Mixers and blenders play a key role in transforming raw materials for human consumption. Whether mixing multiple ingredients in large quantities or manually mixing on a small scale, proper mixing is essential to create consistency. Even with the right amount of seasonings and ingredients, a good recipe will not turn into a good food unless its ingredients are well combined.
Appearance, color, taste and texture are the key parameters affected by the mixing process. Consumers want their food to be the same as the previous experience. Therefore, in the food industry, a blender suitable for this job can provide a high degree of consistency. This may exist in every batch or from one facility to another.
One of the most common types of mixers in the food industry is the ribbon mixer. This article discusses the basics of belt mixers and their role in the food industry. It also includes choosing the right machine, whether it's looking for a used ribbon mixer or investing in a new one.
What is a ribbon mixer?
The spiral ribbon mixer consists of a U-shaped horizontal trough and a double spiral or single spiral ribbon agitator rotating in it. The outer spiral belt and the inner spiral belt are inclined to move the material axially in opposite directions as well as in the radial direction.
The rotation speed of the ribbon tip can be as high as 300 feet per minute. This ensures the highest efficiency and accuracy of mixing and mixing regardless of the amount of raw materials available.
The role of ribbon mixer in the food industry
Ribbon mixers are widely used in various industries, but are mainly used in the beverage and food industries.
The design of the ribbon mixer makes it cost-effective and efficient when mixing dry applications. It is used to mix dry foods such as muffin and cake mixes, cereals, bread improvers, spices and herbs, snack bars, mixed foods, baby foods and dietary supplements.
For beverages, the belt blender can mix coffee, including ground coffee beans or whole coffee beans. Tea, such as tea powder or tea leaves, chocolate drinks, whey protein, energy drinks and fruit juice powders are some of the products that can be used with ribbon mixers.
Although dry blending is its more popular function, ribbon mixers can also be used to prepare flowing pastes or slurries. This can be used for food extrusion operations. Food extrusion is a processing technology used to produce everything from ready-to-eat cereals and pasta to pet food and snack chips.
The function of the ribbon mixer in the extrusion process is to evenly mix two or more kinds of flour, grains, emulsifiers, sugar, extrusion aids, oil and other powders. Once the ingredients are mixed, water is usually added to the batch to increase the existing moisture content to an appropriate level of extrusion.
Liquid ingredients are usually added through the charging port on the lid. For critical applications, liquid ingredients are added through a nozzle installed in the spray bar directly above the belt agitator. Generally, the liquid flow rate and mixer speed are fine-tuned during the mixing process to avoid the formation of wet powder lumps or flooding the consistency of the mixture.
Unlike other machines, the ribbon mixer has a double ribbon agitator, making it a highly versatile machine not only for mixing, but also for other purposes, such as:
How to choose the right ribbon blender
If you are in a food processing business, then you need a belt mixer. Here are some tips on choosing the right product for your business.
When choosing a ribbon mixer, the size and volume of the ribbon mixer are the most important considerations. It depends on the amount of food ingredients you mix and the speed required to mix them all.
As a general rule, the ribbon mixer should be filled to its swept volume, which is the area occupied by the agitator, to obtain effective mixing. Therefore, if the material you are dealing with is too full of its sweep volume, you will need to obtain a larger material.
In order to obtain the best mixing effect in the shortest time, the size of the mixer is also essential. The length of the stirrer should not exceed two and a half of the diameter of the stirrer. In addition, please consider the width, length, volume and height of the machine and the size of the agitator to ensure that the size is suitable for your food processing needs.
Ribbon stirrers are usually made of mild steel or stainless steel. However, the building materials and their finishes will depend on the ingredients mixed and how they are used.
For example, for food-grade ingredients, the agitator should be stainless steel and have a special welding finish. This makes it easy to disinfect and clean the machine. At the same time, the outer or non-contact area of the ribbon mixer can be made of mild steel and painted. This is in contrast to its interior, where the paint can contaminate the mixed ingredients.
The machine can also use materials such as ceramics or ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) plastics for layering. This can be used to improve its longevity and performance. In addition, this usually occurs when the material is abrasive and may wear internal parts prematurely.
To choose a mixer that is both efficient and effective, you need to use a motor with enough horsepower. Choosing a motor with too much power may mean additional costs. However, underestimating the motor power may cause the blender to fail to handle your general ingredient load.
Most belt mixers operate at a speed of 20 revolutions per minute. Mixers with wider ribbons or dual stirrers will require more power. The general rule of thumb for medium-density materials in a single agitator ribbon mixer is 10 horsepower per ton of mixed ingredients.
How the ingredients leave the mixer is also an important factor to consider. Some processes require immediate discharge. In this case, the full-length lowering bottom discharge door is essential. The ingredients are released immediately after mixing.
Certain processes may require a pneumatic sliding door to release the gradual discharge, allowing a certain amount of material to escape. This is useful for mixing, measuring and bagging. If you need faster discharge speed and tight sealing, you can use multiple gates to speed up the process.
There is no doubt that mixing and mixing are at the core of the food processing and manufacturing industry. Due to its high-speed and efficient mixing capabilities, ribbon mixers have always been necessary to obtain the correct consistency in your food.
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