Ploughshare® mixer (Lab machine) : Gebrüder Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH

Guaranteed Lödige quality
Attractive value for money
Functional design
Ideal for your product and process development
Extensive range of accessories

Machine type

Lödige laboratory mixers of type L5, L10, L20 or L50 have a total drum volume corresponding to their product name of 5, 10, 20 or 50 litres. All units share the customary high mixing performance combined with an abundance of technical features to adapt the units to their various tasks.

The laboratory Ploughshare Mixers operate on the principle of a mechanical generated fluid bed introduced by Lödige to industrial mixing technology. Equipped with mixing elements which can be adapted to individual requirement, the mixes produced in these machines are of the highest quality.

The ploughshare shovels in special arrangement on a mixing shaft in a horizontal, cylindrical drum rotate closely to the wall. Their peripheral speed and geometric form are coordinated in such a way that the mix is moved out of the product bed against the centrifugal force and in axial direction at the same time. In addition, the shape of the shovels lifts the product particles from the drum wall. The mixing elements having a defined shape and a special arrangement on the shaft, they ensure not only a reliable product conveyance but also a sufficient back-mixing of the product. The so-called “mechanical” fluid bed generated in this way, whereby all the product is constantly involved in the process, ensures a maximum mixing intensity at even the highest throughputs and shortest residence times until the product is discharged out of the mixer via an outlet.

Thanks to their form adapted to individual application and the speed adjustment, Lödige Ploughshare Mixers can be used for a wide range of applications – for processing bulk solids (powdery, grainy, fibrous) or pumpable products.

Choppers can be additionally installed in the mixing drum to increase the turbulence in the mixing process. This also ensures the mixing of fine particles in small quantity and enables the dispersion of product agglomerations and primary particles.

The fluid bed generated mechanically achieves intensive separation of particles, especially in the upper area of the mixing drum. This optimizes the surface contact of the particles with liquids permitting lump-free mixing and homogeneous distribution.

For laboratory mixers with a volume of 50 l, the housing can be easily moved to the side permitting free access to the technical systems area.

Addition of liquids

Liquid formulation ingredients can be introduced into the moving product via various addition systems. Pipe feeds can be used here for larger quantities or nozzles (generally for relatively small quantities). Wetting of the mixer wall and shaft can be avoided as far as possible by positioning. The use of knife heads supports the distribution effect of liquids.

Granulation

A product is automatically granulated when liquids are added to products which turn sticky in contact with a liquid or if they contain binding agents. This granulation effect can be more or less pronounced. Usually the bulk density of the product is increased as soon as it is subsequently dried. The particle size can be adjusted in a wide range depending on the product properties. The particle size can be increased too by addition of liquid or powder in a repeated manner. The use of choppers in such granulation processes can be of advantage. The liquid added is initially distributed in an effective manner, then the particle size is built up more homogeneously and finally the structure of each particle is more compact.

Coating

The intensive product movement enables the addition of liquid components to ensure coating of the particles. Molten fat for example can be preferably spread in a liquid form onto the particle surface in order to then recrystallize while cooling down. Cooling is performed in an effective manner by using liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide snow which is added directly into the product. Further coating processes, like reaction coating, are deemed possible too.

The melting of the coating agent in a powdery product is also feasible in a mixer by heating up the powdery product to the melting point of the coating agent and then cooling down.

Sizes

The design of the housing for the machine types 5, L 10, L 20 is standardised and suitable for the use of different drum sizes and mixing shafts.

Standard version

Swivelling endplate
Mixing element speed continuously adjustable
Control unit integrated in the housing
Stainless steel mixer and housing
Mixer completely fitted
Mounting for exchangeable mixing drum sizes*
User-friendly control system

* Not for laboratory mixers with a container volume of 50 l.

Options

Exchangeable drums with a volume of 5, 10, 20 l
Jacket for heating and cooling
Chopper
Dust-free feeding device
Cover with nozzle
Various mixing tool and chopper variants
Addition of liquids for moistening, granulation and coating

Applications fields

Laboratory mixers are suitable for development tasks and small-scale production in, among others, the following industries:

Building materials Plastics Pharmaceuticals

Chemical Metallurgy Polysaccharides

Cosmetics Food Environment

Trouble finding your industry?

High surface quality, Ra < 0.8 µm
All materials in contact with the product have FDA approval
Easy to clean (no “dead zones” in the product area)
Practically complete discharging possible
Electrical control system according to GAMP5 requirements

Area of application

Lödige Ploughshare Mixers are used for different mixing applications in practically all industries. We have delivered over 35,000 machines in 80 years. This is a small excerpt of our applications in the