides.

ii. Preparation of drilling liquids

iii. Manufacture of various paints and pigments such as titanium dioxide, marking inks, polymer/pigment.

iv. Preparation of paper coatings

v. Production of polishes ie. Automotive polishes, and solid polishes.

vi. Preparation of special chemicals which include fumed silica, bentonite, polyvinyl alcohol, and xanthan gum.

Cosmetic and toiletries industry

For the purposes of your cosmetic products, here are a few applications that rely upon the use of high shear mixer.

i. Manufacture of deodorants and antiperspirants

ii. Manufacture of sunscreen creams and lotions

iii. Production of cosmetical creams and lotions

iv. Manufacture of lipstick products.

v. Manufacture of nail varnish solutions

vi. Shampoo manufacture

vii. Manufacture of toothpaste and dental formulations

viii. Dilution of highly active surfactants such as hand disinfectants

Now those are some of the numerous applications that seem unimaginable with single mixing equipment yet very practical and realistic in practice.

Apart from the equipment, you need to obtain other documents from the manufacturer which aids you during operation. We tackle that next.

Chapter 8: User Requirement Specification for the High Shear Mixing Machine

Generally, the URS is a comprehensive document that covers details in relation to the manufacturer, design, inspection, application and testing the mixer.

Besides, the URS include other extra documents related to the overall handling of the equipment.

High shear mixer

Without exceptions, it’s paramount you understand that the manufacturer bears the discretion of assessing and guaranteeing the quality of the mixer.

Therefore we shall briefly outline some vital aspects of the URS in relation to the Mixer.

Validation proposal

The manufacturer in collaboration with the relevant safety and regulatory bodies should ensure the equipment undergoes through a series of standardization protocols and reports.

Some of the crucial qualification procedures are:

• Performance Qualification
• Operation Qualification Test
• Installation Qualification Plan

Capacity is varied for each type of machine.

However, most machines have got a total volume of up to 1000 L with a working volume of up to 680L.

Plans and Documentations

The supply or manufacturer has an obligation of preparing the Design Qualification (DQ) then seek approval from you or your representatives in advance.

At the inspection/acceptance period, the supplier shall issue you with two copies of the following documents.

• Equipment operational compliance
• Equipment completeness and compliance with the designs.
• IQ and OQ protocol and report.
• Instructional installation Manual
• All Mechanical plans drawings
• All electrical Plans drawings

Moreover, you will get several manuals and drawings both in electrical transmission and hard copies.

• Installation manual
• Operational manual
• Service manual
• Routine maintenance schedule
• P and I drawings
• Wiring diagram
• Equipment layout
• Complete spare parts list.

Certificates

As proof of adherence to compulsory regulations, the manufacturer needs to issue you with various product certifications such as:

• Declaration of conformity
• Noise level certification
• Material certificates for all the metallic parts in contact with the product
• Material certificates for all non-metallic parts in contact with the product
• Calibration certificates etc.

Responsibilities

Each party in the deal needs to fully take all their responsibilities without failure and limits.

The burden thus lies upon the seller or the manufacturer.

The supplier should assure that the equipment conforms to all the necessary standards and that all the documents issued are accurate and relevant.

In contrast, the OHCL too has a big chunk of responsibilities to undertake.

Some of them are customs clearance, shipping, unloading, civil labor, necessitated utility support etc.

Factory Acceptance Test

It’s a better practice for all the parties involved to reach a common consensus on the kind of the inspection and acceptance trials of the machine even before placing an order.

In the course of this test, you need to thoroughly assess the equipment and inspect the tests to confirm the level of compliance of the machine to your expectations.

It’s only after your consent that the machinery would be packed and dispatched.

Site compliance test (SAT), Commissioning, Validation, and Training

The supplier would be responsible for the installation of the mixer and supervises the whole process.

So the supplier has to issue whatever is necessary for the installation whether it’s a special device or equipment.

During the installation, the supplier has to perform a startup performance to the equipment, printing layouts on essential gadgets.

Most importantly, the supplier will conduct a Supervise Site Acceptance Test (SAT) at the location while rectifying any rising problem.

Furthermore, the supplier will be in charge of training the operational personnel of the clients apart from adhering to relevant validation standards.

As it’s evident, the URS is critical in aiding you to make an informed decision concerning the high shear mixing machine.

But, even before concluding, it is important to note that material processing involves a range of process.

In fact, high shear mixing, it one out of the numerous processed involved.

You can see this in the image below:

High shear mixer

Obviously, you could be wondering what the other processes are all about.

Don’t worry, I will cover each in the subsequent guides.

Keep visiting SaintyCo resource center.

Conclusion

We have come to the end of this guide.

Reflecting on whatever you’ve learned, I trust that you are capable of identifying the types of mixers based upon the classification, you should identify the parts and functions of the equipment as well.

Remember to understand the working principle of the mixer because that’s the core aspect that will determine your success rate in achieving round/ spherical, homogenous and compact granules.