Look – no visible means of support
2011-01-21
Our new UltraPure levitated Magnetic Mixer (MM) does away with intrusive shafts and bearings to keep things mixing inside a tank. Instead, it uses a strong magnetic field to levitate and rotate the impeller, thereby eliminating the need for complex bearings and seals.
Permanent magnets in the impeller are coupled magnetically through the bottom of the mixing vessel to matching magnets in the drive unit. Consequently, no seal through the vessel is required. The impeller floats on a powerful magnetic field and rotates around a male bearing which acts purely as a guide. Thanks to its levitation there is no direct contact between the female rotating bearing and the stationary male guide bearing. Drive is provided by a motor mounted externally and operated via a frequency converter.
Smoother rotation, no waste and reduced maintenance
Contactless rotation makes the MM much more efficient than conventional, mechanical mixers in several important ways:
- Without bearings or seals to worry about, the mixer can run dry. It can also cope with very low levels, ensuring that product is mixed to the last drop and fully homogenised..
- Since every drop that leaves the tank is fully mixed product, there is no residual waste. Consequently, there are no waste disposal costs and minimal environmental impact.
- The actual mixer incorporates eight wings to ensure gentle product treatment with minimal shear and to provide efficient pumping even at low rpm.
- Although the need for cleaning is reduced the unit can be readily cleaned using either Cleaning in Place ( CIP) or Sterilising in Place (SIP) technology and is easy to drain for rapid turnaround.
Constant Levitation
Unlike other magnetic mixers, the UltraPure MM does not rely on electrical current for its magnetic field. The magnets are permanently magnetised. The impeller therefore stays levitated at all times, without liquid or electrical energy, and need not be stopped for the CIP (clean-in-place) process.
The UltraPure Magnetic Mixer is so efficient compared to conventional alternatives that it can pay back the capital cost in under one month. Combined with Alfa Laval’s revolutionary Rotary Jet Mixer, the new UltraPure Magnetic Mixer forms one of the most innovative and efficient tank mixing ranges currently available.