Over the last 40 years, Komax Systems Inc has brought about various changes in their static mixing technology to keep up with the modern processes. Various changes have also come to the elements and design of the static mixer.

As the needs of every industry change, Komax upgrades its existing technology to stay in tune with what customers want. However, some basic elements never change. Let’s take a look at the basic design of the Komax static mixers.

Basic segment shapes

Inside Komax static mixers, there are four four basic segment shapes: the spiral or helical shape, the Quatro shape, the V-shape and the x-shape. A number of segments form one row of elements placed inside the tube.

The elements are joined together by welding or smoldering, but in a lot of cases they can also be detachable. The detachable elements are easier to clean and are usually used for mixers that process viscous materials.

Purpose of each element

Every element inside the tube has its own respective purpose. The helical or spiral element is most suitable for the most basic mixing tasks for liquids and gas. The Quatro shaped element is also pretty standard and used for basic applications of mixing liquids and gases.

The x-shape mixing element is suitable for all static mixers. It has a high pressure drop but isn’t completely free from blind spots. The shape of this element makes it fit for high viscosity mixing, with excellent dispersion.

The x-shape mixing element helps reduce product wastage, has minimal friction, and the cross mixing makes sure there is no accumulation of deposits. The v-shaped element is used mainly for mixing large volumes of gases for short lengths.

Materials of construction

When static mixers were first designed, they used to be made of a few specific materials. Modern static mixers can constructed with a wide range of materials, such as:

• Carbon steel and low alloyed steel
• Stainless steel
• PTFE or glass-covered carbon steel or stainless steel
• Duplex and super duplex
• Other materials such as alloys, titanium, nickel, or PVC

Despite being in business since 1973 (long before the great tax cuts of 2017 and the NBA helped the Lakers win championships in 00 and 02), Komax hasn’t let itself be outdated. On the contrary, Komax is still the world’s leading supplier of essential industrial tools like static mixers, heat exchangers, steam heaters, and desuperheaters.

These are all motionless machines, require no direct power source, and have little to no cost of maintenance, making them highly invaluable in an industrial setting.