While not suited to high viscosity products, the Soliquid mixer achieves the goals of good mixing with no aeration by using the natural forces associated with vortices. This feature allows powders to be added directly to milk and similar fluids with no aeration and no foaming. Entrained air is actively removed by the action of the mixer with considerable benefits to product flavour and shelf life.
The Soliquid mixer operates as follows. The powder to be added is contained in a feed hopper fitted with a loss-in-weight feeder system. The liquid stream is continuously pumped into the mixer and the correct quantity of powder is metered into the liquid stream at a point where the liquid is forced to form a powerful vortex. The strong centrifugal forces that are present in the vortex help to fully wet even difficult powders. The high 'g' forces together with the reduced air pressure found in the centre of the vortex encourage dissolved and entrained air to come out of solution to be released to atmosphere. The mixed product is then conducted to the outlet pipe for onwards processing.
The system produces minimal dust as the powder is fully enclosed within the Soliquid from the feed hopper to the point of mixing. There is no opportunity for spillage or contamination once the powder is emptied into the feed hopper as the Soliquid mixer is fully enclosed. There is little opportunity to manufacture off specification and wasted product because the whole operation is managed by the integral control system in accordance with the preset recipe for the product in question.
The Soliquid is a durable and reliable piece of machinery that contains no specialised moving parts. The integral pumps and valves are all industry standard equipment that is easily maintained and repaired by the user's plant maintenance staff. The process itself is self-contained in a very small footprint, including the powder-handling equipment and operator controls.
Soliquid mixers are available in standard sizes of up to 3000 kg of power per hour and have a footprint of less than 1 m2.
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