Ribbon Mixer

Not every blend calls for high speed. When mixing dry mortar, chemical powders, additive packages or granular products, the goal is usually an even distribution without heating the material or breaking its particles. The Mixribon ribbon mixer is designed for exactly these powder and granule applications where high-speed mixing is unnecessary.

How ribbon mixing works

A shaft turns inside a horizontal U-shaped trough and typically carries two helical ribbons, one inner and one outer. The outer ribbon pushes material towards one end of the trough while the inner ribbon moves it back the other way. This counter-flow keeps the product moving both along the axis and radially, so every part of the batch is turned over. Because tip speeds are low, the product stays cool and fragile particles are protected.

Ribbon blender or turbo mixer?

A high-speed (turbo) heater mixer warms the charge by friction and drives additives into the resin, which is exactly what PVC dry blend needs. A ribbon blender does the opposite: it moves material around without heating it. If your product does not need to warm up during mixing, or must not, the ribbon mixer is the better starting point. Our industrial mixer types and selection guide compares the options side by side, and high-speed solutions for PVC are under heater–cooler mixers.

Configuration options

• The whole mixer, or only the product-contact parts, can be made from ST37, AISI 304 or AISI 316.
• The agitator can be single or dual speed, or driven through a frequency variator (FV).
• Blades are designed specifically for the product and can be removed.
• A liquid spray system and side-mounted turbine choppers can be added.
• Discharge can be from the bottom or from the side.
• The mixer comes with a safety system, an operating timer and an electrical control panel.

When the options make sense

If a small amount of liquid binder, oil or additive has to go into the blend, a spray system stops it collecting in one spot. Side turbine choppers break up small agglomerates and open up ingredients that are hard to disperse. Material choice follows the product: ST37 may be adequate for general industrial powders, while stainless options are preferred where corrosion or contamination is a concern.

Fitting it into the process

Product leaving a ribbon mixer often goes straight to packing, so planning it together with bag filling machines clarifies discharge height and whether an intermediate hopper is needed. Where blended material sits in a silo for long periods, a vertical mixer is worth considering too; other low-speed machines are grouped under special mixers. For a quote, let us know the bulk density, batch size, whether liquid will be added and your preferred discharge direction.