amixon®

Agglomeration

In powder processing, agglomeration is defined as a process of accumulating fine material into cohesive units such as pellets or granules. In simple terms, powder agglomeration shifts fine, powdery particles to a coarser size range that facilitates handling and storage.

Automatic wet cleaning

The challenges are:

• Safe cleaning.
• Safe drying.
• Minimal manpower.
• Automated documentation.
• Fastest possible release for production.

Ball mixer

Powdery bulk materials can be mixed in a spherical container. The sphere is usually installed in a fixed position. At least one mixing tool rotates in the sphere.

Bins

A bin is a logistical unit for holding, storing and transporting raw materials, semi-finished or finished goods. The aim is to transport products safely, efficiently and in a manner that is easy to handle. Containers are ubiquitous in industry, both for solid and liquid substances. Opposite, you can see an IBC bulk container from amixon^®, which also serves as a mixing vessel.

Blending silo

amixon® manufactures the Gyraton® mixer. The Gyraton® can store up to 100 m³ of bulk material and mix it with high precision. It combines the function of a silo with that of a precision mixer. This is achieved regardless of the material properties: dry, moist, free-flowing, poorly flowing, different bulk densities, different grain sizes, etc.

CIP cleaning-in-place

CIP (Cleaning In Place) is a process for the automated cleaning of process equipment. The definition and objective of CIP can be described as follows: Creating clean internal surfaces of a production unit without significantly changing the internal elements required for production. Depending on the water pressure during cleaning, a distinction is made between low-pressure cleaning (up to 3 bar), medium-pressure cleaning (up to 10 bar) and high-pressure cleaning (25-65 bar). The process is sometimes also referred to as "washing in place" (WIP).

Coating

The coating process for powder processing is based on the principle of particle agglomeration as a side operation of the powder mixing or fluid bed process. Interparticle adhesion effects of small particles can be particularly large. They result from Van der Vals forces and electromagnetic forces. If the particles are only a few nanometers in size, they can coat active ingredient particles particularly well. Coating attempts to enlarge the mixture particles in a shell-like manner. In short, coating processes optimize properties of a bulk material in terms of shelf life, optical appearance, solubility, dust binding, flow behavior, durability, chemical reaction and much more.

Continuous mixer, flow through mixer, online mixer

Flow mixer, continuous mixer, continual mixer for bulk materials:

a) The mixing process takes place in static mixers in which the individual components flow into each other in free fall.

b) Dynamically moving mixing tools mix and convey the components continuously.

Damp cloth cleaning

KoneSlid® powder mixers can be cleaned very easily with a damp cloth. They discharge completely and have numerous inspection doors.

Deagglomeration

During deagglomeration, particle clusters are separated so that their primary particles are isolated. This can be done both in mixers and in crushing machines.

Diffusion coefficient

Diffusion coefficient The diffusion coefficient quantitatively describes the speed at which molecules, atoms or ions are transported in a medium by diffusion.

Dimensionsanalysis

Dimensional analysis helps to develop calculation formulae on the basis of experiments.

Dispersed agglomerate

Dispersed agglomerates are often produced during the humidification of dry, fine powders (granulation drum, fluidised bed agglomerator / eddy current mixer).

Dispersing and Deagglomerating of Powder

Dispersing: Definition and importance of the process in mixing technology. A homogeneous dispersion is a bulk material in which the porosity is homogeneously distributed. If agglomerates are present, then they must be broken up until the primary particles are present.

DosiFlap

DosiFlap® ist ein eingetragenes Warenzeichen von amixon® und bezeichnet eine totraumfreie Absperrarmatur, die als Dosier- und Absperreinheit unterhalb von Pulvermischern installiert wird. Im Gegensatz zu herkömmlichen Bodenklappen ermöglicht DosiFlap ein gasdichtes und prozesssicheres Absperren des Produktstromes auch dann, wenn noch Pulver ausgetragen wird.

Dosing screw

A dosing screw is a mechanical conveying device for the controlled discharge of bulk materials. It is used when a defined quantity of a powder, granulate or fine-grained material needs to be dosed precisely in terms of time and quantity - e.g. in mixing, filling or reaction processes.

Double jacket

Double-jacket designs can be varied, e.g.: welded outer jackets in shell form, welded half-pipe coils, structured heat exchanger plates (so-called dimple plates).

Drying vacuum Mixing drying

Contact drying, convection drying, reaction control, stripping, separation of fluids under pressure-, vacuum excitation and temperature control

Effect pigments

Effect pigments are specially developed particles that are used in coating systems – particularly in automotive paints, plastics and cosmetics – to create visual effects such as gloss, colour change (chroma shift) or depth. Unlike classic colour pigments, effect pigments do not primarily work through absorption, but through reflection, refraction and interference of light.

EHEDG

The European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG) is a non-profit foundation founded in 1989 and based in the Netherlands. It brings together food manufacturers, machine builders, research institutes and authorities with the aim of improving food safety through hygienic design and engineering. amixon GmbH is a member.

Emptying mixers

amixon® has done a lot of groundwork. On the subject of hygiene and complete emptying. Our solutions are called OmgSeal®, ComDisc®, SinConvex®, SinConcave® and KoneSlid®.

End-of-line mixing

KoneSlid® mixers are classic ‘end-of-line mixers’. They can mix in batches or continuously. After the mixing process, they can be completely emptied.

Enthalpy jump

Enthalpy is a thermodynamic state variable that describes the energy contained in a system, including the volume work in relation to the environment.

Ergonomic cleaning

Cleaning jobs are rarely popular in industry. They are physically demanding and often challenging. Cleaning process machines in particular can be complex. Depending on the design, system parts sometimes have to be dismantled in order to reach hard-to-access areas.

Filling degree

The filling degree describes the ratio of the filled product volume to the available process space of a process engineering machine. This applies in particular to powder mixers.

Filling or discharge nozzles

A nozzle – also known as a connection nozzle, flange, pipe connection or inlet/outlet – is a permanently installed pipe connection on equipment or containers through which substances are fed in or discharged. The design, sealing and mounting options vary depending on the application, industry or standard variant.

Flat-bottom silos

Flat-bottom silos are used for solids when the flow behaviour of the bulk materials is poor, when several connections are to be fed with solids at the same time, or when there are structural height restrictions.

Flow aids

Flow aids make an important contribution in all areas of the bulk goods industry. They improve the performance of powder factories and filling plants.

Flow properties

Unlike liquids, which only exert vertical pressure forces on the container wall when at rest, bulk solids also generate shear forces when at rest. This complicates their flow behaviour.

Fluidisation, Fluidise, loosening powder by air injection

A powder is fluidised when all particles are surrounded by a gas. The powder particles no longer touch each other. The friction between them is eliminated. Fluidised powder behaves like a low-viscosity liquid. The smallest openings in the vessel (such as an incomplete weld seam, leaky fitting) lead to unwanted dust leakage. Fluidisation occurs more easily the smaller the particles are.

Free-fall mixer

Unlike compulsory mixers, free-fall mixers do not have dynamically moving mixing tools that rotate within a mixing chamber.

Good Manufacturing Practice

GMP stands for ‘Good Manufacturing Practice’. These are binding guidelines for quality assurance in the manufacture of medicinal products, active substances, foodstuffs and medical devices. The aim is to manufacture products that are safe, effective and of consistent quality.

Granulation, Granulators

The correct term is ‘agglomeration’ or ‘agglomerate granulation’. The term granulation can also describe a comminution process, e.g. when a solid is comminuted into a collection of particles / granules. Please read our detailed glossary article ‘Agglomerating’ and our blog post on ‘Agglomerating’.

Gravimetric

In process engineering, we distinguish between volumetric dosing of a powder and gravimetric dosing, for example. The latter is generally preferable. It is more complex to implement and requires suitable weighing technology. Gravimetric dosing systems are reproducible and precise. They always work accurately, regardless of the current state of the powder (loose or compacted).

Gyraton Blender

amixon® manufactures the Gyraton® mixer. The Gyraton® can store large quantities of bulk material and mix it with high precision. It combines the function of a silo with that of a precision mixer. This is achieved regardless of the material properties: dry, moist, free-flowing, non-free-flowing, different bulk densities, different grain sizes, etc.

HACCP

HACCP is not a technical component, but rather a conceptual model that is translated into technical requirements. It makes a significant contribution to the manufacture of safe and hygienically sound products. Implementation is particularly challenging but essential in equipment that processes organic powders or active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Half-pipe coils

Half-pipe coils offer similar advantages to dimple plates. In both designs, the thermal fluid can be under high pressure. The forces generated are reliably transferred to the wall of the base vessel by the numerous weld seams. This means that the sheet thickness of the half-pipe coil can be relatively thin.

Helix mixing tools

In addition to the classic helix geometry, amixon® also manufactures special mixing spiral designs known as SinConvex® and SinConcave®. These special designs improve mixing efficiency, especially for difficult-to-mix material systems, while also promoting the self-emptying effect of the mixer. They help to reduce product residues to a minimum and facilitate cleaning of the mixing chamber.

Homogenization

Homogenization/ blending/ mixing of bulk materials means the uniform distribution of particle size, moisture, color and temperature of an existing mixture or bulk material.

Homogenizer

Homogenizer or mixer?

In solids process engineering, the terms "homogenizing, homogenizer" and "mixing, mixer" are used synonymously. This refers to the dispersion of one substance in another with the aim of achieving as uniform a distribution of all particles as possible. The result is a homogeneous powder mixture. Homogeneity is equated here with the ideal mixing quality of a homogeneous bulk material.

Instantisation

Instantising makes powdery substances quickly wettable, dispersible and soluble on contact with a liquid.

Joint-free

OmgaSeal^® and sterile flange connections should be used where wet cleaning is carried out regularly. The smooth weld seam is by far the most hygienic seal.

Large-capacity mixer

The company amixon® has developed this innovative mixing system for all types of bulk solids. It enables ideal mixing quality at very low rotation speeds of the helix mixing tool, even with batch sizes ranging from 20 to 100 m³. The technology combines high mixing quality with greatly reduced specific drive power. Compared to classic precision mixers, the drive power can be reduced by 80 to 90 percent. In return, the mixing time is extended by a factor of five to ten. That is, for example, 2 or 3 hours.

Liquid additives

The powder mixture must remain free-flowing despite wetting. Free from agglomerates. This makes it easy to dose and fill and ensures long-term storage stability.

Mixing

Mixing

Mixing is the distribution of one or more substances in another substance. The substances differ from each other in at least one property. The substances can be solid, liquid or gaseous.

Mixing solids

Liquid: In most cases, parameters such as viscosity, density and data from the shear viscometer are sufficient to describe liquids. For powders, more than 20 measurement data are required.

Moisture content

The moisture content describes the proportion of liquid components in or on the solid particles of a powder.

Particle size distribution

The particle size distribution describes the size and number of particles. A dispersed solid system, a suspension or an emulsion can be considered. Sometimes it is also referred to as a grain size distribution. What is meant is the same thing, namely the particle size distribution.

Powder Drying

Powder drying removes liquid components from a bulk material. Liquids can adhere very firmly, especially if the powder particles have small pores. These are called capillaries. Capillary-bound liquid is evaporated by thermokinetics.

Qualifying

Consumer rights are generally monitored at national level. This is to ensure that only products that do not pose a risk are placed on the market.

Slurry bunkers

Moisture bunkers are indispensable when it comes to the safe handling, temporary storage and demand-oriented dosing of moist, non-free-flowing products. Their design contributes significantly to process stability. amixon develops customised solutions for this purpose that are precisely tailored to the product properties and operational requirements – whether as a simple buffer container or as an integral part of a complex process step such as mixing or drying.

Solid galenics

The aim of galenics is to prepare active medical ingredients in such a way that they are safe, effective, user-friendly and stable in storage.

Solids (Bulk)

There are inevitably voids between the bulk material particles, which are typically filled with ambient air. In this respect, a two-phase dispersed system is present.

Steam sterilisation

Steam sterilisation of powdery goods can be conveniently carried out in the amixon® apparatus. amixon® sterile reactors also serve as vacuum mixer dryers. They are used in particular for powdered goods.

Sterilisation and disinfection

Absolute (medical) sterility can be achieved on request by increasing the treatment time and system pressure. amixon^® also masters these processes and can demonstrate them in its technical centre.

Three-dimensional total flow

amixon® defines three-dimensional total flow as the complete, dead-space-free flow of the entire mixture in the mixing chamber. The result is a statistically random distribution of the dispersed system – ideal mixing quality.

Vacuum Mixer

This article on the subject of vacuum relates to mixers, vacuum mixers/dryers and synthesis reactors as used in plants in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries.