IQS Newsroom Articles on Drum Mixers
Drum Mixers
Drum mixers are gallon drums which rotate in order to mix chemicals and materials such as gravel and cement. The mixer uses a paddle which has numerous blades curving in different directions; this is called a swing-blade paddle. The swing-blade design allows the drum mixer to maximize liquid movement within the rotating drum, which cuts down on time spent mixing the product. Industries such as food processing, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and agriculture use drum mixers to mix chemicals, cement, biodiesel and to homogenize and mix disparate dry and wet chemicals.
Drum mixers are made from steel and can either have thick walls or thin walls; the mixers are powered by pneumatic or electric motors. Sizes for drum mixers include 5 gallon drums, 55 gallon drums and mixers for tanks which can hold up to 950 gallons.
Swing-blade paddles are made from stainless steel or zinc plated steel and can be portable and sold as a single part, or as part of the drum. The swing-blade can be moved to point upwards or downwards to maximize liquid movement at all RPMs and can be adjusted for various containers and mixing patterns. Depending on the capacity of the drum, paddles can fit onto container lids and may easily be moved from one drum to another. In the case of larger drums, the paddles are attached to stainless steel poles; the pole is then attached to the lip of the drum using a clamp, or screwed into the lid of the drum.