Mixer Selection for Hotmelt, SMC and BMC Compound Materials

Zet Mixer machines are used in the production of highly viscous products such as hotmelt adhesives, rubber, BMC and SMC compounds, fiberglass-reinforced products, brake lining manufacturing industries, solid fuels, and heavy plastisols. The specially designed "Z" mixing paddles with a horizontal mixing system rotate at different speeds and in both directions inside the vessel, enabling highly homogeneous kneading and mixing. In this context, these machines are also widely preferred in the food sector. Zet mixers are mixer machines belonging to the horizontal mixer group, used in liquid-liquid or solid-solid mixing applications, and capable of generating high torque. Due to their high torque generation capability, Zet mixers sometimes emerge as the only option in the production of extremely high viscosity products. The mixer has a "U" shaped vessel composed of two sections with "Z" shaped mixing paddles in both sections. The mixing principle of Zet mixers is based on the material being compressed between the vessel inner wall and the paddles, with the product being mixed through tearing or breaking. Another notable feature of Zet mixers is that despite the mixing paddles rotating at very low speeds (when compared with vertical high-speed mixers), they can perform "shearing" – an operation that involves breaking molecular bonds through mechanical force to reduce particle size. In vertical mixers, "shearing" is an operation that can only be performed at high speeds.

For a Zet mixer to demonstrate good mixing performance, it must have at least the following characteristics.

1. The mixing paddles should pass as closely as possible to the vessel wall: If the distance between the vessel wall and the mixing paddles is too great, effective compression will not be achieved. Depending on the Zet mixer's capacity, maintaining this distance at 2-5 mm will be sufficient for effective compression. 2. The mixing paddles should rotate at different speeds: Different rotational speeds of the mixing paddles is a desired characteristic for homogeneous mixing performance. Especially for high viscosity products, the mixing paddles must rotate at different speeds. Thus, the mixing paddles will contact different points of the product with each rotation and mix it very effectively. In high viscosity products, Zet mixers with mixing paddles rotating at the same speed cannot achieve homogeneous mixing; they merely rotate the product inside the vessel. Therefore, a homogeneously mixed product cannot be obtained. The complete inner walls of the mixing vessel of our Zet-mixer machines are manufactured from AISI 304-L grade stainless steel material, and the mixing paddles are made from cast steel material as a standard feature. Additionally, the ability of the paddles and the product discharge screw (extruder) in extruder models to operate in both directions is also offered as a standard feature. Thanks to the special design of the mixing paddles, they provide effective mixing in a much shorter time compared to conventional "Z" type mixers. The machine features two different types of discharge systems. In extruder models, the product inside the vessel is discharged using an extruder (endless screw). In tilt models, the vessel rotates at a 110-degree angle with the aid of a pneumatic or, in some models, hydraulic system to discharge the product from the vessel. Zet-mixer machine models designed for laboratories have a very practical and space-saving design.

Zet Mixer machines are manufactured in standard capacities in production and laboratory models. You can see our models and technical specifications in the tables below.

In addition to our standard features, some optional features can be offered on our Zet Mixer machines. These can be listed as follows;

1. Double-walled vessel system for heating or cooling purposes, 2. Manufacturing of mixing paddles from AISI 304 or 316 grade stainless steel cast material, 3. Jet-Filter system to prevent dust and material loss during raw material loading, 4. Speed adjustment system for mixing paddles and (or) extruder system with frequency inverter, 5. Vacuum system, 6. Ex-proof design to ATEX Zone 1 EEx dIIB T4 standards, 7. Product temperature measurement system, 8. Recipe-controlled semi-automatic or fully automatic PC/PLC control system. We have been in the industry since 1946. Our experienced engineers and sales team are ready to develop solutions for your needs. To get more detailed information about our Zet-Mixer machines, you can visit our website at www.sozer.com or contact us.   T. Emrah Sözer Production Director Sözer Makina