Don’t Leave Your Warehouse Unorganized

Posted on: 19 May 2020

Planetary mixers are invaluable in the fabrication and manufacturing industry. Take a look at a few important attributes for planetary mixers used for silicone.

1. The mixer can be used for silicone with varying degrees of viscosity. 

Silicone mixes can be different viscosities depending on the final composition needs. Therefore, any good mixer should be designed to handle varying degrees of viscosity. 

2. The mixer has a jacketed construction for insulating the silicone while it's mixed. 

Sometimes, it is critical that silicone mixtures are held at a certain temperature until all ingredients in the mix are stable or achieve a certain composition. Therefore, it is also important that you have a mixer that is going to help insulate and stabilize the temperature of the mix. A jacketed silicone mixer uses a void between an outer jacket and the mixing vessel to house mediums that can directly control temperatures, such as temperate water or oil. 

3. The mixer has a range of blade options. 

Having a mixer that delivers the ability to use different blades is also an important thing to consider. You can find a range of blades for mixing silicone in a planetary mixer, each of which having its own usage value or advantage. A few examples include: 

• Vertical shaft blades
• Butterfly blades 
• Quarter-twist blades 

4. The mixer gives you varied options for material discharge after mixing. 

Whether using a hydraulic press for discharge or simply allowing the mix out through a plug valve in the base, you want emptying the mixer to be a simple process. However, different silicone mixes need different outlets for discharge depending on the viscosity of the mixed product. For example, a thick silicone mix may fare better with a press, a medium-consistency could potentially be scooped from the top, and a thin consistency could be let out from the bottom of the mixer. Therefore, it is best if you have options available. 

5. The mixer works for small and large-volume mixes. 

When you work with silicone regularly in your facility, you already know that there will be times you will be doing small batches and other times when you will need massive volumes of mixed product. It is always better if you have a planetary mixer that can handle either volume and anything in between. You could always buy multiple planetary mixer sizes, but it is more financially logical to have one mixer that can be versatile enough for whatever batch side it is you need. 

For more information on planetary mixers for silicone, talk to silicone mixing equipment suppliers near you.