American Double Planetary Mixer. The client is a US company specializing in the research, development, and production of specialty industrial gels, whose products are widely used in various industries. The complex production process and material properties of these industrial gels pose a severe challenge to large-scale production.
I- Data Collection
In terms of production conditions, the industrial gel’s formula requires operation in medium-to-high-temperature environments of 150-200°C. Conventional mixing equipment’s sealing systems and high-temperature components are unable to withstand these temperatures. Long-term operation can lead to seal failure and component deformation, impacting production continuity and potentially contaminating the material. The gel consists of 65% oil, 18% rubber, 9.7% silica, and other powders. These components exhibit significant differences in physical properties: the oil phase is highly fluid, the rubber is granular and complex to disperse, and the silica powder easily agglomerates.
Furthermore, the final gel product has a viscosity of up to 100,000 mPa · s, making it challenging for conventional mixing equipment to achieve uniform mixing of the components. This often results in uneven rubber particle dispersion, silica agglomeration, and oil phase separation, severely impacting the gel’s performance stability and product quality.
To overcome production bottlenecks, the customer urgently needed specialized mixing equipment capable of operating in medium- and high-temperature environments and meeting the mixing requirements of high-viscosity, multi-component materials, thereby ensuring both improved production efficiency and product quality.
II- Filling Solution Design
After gaining a thorough understanding of their production needs and material characteristics, our team, after multiple rounds of technical discussions and solution validation, ultimately selected a dual planetary mixer as the core of a tailored industrial gel production solution. This design closely addressed the material’s high-temperature tolerance, high-viscosity mixing requirements, and multi-component dispersion challenges, offering targeted optimizations in equipment structure, material selection, and functional configuration.
To meet the production temperature requirements of 150-200°C, we comprehensively upgraded the key components of the dual planetary mixer. The mixing tank is constructed of 316L stainless steel, which offers both excellent high-temperature resistance and strong corrosion resistance, effectively protecting against long-term erosion by the oil phase and other components in the gel, thereby ensuring the equipment’s longevity.
The sealing system utilizes a high-temperature-resistant composite seal structure. It features a polytetrafluoroethylene core and a metal-reinforced frame. This seal maintains excellent sealing performance in high-temperature environments. Preventing material leakage and the ingress of foreign matter, while also preventing seal aging and failure due to temperature fluctuations. This ensures a leak-proof and safe production process.
III- Product Testing
Furthermore, the equipment is equipped with an intelligent temperature control system. This monitors temperature changes within the mixing tank in real time. It also automatically adjusts the heating mechanism to precisely control the temperature within the process range of 150-200°C. Providing a stable temperature environment for the gelation reaction.
Proposed Solution
To handle high-viscosity materials with a viscosity of 100,000 mPa·s, the double planetary mixer employs a unique dual planetary mixing trajectory design. Two impellers orbit around the center of the mixing tank while simultaneously rotating at high speed. This creates a combined motion mode of “orbital shearing + rotational mixing.” The motion generates powerful shear forces and convection, effectively breaking down the cohesion of high-viscosity materials and preventing accumulation near the tank walls and the agitator shaft.
Furthermore, the impellers utilize a combined anchor and ribbon structure. The anchor impellers rotate closely against the inner wall of the mixing tank, scraping away high-viscosity materials adhering to the tank wall in real time and ensuring seamless mixing of materials within the tank. The ribbon impellers transport materials upward from the bottom of the tank and then circulate them downward from the top, creating a highly efficient material circulation flow and further improving the mixing uniformity of high-viscosity materials.
We have added a high-speed dispersing disc assembly to the double planetary mixer. This is to address the challenges of dispersing rubber particles, silica powder, and the oil phase within the gel. Working in tandem with the dual planetary impellers, the high-speed rotation of the dispersing disc generates intense vortex and shearing action. This rapidly breaks up the rubber particles and dispersing them into the oil phase. This effectively eliminates agglomerations of silica powder, ensuring a uniform distribution of all solid components within the oil phase.
In addition, the equipment supports multi-speed mixing control, allowing flexible adjustment of the stirring and dispersing disc speeds. This is according to the different stages of gel production (such as material premixing, solid particle dispersion, and viscosity adjustment). Initially, low-speed stirring achieves initial mixing of the oil phase and solid materials, preventing powder from flying. In the middle stage, the stirring and dispersing speeds are increased to enhance the dispersion of solid particles.
Finally, ensuring to reduce the speed for the material reaches the target viscosity under stable shear forces. This guarantees uniform dispersion of all components throughout the entire process.
IV- Order Progress and Follow-up Services
After multiple verifications and tests by their technical team, our proposed double planetary mixer solution. To finally fully met their industrial gel production needs. The two parties quickly reached a consensus on cooperation and signed an order. Currently, the custom dual planetary mixer completes all production, assembly, and factory quality inspection. Set to officially embark shipment. The client can expect the arrival of the equipment to their production base by the end of September. This is according to logistics and transportation planning and scheduling
To ensure rapid commissioning of the equipment, we provide comprehensive follow-up services. First, we will arrange for professional technical engineers to accompany the equipment to the customer’s site to provide installation and commissioning, operation training, and maintenance guidance, ensuring that operators are proficient in equipment operation and daily maintenance techniques.
Product Shipment
Second, we provide a one-year free warranty. We will provide free repair services and replacement parts. If any equipment failure occurs during the warranty period due to non-human factors
Third, we will establish a dedicated customer service file and provide 24/7 technical consulting services to promptly respond to any issues encountered by customers during equipment use, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the info-gel industrial gel production.
