Picture in your mind a factory that’s responsible for mixing large quantities of a given compound. Do you picture large vats that are being mixed? Are there separate quantities of the ingredients that are being mixed together as they’re applied? These represent two of the most common methods for mixing compounds. Understanding the difference between static mixing and motorized mixing systems is important when determining the right technology that will best suit your needs.

Motorized Mixing Systems

Motorized mixing was one of the earliest mechanical processes in the development of industry. To form new alloys, mix food ingredients, brew beer, or create new compounds, ingredients would be blended together in large vessels and then used for a multitude of purposes. This is still done today. This is a reasonable method when there’s a set formula for a substance and the entire quantity will be uniform regardless. For instance, when an ice cream company churns its ice cream, the operators expect that an entire batch will be the same no matter what. Some ice cream manufacturers are turning to static mixing though in order to more effectively meet their production requirements.

Static Mixing

Some substances, however, require more flexibility. For substances such as adhesives, sealants, or some chemicals, mixing in a large vessel is impractical, unsuccessful, or even dangerous. Static mixers continuously mix the substance as they are pumped through a pipeline. This allows for more precise control over the consistency and homogeneity of the color, texture, and distribution of raw ingredients or additives. This is especially useful when mixing must be done quickly or applied immediately. Imagine an adhesive that starts to set as soon as it’s created. You wouldn’t want to mix that in advance or else you could never apply it. A static mixer would mix the ingredients just before it’s used.