When two or more compounds are combined and mixed together to get a homogenous mixture you get a blend and the procedure is called as blending. This process also termed as a gentle mixing action can be employed for solid-solid or liquid-solid combinations. Blending has found its uses in a variety of industrial sectors including cosmetic, food, pharmaceutical and nutraceuticals. Based on these sectors and specific needs of buyers different machines have been designed to meet the requirements. Mostly blending is carried out using standard blender that utilize tumbling mechanism or using high shear blenders equipped with blades for materials that tend to form lumps or aggregates. In order to achieve content uniformity blending ingredients is critical to any manufacturing process. Quality of blend is application specific and it is desired to have a blend with minimum to no batch to batch variations.
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The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through. Sydney J. Harris.
Blending and mixing sound similar don't they? Likewise both terms are used interchangeably sometimes. But when it comes to pharmaceutical or chemical manufacturing, there is a small technical difference between blending and mixing.
More accurately 'blending' is used for solid-solid mixing or mixing of solids with small quantity of solvent whereas, 'mixing' usually means to produce a homogenize mixture of multiple ingredients which could be solid-liquid or liquid-liquid and viscous materials. A typical example of mixing is dissolving salt in water or preparing a 1M solution of sodium hydroxide whereas conjuring a homogenous blend of multivitamin is termed as blending.
Blending is one of the most critical process of entire manufacturing operations because content uniformity solely depends on how well the ingredients were mixed before proceeding with the desired formulation. Based on how good blend you need there are different types of blenders used in the manufacturing industry. These include;
1.Twin Shell Blender/V-cone blender
This blender is also known as V-cone Blender. These are widely used in various industries. Mixing in this type of blender is achieved by the spinning of a typical topple blender. It is formed from two joined mixing shells that are linked to make a V shape. Both legs (mixing shells) work to blend the mixture. This blender is made up of a horizontal shaft that rotates and mixes the particles present in the blending machine. It can blend materials weighing 20 kg to 1 ton. The mixing time of this blender is determined by the properties of the materials and is usually around 5-15 minutes. These blenders are used in the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbicide, and pesticide industries.
Advantages of using this type of blender are
2.Ribbon Blender
This type of blender works by moving blades of ribbon-like shape in a non-movable shell. Agitator assembly of blender moving in horizontal point rotates the solid so that a homogenous mixture can be formed.
A ribbon blender- Picture Courtesy- chemengonline
The forces in the agitator easily break large lumps. A ribbon blender is made up of an agitator enclosed in a horizontal shell. This agitator is placed in the middle of the shell and ribbon blades also called spirals are fixed on the spokes of an agitator. These blenders are used in the paint, food, and concrete industry. These are also used in bakeries. The blades can move in the left and right directions. Some of the advantages of this blender are
Some disadvantages are
And of course!
3.Double Cone Blender
Double cone blender was developed to overcome the shortcoming of rotatory mixer. Double cone blender is an excellent machine designed for blending of powder of different densities. This entire blog is about double cone blender continue reading if you want to learn more.
AIPAK Double cone blender
If you are planning to buy a blender that can meet your requirements and will not be a hassle for years to come, you should opt for a double cone blender. Double cone blender is an instrument employed by manufacturing industries for blending/mixing multiple ingredients to form a homogenous mixture. It is uniquely designed in a way that the entire blending operations take place without the use of internal baffles.
Double cone blender Baffle
Double cone blender provides blend with very little variations (1-2%) between batches and can be employed for blending of materials with different bulk density. A major selling point of this unit is less space requirement, user friendly and easy to maintain. Apart from standard design a slant design (asymmetrical) is also available in double cone blender. This design offers reduced time for blending operations, approximately 33% less than the standard one with relatively reduced dead spots as compared to standard version. Also it has one more added advantage over standard design i.e. it gives a smoother blend with reduced batch to batch variations regardless of material loading.
Double cone blender performs mixing of ingredients using tumbling motion. Used primarily for dry blending of solids the ingredients are mixed continuously as the blender rotates. Normally it takes approximately 10 minutes to completely blend the entire mixture however, based on nature of materials the time required to produce a perfect blend could increase or decrease.
Tumbling mechanism of double cone blender- Picture Courtesy- solidswiki
As previously discussed you can produce a homogenous solid-solid blend using a double cone blender. Blending and mixing are two most common processes used in the making of products for food, chemical, healthcare, detergents and fertilizer industries. A brief discussion of double cone blender industrial uses are given below.
Food and dairy Industries
Food and dairy industries employ mixers and blenders for blending of dry powders such as milk powder, spices, taste enhancer and other products where dry mixing is required. The manufacturer of food items also blend and add preservatives to enhance the overall stability of the product. Because of its small size and low cost maintenance double cone blender is a must buy for both small scale and large scale food factories. Products that require double cone blender include flour, coffee, powdered milk, coca, starch and baby food.
Healthcare Industries
Since active ingredients are usually in very small quantities as compared to excipients used in a formulation, a slight slip-up in combining every ingredients accurately can lead to major variations in active quantities in a formulation. Blending and mixing is thus the most important parameter used by pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals to achieve content uniformity of their products and it is achieved by utilizing blenders and mixers. Double cone blender is typically employed by research and development department and production unit when designing and mass producing a product. From making granules to making syrups and even in dry blending of individual vitamins double cone blender is used to provide an excellent blend with uniform content proportions with minimum batch to batch variations.
Chemicals, fertilizers and detergents manufacturers
All these industries rely on dry mixing of powders which is achieved by using blenders and mixers. Double cone blender is designed to provide accurate, homogenized, fast blends with minimum expenditure of resources and is typically employed by chemical, fertilizer and detergents manufacturers. The products that make it on to the beneficiary list of double cone blender include fertilizers, detergents, soaps etc.
Both double cone and v blender have the same operational principle. In both these blenders, materials are broken by inverting the blending container. Both these blenders have speed modification options. Some differences in both these blenders are detailed below.
Working of double cone blender and V-cone blender- Picture Courtesy- YouTube
Double cone blenders have two containers for mixing while v cone blenders have one container for blending purposes.
A double cone blender uses little headroom but a v blender needs huge space and setup.
Double cone blenders are simple machines requiring little power while v cone blenders perform elaborate operations that require considerable power.
V blender easily mixes a large number of substances about two to ten at a given time but a double cone blender can blend only two to three ingredients at a specific time.
Illustration of a double cone blender- Picture Courtesy- wandamill
Out there you will find different models of double cone blender with different technical specification. Described below is the technical specifications of a standard version of double cone blender. You can customize, add or subtract some features when you are ordering a double cone blender to meet you requirements. Cone and main body of blender is made up of stainless steel, powered by 1 horsepower DC motor. This machine weighs about 97- pounds with a maximum capacity of about 48L and the cone can rotate up to 30 RPM. You can choose to customize the above mentioned specifications based on your needs. As per manufacturer guidelines the double cone blender should be operated at limits not exceeding the maximum capacity and speed for a good blend for above mentioned specifications that will be 30L and 25 RPM. All models require a power supply of 110-220V/60Hz.
Dry blending of free flowing solids are most often carried out in double cone blenders. Solids of varying bulk density and percentages can be mixed and blended in these units. All units consist of a main frame (base) usually having a control digital panel or push buttons, an axis powered by a motor and a removable cone. Based on the model the cone is held in place either by the main body or in between two column supports. The cone is balanced perfectly to protect the gear box and the motor. Double cone that holds the powder intended for blending is available in different sizes and shapes. The mixing or blending of the powder comes about when the cone rotates continuously. The shape (conical) of the cone is crucial for uniform mixing and easy discharge of the powder mix. Some blenders have one end of the cone closed and the other one fitted with a removable gasket and is used both as a feeder and discharged chute. The three phase motor is present either inside the main body or inside one of the columns. The entire blending operations requires optimized blending speed for best results. The double cone blenders are also equipped with emergency stop buttons, gear reducer and DC rheostat.
Double cone blender with safety cage- Picture Courtesy- novinox
You can also order advances safety rails which prevents the access to the blender during operations. In such a case the control digital panel are placed outside the safety rails which can be used by the operator to start or stop the operations. If during the operations the rails are opened before terminating the procedure, automatic stopping mechanism will switch off the machine to prevent any harm due to negligence. If you require you can also have a customized slant design that removes the minor blending glitches present in the conventional one. To minimize the powder handling dust free bin charging systems and baffles to reduce aggregates and agglomerates can be provided along with the flame proof electricals.
Slant design double cone blender with safety cage- Picture Courtesy- posthoist
'To every disadvantage there is a corresponding advantage'. W. Clement Stone. Similarly, double cone blender also has it fill of advantages and disadvantages but it is up to the user to convert the disadvantages of the machines to their advantages. For readers understanding we have highlighted some of the pros and cons of the machine.
Advantages
Disadvantages
A double cone blender machine is integrated with a motor starter with variable speed control system.
Illustration of motor in the column- Picture Courtesy- bachiller
Pre operation points
Connect the double cone blender to an appropriate electrical connection. Ensure the electric power supply is either 110 or 220V.
Normally a cord is supplied with all necessary plugging.
To load the double cone blender, gently rotate the cone till load port cover (removable gasket) is entirely on the top. In this particular model the loading and discharging of material is carried out from same end.
The load port cover (removable gasket) is held by hand clamp mechanism. Remove the cover and load the material
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Double Cone Mixer Machine.
Tightly clamp back the load port cover.
Double cone blender is now ready for operations.
Operation
To blend the ingredients in double cone blender, simply turn 'ON' the machine and select the variable speed control. The blending in a double cone blender occurs during rotation of the cone.
The major operating steps of double cone blender involves three steps; filling, rotating and discharging.
1. Filling
The gasket is removed first before the cone tank is filled with blending ingredients up to 2/3 of total volume via feeder inlet. Lock the cone blender feeder inlet properly.
2.Rotation of Cone tank
After achieving desirable volume and locking the system, a double cone blender is ready to rotate. Press 'RUN' and start the process. The rotation of double cone blender can thoroughly blend the mixing ingredients using tumbling mechanism.
3.Releasing of Blended Material
Once the blending duration previously entered by the operator is over the machine will automatically stop. Now you can obtain the blended material from the feeder/discharge chute into their specified containers.
Discharged chute- Picture Courtesy- bachiller
Let us first understand the term validation before proceeding with the validation of double cone blender. Validation is a documented evidence indicating the process or instrument performs according to the specifications it was intended to work upon regardless of site, user and laboratory conditions. In other words, the process or instrument maintains consistently the desired level of compliance at all stages of operations. Validation ensures the quality and safety, reduces the cost incurred during manufacturing and confirms the process and instruments works efficiently. After successful installation at the site the IQ, OQ and PQ of double cone blender is carried out according to manufacturer specs and international guidelines. Further process validation of double cone blender is performed according to given protocol.
1.Chemical, glassware and instrumentation
You will need following chemicals, glassware and instrumentation perform validation of double cone blender;
Calcium carbonate (100g), crystal violet, potassium permanganate (1g), beakers (100mL), centrifuge tubes (15mL), glass rod, volumetric flask (10 and 100mL) and colorimeter.
2.Method
Place 10mg of crystal violet in 100mL volumetric flask. Add 10mL of 1M sulfuric acid and dissolve the solute. Make up the volume with the same solvent to get a concentration of 100µg/mL (stock solution), filter if necessary. Using serial dilution prepare final concentration of 2-10µg/mL from the stock solution. Measure the absorbance of each concentration and make a standard curve.
Weigh approximately 100g of calcium carbonate and 1g of crystal violet. Using sieve no 60 pass the materials through to get a uniform particle size. Load the material in the double cone blender and start blending at a constant RPM.
Draw appropriate amount of the sample from top, mid and bottom of the blend. Dissolve in 10mL of 1M sulfuric acid. Filter and measure absorbance in triplicate.
Using calibration curve calculate the concentration of each sample drawn.
For acceptable results the comparative percent relative deviation for top mid and bottom samples should be less (<) than 2.
A double cone blender is shipped with an electric control system that has a programmable Logic Control unit (PLC). It has all the necessary functionalities for the smooth running of the blender. The START button turns on the blender whereas STOP button halts the operation. The 'Emergency Stop' button is also present which halts the operation in case of a hazardous situation. If you have ordered a cage along with your double cone blender than the machine START and STOP buttons as well as EMERGENCY STOP than all these buttons are provided outside the cage. Emergency STOP button should always be used in case of emergency to prevent accidents and not to stop operations on routine basis because it exerts unnecessary stress on the machine and can damage some parts if used without caution.
Installation of the machine should be carried in a safe and appropriate environment as not all accidents are predicted by the manufacturing company. A double cone blender must be installed in a cage at the induction site. A stopping system should be located outside of the cage so that the mixing process can be terminated without going into the cage. After machine installation safety evaluation must be carried out to ensure that all the compulsory regional and industry safety guidelines are fulfilled.
Installation Parameters
Proper Workstation for machine
Double cone blender with platform- Picture Courtesy- novinox
Safety Recommendations for Personnel
Installation of the machine should be carried out by a highly trained and proficient person, who should have previous experience of installation of the machine.
Personnel conducting transportation of machines should be provided with protective equipment like helmets, goggles, and shoes so that accidents could be avoided.
Caution should be taken such as wearing personal protective gear at the time of installation for preventing injuries and material damage.
Installation Requirements
1.Unpacking Guidelines
2.Transportation Instructions
You have now reached the end of the blog. By now you know that double cone blender is easy to maintain and clean. It is necessary to clean the blender after product change or batch to batch change or at the end of the day. Given below is the protocol/procedure of cleaning of a double cone blender.
Cleaning of a double cone blender- Picture Courtesy- novinox
Product-product cleaning
Batch-batch cleaning
To meet unavoidable issues while operating double cone blender is normal. However, there are several remedies to combat with these issues.
Let's have a deeper look!
1.Ingredients taking longer blending time
Sometimes you may observe improper blending of materials or blending takes much longer time.
Remedy
2.Knocking sounds during operations
Sometimes machine may produce knocking sounds during work.
Remedy
When belt of double cone blender is loose it may produce unusual knocking sounds, hence it is suggested to immediately stop the process and check the components of machine and tighten the Belt as necessary.
3.Heavy Resistance during Operation Sometimes, machine can't respond smoothly due to heavy resistance.
Remedy
This problem is associated with high friction that generates due to debris, uncleaned, worn out or improper greasing and lubrication of highly movable parts. For this problem, application of grease is required followed by proper cleaning of the machine.
4.Vibration during Operation In some cases, double cone blender starts vibrating during the process of blending.
Remedy
The reason behind this problem might be wearing out of the belt.
Machine might not have anti-vibration pads that must be installed at the bottom of double cone blender. You must tighten all the loose components of the machine.
Maintenance of a double cone blender- Picture Courtesy- bachiller
To ensure the long operational life of any equipment maintenance is of prime importance. For general maintenance:
Conclusion
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Double Cone Powder Mixer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.