New mixing and blending technologies for the food industry

7/27/2019 New mixing and blending technologies for the food industry

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New mixing and blending technologies for the food

industryMixing in a microwave, sanitary safeguards,

vacuum and more

Scott Jones

7/29/2013

This paper defines two types of new technology: sustaining and disruptive and how Industrial

Processing Equipment Manufacturers offer new disruptive innovation to meet their customers

demands.


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Many types of industrial mixers and blenders have been produced for food and beverage

processors over the years. Some common types include: paddle, ribbon, conical, fluidized bed,

impeller, planetary, screw, static and turbine mixers. However, a considerable degree ofstandardization in mixing equipment has been reached.

What new technologies are influencing industrial mixer designs?Custom design mixer manufacturers are a good barometer for technical innovation. Here are adozen technologies that rate high on food processors wish lists:

1. Mixer process control (programmable controls)2. Network capabilities3. Variable speed drives (agitator speed controllers)4. Safety components5. Bearing and seal design (prevention of product leakage)6. Wear resistance and maintenance7. Sanitary mixing8. Precise temperature control9.

Easy cleaning (CIP)10.Wide variety of discharge options

11.Measurement capabilities (moisture, temperature, etc.)12.Microwave, vacuum and pressure ratings

Before we get into these new technologies Id like to mention some emerging global trends we

are seeing in food processing and advanced manufacturing.

Advanced manufacturing processes will likely be more energy and resource efficient in the

future, as companies strive to integrate sustainable manufacturing techniques into their business

practices to reduce costs, to decrease supply-chain risks and to enhance product appeal with

customers. Achieving truly flexible manufacturing facilities requires advanced processingmachines capable of rapidly changing to new designs and new materials, which not only shorten

product-development cycles but also make facilities more robust against supply-chain

disruptions. Additionally, this enhances bottom line profitably.

New technology can be separated into two categories: sustaining and disruptive. Sustainable

technology relies on incremental improvements to an already established technology; or in otherwords, the better mousetrap or in other words, continuous process improvements.

Microwave mixing

A new disruptive technologydeveloped by two equipment

manufacturers located in the

heartland of the United States is an

example of a disruptive technologyfor the food processing industry.

Marion Mixers and AMTek

Microwaves design and manufactureindustrial-sized microwave mixers to


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process everything from powdered eggs and growth supplements to elastomers used in the

automotive industry. In recent years they have conducted research on many different cooking,

drying, tempering, sterilization and pasteurization applications.

The typical microwave mixing system consists of four components: a customized mixing vessel,

a RF transmitter, waveguide and controls. Microwave Mixer systems are custom designed withmixing capacities that range from 10 cu. ft. to 560 cu.ft in size. Smaller lab-size units are alsoavailable. High power electromagnetic energy is created in a 75 kW transmitter operating at

915MHz. Low speed, gentle agitation in a paddle-style, horizontal mixer provides uniform heat

distribution with superior product quality.

The combined action of mixing and drying using microwave energy provides faster, more cost

effective heating, higher energy efficiencies and better product quality. Its ideal for processing:

gravies, sauces, chilies, soups, syrups, pet foods, spices, bakery products, jams and jellies, saladdressings, snacks, candy, confectionary items, meat products and canned fruits & vegetables.

This is all accomplished with a high degree of safety and simple maintenance and cleaning

requirements.

Mixing in a vacuum

With the right combination of equipment and technique, vacuum can make your process line

more productive and your plant environment safer. Following are a few of the processes andbenefits mixing in a vacuum can provide:

DeaerationVacuum deaeration is achieved when mixingliquid, slurry or paste ingredients within a vacuum. Air

bubbles are extracted from the final product as the agitator

mixes the ingredients. Food grade products like syrup, oil

and chocolate liquor require deaeration to make the finalproduct visually pleasing to the customer. The visual

appeal of an air-free product is often a powerful

competitive advantage.

In addition, a batch that has been agitated and deaerated under vacuum winds up more dense

than it was initially. This allows you to mix more efficiently and ship the product moreeconomically. Also with densification, the physical properties of the end-product are often

improved.

DeoxidationDeoxidation is the removal of oxygen. This helps prevent the degradation ofsensitive ingredients and unwanted chemical reactions during the mix cycle. It also minimizes

microbial growth.

Vacuum BlanketingVacuum blanketing is used when processing ingredients in the absence ofair. An inert gas is injected into the vessel which blankets the material. Producers of bakery

premixes with high levels of shortening or fat use CO2 to cool the ingredients. This keeps the

ingredients flowable until they are evenly mixed.


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Microwave Vacuum ProcessingMany of the advantages of mixing, blending and drying under vacuum have been recognized for

years in the food industry. However, microwave vacuum drying is relatively new. Microwavevacuum drying is an excellent method for removing moisture or vapor from heat-sensitive

materials without fear of thermal degradation. Pulling a vacuum inside the mixer lowers the

boiling point of liquids. This creates a pressure gradient that changes the drying rate andfacilitates drying at a faster pace due to lower operating temperatures. This efficient dehydrationmethod can yield unique characteristics which may improve product quality compared to

conventionally dried products. The microwave energy penetrates the interior of the food where it

is converted to thermal energy. This provides a rapid heating mechanism and shorter batch times.

Drying can typically occur in minutes rather than hours or days compared to other conventional

drying methods. Another advantage is superior product quality. The vaporization of water

provides an expansive force to maintain an open cellular structure in dried product, whichtranslates into excellent rehydration rates. For products consumed in the dry state, a unique crisp

texture can be achieved. Microwave vacuum processing, with its unique characteristics has also

been utilized for tempering, thawing and inactivation or preservation of enzymes andmicroorganisms. The uniform heat distribution is achieved with gently, mixing agitation.

Sanitary Mixing

There is probably nothing more important inthe Food Industry than maintaining a high

standard of aseptic and hygienic processing.

Consider the many adverse affects of aproduct recall. In the United States, mixer

manufacturers elect to maintain their own

sanitary equipment standards. Some

manufacturers, such as Marion Mixers, writetheir own mixing and blending equipment

standards that comply with the principles of

3A-Sanitary and global standards. Thesestandards cover the sanitary aspects of

blending equipment used for combining

and/or mixing either wet or dry products.

Better Main Shaft Seal Design

The maintenance cost to repair main-shaft seals in a shaft-driven

mixer are time consuming and costly. For example certain flour,sugar or spice blends may get less than 1 month wear life out of

expensive mechanical seals.

New innovative sanitary shaft seal products are now available thathelp prevent product leakage and have longer wear life.

Some of these benefits and features include:

Clean in place (CIP) designs

Positive installations (no cutting required to fit)


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New Shaftfriendly materials

Non-intrusive material (unlike packing that can be porous and hold media)

Wont degrade like packing

Easy disassemble (can be washed and reused)

Proven, longer run times compared to other seals

Sanitary-compliant materials

These new lip seals will outperform stuffing box seals, are less expensive than mechanical

designs and can be disassembled, cleaned and re-installed in less than 5 minutes. For liquids,

slurries and many other 3A-sanitary applications a single lip, non split-design is available.

Advanced process control equipment

Creating an efficient mixing or blending

system is a balancing act. Throughputmust be balanced against batch size,

agitator sizes, motor sizes, shear and tip

speeds, viscosity, thermal capacity,moisture, temperature and pressure

ratings, energy costs, labor costsand a

many other variables.

Jayesh Tekchandaney, founder of the

popular online site Mixer Expert states,

Todays competitive production systemsnecessitate robust equipment that are

capable of faster blend times, lower

power consumption and adaptability of

equipment for use with multiple products. He adds, Many modern mixers are designed tocombine different processing steps in a single equipment, e.g. coating, granulation, heat transfer,

drying, and so on. A mixer is no longer a generic production tool, but a critical and decisive

business tool. This is because profitability and competitive advantage are dependent upon subtleimprovements in product quality through gains in mixing performance and efficiency.

Marion Mixers understand the mixing process has never been more complex. With a wide range

of equipment choices and competitive pressure to optimize performance, the specification ofprocess control equipment is extremely important. This requires solid custom-design engineering

capabilities. The control system must balance the need for precision, consistency and

adjustability against the need to manage resources.

Testing is essentialTesting plays an important role in selecting and optimizing mixing and drying equipment. Fully

equipped test centers use some of the latest technologies in processing. If you have a new

material that must be tested or if knowledge of your material is limited, you need to test test yourspecial material.


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At Marion Mixers some of the test data we provide includes:

Moisture %

Bulk density

Energy consumption

Decibel level

Airflow in cfmRf energy absorption characteristics

Mass balance

Application and Design Engineers are on

hand to assist customer mixing, blending

or drying applications. The Marion Mixers

Test Facility offers processors the

opportunity to test specific ingredients and

see for firsthand the production time and

energy savings you may achieve. To schedulea test with Marion Mixers contactwww.marionmixers.com for details.
http://www.marionmixers.com/http://www.marionmixers.com/http://www.marionmixers.com/http://www.marionmixers.com/

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New mixing and blending technologies for the food industry