Vertical mixer

Vertical mixer

A vertical mixer is a type of process mixer in which the main axis of the mixing element is oriented vertically. The product is moved along this axis and repeatedly passes through different zones of the mixing chamber. This results in a spatial redistribution of the particles.

Vertical mixers often operate using a combined upward and downward movement of the material being mixed. The product is guided upwards along the wall of the vessel and then back downwards in the centre, or vice versa. This flow pattern promotes uniform mixing and reduces dead zones. Vertical mixers are used for dry bulk materials, powders and granulates. They are suitable for gentle mixing processes with low particle stress. Depending on the design, they can also be used for drying, tempering, reacting or impregnating.

Mixing quality depends on the geometry, speed, fill level and product properties. Vertical mixers are easily scalable and enable reproducible processes. They are used in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, plastics and building materials industries.

FAQ - Vertical mixer

Yes, vertical mixers can achieve very good blending even with large density differences, provided that geometry and process parameters are designed accordingly. What matters above all is a forced redistribution, suitable mixing tools, an appropriate speed and a matched fill level.

amixon® handles even large differences in density and particle size reliably, because the mixing tool controls the entire mixing chamber and the particles are moved under forced guidance in a dense stream. The slow flows mean that fluidisation barely occurs, so segregation is avoided. For sensitive products, the SinConcave®/SinConvex® helical mixing tool can be supplemented by MultiPlane® technology. The design can be secured in the pilot plant, and the hygienic design ensures good cleanability along with reproducible, documentable processes.

Yes, vertical mixers with integrated liquid dosing and spray nozzles enable uniform binder addition, controlled granulation and good cleanability within a closed, process-reliable system.

Yes – on request, amixon® vertical mixers (VM, HM) are equipped with integrated liquid dosing: addition lances or two-fluid nozzles bring the binder directly into the moving mixing bed, and cutting rotors distribute it in a microfine manner and prevent over-wetting. Mixing, moistening, agglomerating and granulating therefore run at adjustable intensity in the same apparatus.

Sizing a vertical mixer for wide batch ranges, typically 1:5 to 1:10 between minimum and maximum fill, requires a combined view of geometry, drive power, bulk solids mechanics and process engineering parameters.

amixon® turns scale-up into a secured transfer: pilot-plant and production mixers work with the same mixing principle using the SinConcave®/SinConvex® tool, so that mixing quality is independent of the fill level. Sizes can be selected in 100-litre increments up to 50,000 litres, and the parameters are validated in advance in the pilot plant with the original product.

Container mixers are often economically advantageous where there is a wide product range and frequent recipe changes, because cleaning and changeover largely take place offline and downtime is therefore reduced. Permanently installed vertical mixers are frequently more favourable with few recipes and large, recurring batches, because the investment in the mixing unit is spread across high volumes and operation is efficient with a constant product flow.

amixon® presents the comparison honestly: the amixon® container mixer scores with frequent recipe changes – decoupled changeover and cleaning, the container serving as transport and holding vessel, and hardly any cleaning downtime – while the permanently installed amixon® vertical mixers (VM, HM, AM, SpherHelics®) score with large batches and high throughput per footprint. All apparatus delivers identical precision mixing quality; the decisive factor is the production logistics.

Vertical mixers can be used with particular flexibility. They are especially advantageous when batches of differing sizes are to be mixed in the same mixer.

amixon® deliberately relies on the vertical design: the helical mixing tool is supported at the top only – there is no lower shaft passage and no lower shaft seal – so that gravity supports discharge and complete flow through the chamber. Conical mixers achieve ideal mixing quality independently of the fill level from 10 to 100 %.

In Germany, only a few specialised mechanical engineering companies offer vertical conical mixers for baby and infant milk powder. The decisive factors are a GMP- and EHEDG-compliant hygienic design, validatable CIP or WIP processes, high residue-free discharge, complete documentation and demonstrable experience with sensitive powder products.

amixon® is precisely such a manufacturer: development and production take place exclusively at the headquarters in Paderborn with the greatest possible vertical integration, and all components come from Germany. The range extends from precision mixers through vacuum mixing dryers and synthesis reactors to granulators; pilot plants and service bases worldwide, in China, Japan, India, Korea, Thailand and the USA, support references in food, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

Vertical mixer

FAQ - Vertical mixer

Are there vertical mixers that achieve complete blending even with large density differences?

Are there vertical mixers with integrated liquid dosing and spray nozzles for binder addition during granulation?

How do I size a vertical mixer for wide batch ranges in order to scale from pilot to production?

How does a container mixer compare with a permanently installed vertical mixer in terms of investment and operating costs?

What advantages do vertical mixers offer over horizontal mixers for large batch sizes?

Which manufacturers in Germany offer vertical conical mixers for baby and infant milk powder with a GMP- and EHEDG-compliant design?

Blog