Agitators

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The MARION BRAND consists of agitators that are designed with very distinct characteristics that are unique in the industry.

Agitators Features & Benefits, vs. 1.0

Marion Mixers 11/20

Paddle Agitator
Paddle Style agitators are specially designed to scoop, lift and tumble materials in a gentle, but thorough mixing action. While being mixed, the material travels in a three dimensional "figure 8" pattern. The material is constantly being pulled from the ends of the mixer to the middle of the "figure 8" where the most aggressive mixing is taking place. This unique paddle design is ideal for mixing solids or liquids of various particle size, density and viscosity. The gentle scooping action is ideal for blending fragile ingredients such as nuts or fiberglass strands. Paddle mixers work effectively when filled to as little as 20% of rated capacity, thus allowing flexibility of batch sizes. Paddle style agitators allow easier access for cleaning between batches.

Welded Arm/Welded Blade

Bolted Arm/Bolted Blade

Good when blending materials of dissimilar size, shape and density. Paddles scoop ingredients from the bottom of the trough and lift them into the product stream. Low shear mixing is useful when blending friable or oversized ingredients. Choppers are often used in conjunction with paddle agitators to reduce product size, incorporate colorants or other minor ingredients. Sanitary paddle agitators are the easiest to clean and sanitize. Paddle agitators are fitted with tighter clearances with the trough than ribbons to allow more efficient clean-out at the end of each batch. Paddle agitators are efficient with batch sizes down to 20% of the rated capacity of the blender. Bolted paddle agitators are frequently used in abrasive or corrosive applications where maintenance is a concern. Bolted style paddle agitators can be modified in the field to increase or decrease agitation points to accommodate changes in the customer's products. Paddle style agitators can be used in both batch and continuous style mixers.

Agitators Features & Benefits, vs. 1.0

Marion Mixers 11/20

Components
Solid Shaft provides maximum transfer of torque, minimum shaft deflection and smallest contact surface area. Solid Arm provides minimum deflection and vibration of blade. Arm Camber - Arm is bent in the direction of rotation which allows blade to scoop product. Blade Cup - Formed blade retains and lifts product from bottom of mixer. Outer Edge Radius - Laser cut outer edge fits radius of trough within .020. Knife Edge - Relief curf on leading edge of blade reduces product degradation and mixing HP. Fan Tail - Free flowing products flow over inner edge of blade, random division, and gravitational dispersion. Forward Pitch - Orientation of blade splits product stream and moves materials toward the discharge. Reverse Pitch - Orientation of the blade splits the product stream and provides back-mixing. Slow Shaft Speed - Products are scooped, lifted, divided and randomly dispersed across fan-tail. High Shaft Speed - Products are scooped, lifted, divided and thrown upward for aeration and gravitational dispersion. Low Profile Blades - Forward pushing blades with reduced contact surface. Intermediate Blades - Reverse blades used to move product toward end plates like inner flighting of a ribbon blender.

Ribbon Agitator
Double Ribbon mixers are capable of performing a variety of mixing operations. These agitators are excellent for low density, free flowing materials. Ribbon mixers are designed for thorough end to end mixing. Two inner spirals move the product away from the discharge, while the two outer flightings move the material back toward the discharge opening. The mixing action occurs by rolling the material back and forth. Marion's design provides a continuous spiral from the end of the mixer to the discharge. There are no gaps in the flighting to interrupt product flow and create "pockets" of stagnant material. Ribbon agitators are most commonly used in the food industry where bulk products are repeatedly blended.

Inner/Outer Double Flighting Ribbon Agitator

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Agitators Features & Benefits, vs. 1.0

Marion Mixers 11/20

Marion's ribbon design includes two sets of flighting on both the inner and outer spirals. Each spiral is positioned 180 out of phase. The additional flighting provides twice the mixing action of a single ribbon mixer. In mixes with small agglomerates, the greater shearing action of a ribbon mixer can be beneficial. Good when blending materials of like size, shape and density such as powders or granular ingredients. Lateral scrubbing action of inner ribbon against the outer ribbon produces heat. This can be useful when coating ingredients. Choppers can be added when incorporating liquids or pastes and to disperse minor ingredients. In applications involving free flowing solids or slurries of similar particle size, density and shape the ribbon agitator is a good solution.

Ribbon agitators are designed to mix by scrubbing product against product. The inner ribbons pushing product toward the end plates and the outer ribbons move materials toward the center.

Components
Solid Mainshaft Provides maximum transfer of torque, minimum shaft deflection and smallest contact surface area. Hollow shafts or stub shafts tend to have greater deflection and fatigue stress. Provides maximum support of outer ribbon components without interfering with product movement. Plate style spokes tend to stop product movement as materials are forced against the side of each plate spoke. Spokes are chamfered and then welded with large, smooth fillet to the agitator shaft. Larger radii are easier to clean and cause less stress risers. Drilling and pinning the spoke through the shaft and/or using small fillet welds will make the joint more susceptible to fatigue failure. Double inner and double outer ribbon flights are located on the agitator with 1800 of separation. For every revolution of the agitator, particles at any given location inside the blender are manipulated twice as many times with a double helix mixer. Single flight ribbons are much easier and less expensive to fabricate. Inner and outer ribbon flights are formed and attached to the spokes of the agitator as a continuous helix from the end-plate to the discharge. Segmented ribbons only span between two spokes. The agitator must turn another 1800 before engaging the next segment of outer flighting. Segmented ribbons create less lateral product movement in the mixer. Ribbon agitators that are built in unison with a trough assembly can ensure clearances less than 0.25 at the 6:00 position. Tighter clearances result in better incorporation of minor ingredients and more thorough clean-out. Ribbon agitators fabricated separate from the trough are generally sold without a specified clearance. Knife edged end-wipers are available to scrape sticky products from the end-plates of the mixer. Cleaning the spoke and end-wipers adjacent the end plate is much easier with round spokes than with plate style spokes.
Marion Mixers 11/20 4

Solid Round Spokes

Large Radius Fillets

Double Flight Ribbon

Continuous Ribbon

Clearance with Trough

End Plate Wipers

Agitators Features & Benefits, vs. 1.0

Hybrid Agitators
Double Reversing agitators are a hybrid between a paddle and a ribbon. With paddles located at the inner and outer radii, the agitator provides the "figure 8" movement of a paddle style mixer with the scrubbing action of a ribbon blender. This aggressive mixing action transfers more energy to the product being mixed than either the standard paddle or ribbon agitator designs. This agitator design creates a more even product level in the mixer, thus allowing larger capacities to be mixed per batch. Paddle/Ribbon Hybrid Agitator

Another hybrid variation similar to the double reversing (paddle/ribbon) agitator is the double reversing (paddle/paddle) agitator with (2) sets of paddles moving in opposite directions in a figure "8" movement.

Paddle/Paddle Hybrid Agitator

Hybrid Benefits
Combine the benefits of both the ribbon and the paddle agitator designs. Inner ribbon flighting moves product towards the end-plates, thus leveling the product load. Outer paddles provide tight clearances for efficient mixing and thorough clean-out. Choppers can be added with hybrid agitators to provide controlled amounts of mixing energy.

Paddle/Ribbon Hybrid
This style of agitator feature solid steel shafting with welded arm spokes. The outer perimeters of the spokes are fitted with either bolted or welded paddles. In a batch application, the outer paddles lift, scoop and move product toward a center discharge. The agitator assembly is also equipped with an inner ribbon designed to move ingredients toward the end plates. This style of agitator works best with free flowing ingredients that tend to hump in the center of the mixer.

Agitators Features & Benefits, vs. 1.0

Marion Mixers 11/20

Paddle/Paddle Hybrid
This style of agitator is also built with solid steel shafting. Either welded spokes or bolted arms connect to the shaft. In a batch application, outer paddles are fitted within .020 clearance of the trough. The outer paddles lift, scoop and move product towards a center discharge. Inner Paddles are located on the arm between the outer blades and the agitator shaft. Inner Paddles move product away from the discharge toward the end-plates of the mixer. The reversing paddle design provides accelerated agitation and a more even product level inside the mixing vessel. Reversing paddle agitators typically require greater horsepower than standard paddle or ribbon agitators.

High Speed Choppers

High speed choppers are available for size reduction and/or incorporation of minor ingredient, liquids or shortening. Outer ribbons are designed to pull product into the cutter head(s). Many competitive offerings do not include high intensity choppers with ribbon agitators.

Cutting Blades
Chopper Assemblies use either a stacked knife or tulip-style blade to chop materials.

Some ribbon agitators are also designed with breaker bars used to help break lumps. Combined with chopper blades these agitations provide superior mixing and blending for certain applications.

Dual Ribbon Agitator with Breakers and Choppers

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Agitators Features & Benefits, vs. 1.0

Marion Mixers 11/20