Which type of mixing system is practical for your mixing process needs? We use our in-plant experience to recommend the right mixing operations for you. We engineer for your unique requirements and will recommend the right batch mixing skid, process blend skid, inline mixing, or continuous mixing system. From chemical mixing to dry mixing we will select the right mixing technologies for you. Find out why we’ve been chosen on hundreds of successful system startups.
Balancing pricision mixing capabilities with speed of delivery and your budget, our mixing technologies
- Are fast to market, cost effective & work right the first time
- Optimize your process flow levels while staying within your process parameters
- Use raw materials efficiently
- Reduce changeover time
- Provide seamless functionality with minimum downtime
- Improve your production efficiency and provide lasting ROI.
Our talented teams of process engineers, mechanical designers, project managers and craftsmen are at your service. We collaborate with you to fully extracting your technical, operational and commercial specifications. We combine this ability with our knowledge of mixing process capabilities, scale-up, and modular design/build to deliver successful systems using our proven design/build process.
Below are examples of some of EPIC’s proven batch mixing systems and continuous mixing system. You can also contact us at 314-714-1580 to discuss an upcoming batch mix skid or continuous mixing system project.
Batch Mixing Systems
Are you looking to concurrently add raw materials or improve the accuracy of your batching plant design? An EPIC batch mixing system automates highly accurate ingredient additions and focuses on repeatability. Mass flow meter charging reduces batch cycle times, allowing concurrent raw material addition.
Case Study
Multi-Skid Sanitary Batch Mixing Module
A multi-skid batching plant process for water, fragrances, antibacterial and dust control chemicals was designed and integrated for a Fortune 100 pet care client. The sanitary USP grade tank mixing system was designed as a series of modular skids. The platform and modular design allowed easy access to chemical batching skids, equipment and system controls.
Key Features: Batch mixing systems, USP grade system, modular skid, antibacterial, dust control chemicals.
Continuous Mixing Systems
How do you optimize your mixing process flow levels while staying within your process parameters and use raw materials in an efficient manner? Our continuous mixing systems provide seamless functionality with minimum downtime and the fastest-time-to-market solution.
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- In-Line Blending Systems – Looking for a flexible solution that uses minimal floor space? Inline blending solutions provide a reliable solution with product quick turnover. Major or minor ingredient dosing systems, base/pre-mix dosing & finished product delivery systems for flavors, perfumes, dyes, etc.
- Dry Blending Continuous Process Systems – We design solid solid mixing or solid liquid mixing systems with minimal ingredient loss. Systems can be designed with accurate product dry blending for gravimetric or volumetric mixing systems.
Case Study Example
In-Blending Skid Adds 20 Flavors at Minimal Cost
An EPIC client required the addition of 20 flavors to their product mix with a limited budget and floor space. By using liquid blending ingredient trees instead of tanks, capitol costs were minimized. Pre-engineered, field-proven in blending systems from EPIC provided a fast, economic solution that allowed the client to drastically expand their product portfolio with minimal equipment additions. Read more about the liquid blending case study….
Key features: Pre-mix blend skid, in line liquid blending system, coupled blending and filler system, back pressure control, product-to-product washout
What is the Difference Between Batch vs. Continuous Mixing Systems?
Batch mixing systems are process systems where ingredients are added in batches to a tank, mixed for a pre-determined amount of time, and then either packaged or sent to holding tanks to await next processing steps. Continuous mixing systems, sometimes know as inline blending systems, are continuously running systems where ingredients are metered into a series of piping and valves and product is mixed together in pipe as product travels to be packaged.
Continuous mixing systems offer the benefits of less equipment, lower cost and improved flexibility. However, Batch is often the more appropriate approach to mixing process, because continuous mixing systems must meet certain requirements to work well. We have a continuous inline blending checklist if you would like to see if your application is a good fit for this type of system, or you can compare consideration criteria for the two different types of mixing systems below:
Consideration |
Batch Mixing |
Continuous Mixing |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment Requirements | Larger tanks are required for batch, and often finished product storage tanks are required for product variations | Best Choice |
| Space | Batching systems tend to have larger equipment (tanks) and can often take up more space than continuous mixing systems | Best Choice |
| Reaction involved | Best choice | Inline blending systems move quickly and do not have time to handle a reaction unless you use a special type of system called a CSTR – Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor |
| Insoluable ingredients | Best Choice | Insoluables need more time to mix than a typical continuous mixing application allows |
| Flammable ingredients | Best Choice | Highly flammable or a large number of flammables are *usually* too volatile for an inline mixing system |
| Large ingredient viscosity range | Best Choice | Inline blending does not usually allow for enough time for ingredients of very vastly different viscosities to come together |
| Short blending times | You should consider continuous mixing applications for this if there are no other major inhibitors like flammables or dry ingredients. Continuous systems might allow greater flexibility for lower costs | Good Fit |
| Dry ingredients | Best Choice | In general dry ingredients are harder to move through the piping and instrumentation that continuous inline systems rely on. Batch systems with solid solid mixing equipment is a better choice |
| High Mixing Energy Requirements | Best choice | A large amount of mixing energy is expensive or impossible to cram into the short mixing times typical of inline mixing systems |
| Large number of SKU’s | Requires holding tanks to store multiple variations of product instead of allowing for a quick rinse-out and recipe change like continuous mixing systems. | Best Choice |
| Accurate Ingredient Additions | Batch mix skids are designed to mix for appropriate time intervals that ensure accurate mixing. | Most continuous mixing systems can achieve accuracy within 1% deviation of the prescribed formulation. Continuous inline blending systems that are constantly running often achieve deviation rates that are less than a 1% average. |
| Cost | Typical batch applications require more material mixing equipment and storage the more recipe variations you want to run, so the costs can increase quickly compared to inline blending systems that offer flexible SKU’s with less capitol investment and minimal storage requirements. | Best choice |
We consult on various mixing processes such as no sheer mixing, additives mixing, agitation and mixing of liquids, diffusion mixer, geometric mixing, and more, to let you know which mixing system would be better. Contact an EPIC engineer
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