1. Why consider Continuous Mixing over batch mixing?
Manufacturers select Continuous Mixing for many reasons. These reasons vary depending upon products, processes, recipe, rate and many other factors. However, the universal advantage of Continuous Mixing in all applications is more consistent dough resulting in a more consistent finished product. This is because with batch mixing, the time between batches results in post mixing variations. On the other hand, continuously mixed dough is always the same age when it reaches the next step in the process.
Try our Continuous Mixing Calculator to find out if your process is good fit for continuous mixing, and see potential cost savings with continuous mixing vs batch mixing.
Read our most recent white paper on Batch vs Continuous mixing here.
2. What products can be made continuously?
Almost any product that can be made on a traditional batch mixer can be made on a continuous mixer. No one type of batch mixer is ideal for all products. This is also true for continuous mixers. This is why Exact Mixing offers a range of continuous mixer models. Click here to learn more about our mixer models, or contact us to find out which continuous mixer is best for your process.
Try our Continuous Mixing Calculator to find out if your process is a good fit for continuous mixing.
3. What is the cost of a Continuous Mixing System?
Continuous mixing systems almost always have a higher initial cost than batch mixing. This is because the raw materials entering the continuous mixer must be metered, which requires ingredient feeders. On the other hand, cost of operation and ownership is almost always less expensive with continuous mixing. So, where does the payback occur? Continuous mixing payback opportunities come from a number of different sources including increased yield, increased throughput, increased consistency, reduced manpower, reduced downstream handling equipment, and reduced energy.
Try our Continuous Mixing Calculator to show you potential cost savings in your process with continuous mixing vs batch mixing.
Contact us to discuss your process and receive a quote.
4. How can I be sure Continuous Mixing is suitable for my product?
Pilot versions of all types of Exact Mixers are available at our Science & Innovation Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. We encourage our clients to visit the Innovation Center where they can see their products being mixed in a continuous process.
5. How can I be sure I am mixing the correct recipe?
Gravimetric metering of liquids and dries are accurate to within .25%. Exact Mixing engineers have designed hundreds of liquid and dry metering streams. Not only do we have extensive experience in selecting and sizing metering system components, but our recipe control package monitors all ingredient streams and collects statistical data to guarantee recipe accuracy.
Our recipe is proactive, not reactive. If any ingredient stream fails, the operator is alerted and if the problem is not solved immediately, the system shuts down until the recipe can be guaranteed.
6. What is the mixing time in a continuous mixer?
Mixing time is a term related to batch mixing because changing the mixing time is the only way to adjust the amount of work being applied to the ingredients. With a continuous mixer, the energy input is changed by altering the shaft speed. Altering the shaft speed does not change the throughput. Throughput is controlled by the rate raw materials are fed into the mixer. It is possible to design a continuous mixer to give a fixed mixing time, but this is not common.
7. What capacities are obtainable in a Continuous Mixing process?
The smallest bench top systems are designed for 100 kg/hour, and the largest systems exceed 10,000 kg/hour.
8. What dough temperatures are obtainable?
Temperatures of 60⁰F and up are obtainable depending on product, throughput and ingredient temperatures.
9. How do continuous processes handle changeover?
Because Exact Continuous Mixers employ plug flow, the first changeover principle is displacement. Similar dough can push out the previous dough. When the recipes are dissimilar, a cleaning dough made of flour and water can be used to purge the mixer. If a complete wash-down is required, mixers employ clam shell design to speed cleaning.
10. How can I learn more Continuous Mixing?
To learn more about Continuous Mixing and how we can help improve your mixing process, please call (01) 610.693.5816 or contact us today.
