A ribbon mixer is a powerful machine used in the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, chemical, plastic, and agricultural industries. They are very different from the vertical food mixer you would find in a bakery. It is a versatile blender that can be used for a variety of applications.
Powder Blending
One of the most common applications of a ribbon blender is mixing dry powders. For instance, they are commonly used to create baking mixes, tablet formulas, powdered flavors, protein supplements, and chemical additives. These machines are often used for this purpose because they can blend powdered ingredients in roughly 15 minutes and do not need to be turned off to discharge or add ingredients. Therefore, the blending process is very straightforward with one of these machines. The main issue with this application is that if proper maintenance is not performed, the machine can lose some of the powder.
Coating Particles With an Ingredient
Another popular use for ribbon blenders is coating larger solids with smaller particles or liquids. Ribbon blenders are a favorite for this application because they can thoroughly mix the finer particle with the larger solid. This is because the double ribbon blades eliminate any dead zones. Additionally, scrappers can be added to make this process quicker. However, this application tends only to be effective when a stainless steel mixer is used. Furthermore, the features of the coating can affect how efficient a ribbon mixer is for this purpose.
Mixing Solids of Different Shapes and Sizes
Trail mixes often are made with a ribbon blender. Similarly, plastic blends that combine crumbs, pellets, and beads require a ribbon blender for mixing. This is because the components are different shapes, sizes, and densities. Furthermore, they must experience minimal damage during mixing. The fast yet gentle mixing that a ribbon blender performs makes this machine a good candidate for these blends.
Ribbon blenders are popular in many industries and are useful for a lot of applications. These are some of the most common applications where you will find a ribbon blender in use.
