Matcon does things a little differently to ensure production line flexibility for our customers. Rather than using a static industrial mixer solution, which needs cleaning between each recipe change, we create flexibility by using container-based blending. This can revolutionize your production process giving you a fast, agile and efficient industrial mixer, speeding up every aspect of the job…
The versatility of an IBC for blending
IBCs can be used for formulating, blending, transporting and storing product – a multi-functional, straightforward solution to many of the problems faced by powder manufacturers. Recipes can be formulated off-line, transported to the mixer and then blended in-bin before being moved, within the same container, to the packing line. A super-fast loading and unloading mechanism also helps to boost efficiency.
Using one IBC during the whole process dramatically reduces cleaning downtime. The IBC is the blending vessel which means that no product comes into contact with the blender, so each time you need to change recipe there’s no down-time for cleaning, simply switch from IBC to IBC. Using traditional industrial mixers, this is a process that can take up to eight hours.
As the first IBC progresses seamlessly along your production line, another can be used to produce a different recipe, creating a continuous flow of different products to meet customer demand for variety and innovation.
Matcon’s unique Cone Valve technology within each of the IBCs controls and contains the discharge of any type of powder so there’s no risk of cross-contamination between batches, reducing the risk of allergen contamination and saving on plant clean times that invariably stop production.
Space Saving Tumble Blenders
While some tumble blenders require a large footprint to accommodate the base and sufficient space above for the rotating action, Matcon’s system is compact, keeping costs down on a price per sq m basis.
One Matcon IBC blender is able to do the work of several fixed industrial mixers. This is because there is no cleaning down-time so 3-4 batches can be processed per hour, but also because one blender can accommodate a range of different sized IBCs. It is unusual that all orders come for the same batch size, so it is usual to need to flex the amount of product being manufactured. By either using a different sized IBC or partially filling a vessel a wide range of batch sizes can be created from just the one blender. This creates a saving not only in the purchase of the blender itself, but also in the need to have more blending space created in the factory compared to fixed mixer systems where multiple different mixers may have to be purchased to cover the range of batch sizes being made.
See a Tumble Blender in Action
Try Before You Buy
If you would like proof that container-based blending might work for your own powders then why not conduct a test at one of the Matcon test plantsaround the world. We offer full-scale testing along with using NIR (near infra-red spectroscopy), to demonstrate that tumble blending works with your materials. NIR is able to give real-time results as the blender is in motion, thereby removing the need to use invasive sampling techniques. This data is useful back in your own factory to identify savings in blend times that might mean you can process a couple of extra batches per day.
To help you to make an informed decision on which industrial mixer to choose, download our easy 4 step guide or visit our resource page on all aspects of industrial mixing.
