TurboFlex
High Speed Vertical Instant Mixer
A Workhorse Designed for Wet Agglomeration
The Bepex TurboFlex is a high-speed vertical mixer specifically designed for wet granulation. The self-cleaning mixing chamber features a flexible body engineered to prevent the material build-up found in traditional wet mixers. The result is a high-throughput, low-maintenance mixer perfect for hydrating difficult-to-wet powders; coating or surface treating solids; or producing products with tight, rapid dispersion requirements.
High Speed Production to Tight Specs
The TurboFlex produces highly consistent agglomerates designed for instant dispersion through intense, short residence mixing of liquids and solids. High-speed continuous mixing achieves instant agglomeration and produces homogeneous particles up to 2 mm in diameter.
Precise Control
Paddles are adjustable up to a full 360° to provide precise control over mixing intensity to protect fragile solids or process hard-to-wet powders.
Increased Uptime
The TurboFlex’s flexible chamber eliminates the solids buildup that is common in traditional wet mixing equipment. That results in higher uptime, minimizing the need to stop production for cleaning or maintenance.
Advantages
Self-Cleaning Mixing Chamber
During processing, the flexible mixing chamber is slightly deformed by an exterior roller cage, causing any material buildup to separate and be mixed into the solids.
Controlled Liquid Addition
Liquid is introduced via spray nozzles or directly through the shaft at a later stage in the chamber. This control allows for late-stage treatment, opening up the possibility of multiple layers and surface reactions.
Integrated Solids Feeder
A horizontal paddle feeder conveys dry materials directly into the mixing chamber. This prevents powder backflow or “hang up”; creates a dust-free operation; and ensures consistent formulation and liquid-to-solid ratio.
Wide Range of Design Options
Application-specific options include a wide variety of construction materials ranging from industrial coatings to dairy grade polishes. Paddle options include molded polymer or polymer coating.
Optional Force Feed
Very fine powders can be poor flowing. Rather than rely on spotty gravity-fed designs, the TurboFlex can use an optional force-feeder to consistently deliver fine powders to the machine.
Easy Cleaning and Maintenance
Self-cleaning design reduces build-up and wear on paddles and chamber walls. Access to the flexible mixing chamber via hinged entry doors provides easy cleaning and maintenance.
How does it work?
The Bepex TurboFlex offers the performance of a continuous high-speed paddle mixer but is designed specifically for wet agglomeration with its vertical, flexible mixing chamber and self-cleaning walls.
Dry solids are consistently metered into the mixing chamber via a horizontal paddle feeder.
Liquid is either sprayed into the mixing chamber via nozzles or dispersed through a specially designed shaft assembly.
Adjustable paddles within the mixing chamber provide high-shear, intense mixing of the solids and liquids while controlling particle growth. The chamber’s vertical orientation also helps prevent over densification, creating a consistent particle size with improved solubility.
During mixing, a rotating roller cage constantly deforms the flexible mixing chamber. In traditional mixers, saturated material tends to coat the mixer walls, densifying into a hard layer and building up to the point where the operation needs to be stopped for cleaning. The continuous deformation of the TurboFlex chamber wall prevents this layer from ever forming. The result is higher throughput with less maintenance downtime.
The TurboFlex also operates with a low material working volume, resulting in typical mixing residence times between 0.5-2 seconds. This short residence time results in a higher capacity machine that requires minimal floor space.
Once sufficiently mixed, the wet agglomerate is discharged from the TurboFlex. The resulting product is a continuously produced granule with consistent size, shape, and density. Typically TurboFlex processing will be followed by a drying step (often a Bepex Fluid Bed) to help cure the newly created particles.
Rapid dispersion. A TurboFlex speciality.
The Bepex TurboFlex is specifically designed for high-speed mixing and agglomeration of powders and granules with tight, instant dispersion requirements – ranging from instant drink mixes to detergent powders.
Its unique design, high capacity output, and easy-cleaning features make it the standard for tough wet mixing and agglomeration processes with exacting specifications in food, feed, chemical, and pharmaceutical applications.
Find out more from a Bepex processing expert.
