VOLUME 7, NUMBER 2

Thisissue...Page 1

THE BOSTONSHEARPUMP ®

NOW PART OF THEADMIX FAMILY OFSANITARY MIXERS

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ADMIX PRODUCTPICK: THE BOSTONSHEARPUMP ®

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LETS GET TECHNICAL!TIPS TO IMPROVE IN-LINE MIXING PERFORMANCE

ADMIX TEAMMEMBERS

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WHAT’S NEW ATADMIX

LETS GET TECHNICAL!Cont inued

On May 30, 2001, Admix acquired theBoston Shearpump line of wet milling, emulsification and homogenizing equipmentfrom Copek Industrial Products. Since 1995Boston Shearpump products have beenamong the leaders for the continuous processing of high solids, high viscosity mixtures and formulations where demandingstandards for particle size reduction, homogenization, high throughput and sanitary construction are necessary. The BSP line was developed by Hans Copek following his many years of experience inthe application and sale of in-line mixing anddispersion machinery. The product line has experienced double-digit growth every yearsince inception and that success can beattributed to:

The Boston Shearpump®

Now Part of the AdmixFamily of Sanitary Mixers

The Newsletter of Mixing Technology for Sanitary Processors

1. Extremely rugged design with oversizedsupport shafts combined with superiorcraftsmanship featuring ABEC-7 bearingsand dynamically balanced rotors.

2. Able to process the most difficult mixingoperations requiring a combination of dispersing, wet milling, grinding, chopping,particle size reduction, maceration andhomogenizing.

3. Superior versatility with single, doubleand triple rotor/stator heads, combinedwith coarse through ultrafine processingstages.

4. Full range of sizes to process flows aslow as 5 GPM to as high as 200 GPM.

5. Low maintenance, water flush mechani-cal seals with a 700 PSI+ pressure rating.

6. Every component has been designedand manufactured to meet and exceed 3Aand USDA - Dairy standards.

While you might think that the BostonShearpump may be just like other wellknown "shearpumps" currently on themarket, our BSP units provide substantiallymore shear rate, flow capacity and"milling". Please review the enclosed articles for more details on how theBoston Shearpump can improve your mixing operations. A full range of machinesare available for running trials at our testing facilities in Manchester, NewHampshire or ask our local sales agentabout plant trials or rentals at your facility.

S U M M E R

The Newsletter of Mixing Technology for Sanitary ProcessorsPage 2

The Wow Factor!Have you ever stumbled upon a product at your local department store, mailorder catalog, or favorite website thatimmediately provides that instant wow!factor?? This was our reaction when we first encountered the BostonShearpump line many years ago in competitive situations, and now as partof the Admix family! Why? For starters,the external look, fit and finish provide a unique combination of both brawnand polish. Once inside (with the easyto open inlet covers), the combinationof superior craftsmanship, precisionmachining, and exact fit of all components becomes quickly obvious.The quick disassembly of the sealbecomes another plus, and finally theweight and size of the massive bearingsupport to insure precise alignmentand concentricity of the shaft and heads clearly distinguishes the BostonShearpump from all other mixingdevices.

Performance Plus!But the true test is performance, andthis is where the Boston Shearpumpreally brings home the wow factor! Due to its rugged design and uniquecombination of rotors and stators, theBSP Turbo series will not only disperseand emulsify like our competition, but also provides milling, grinding, maceration, chopping and very fine particle size reduction not typical of in-line mixers and shearpumps. The BSP can approach a colloid mill forreducing hard particles, and can chopand grind coarse solids like serratedblade processors, but adds the distinctadvantage of maintaining high throughputs while all this action is going on!

Admix Product Pick:

The Boston Shearpump®

Extreme Machine!The Boston Shearpump can be designedand plumbed to provide reductions andmilling within a single pass for many appli-cations. This is possible when using atriple head design (three rotors and sta-tors) in series. The heads can be identicalwhereby they are either all coarse, medi-um or fine relative to their deagglomera-tion capability, or can be differentiatedfrom coarse to very fine where the appli-cation would be better served. In addi-tion, special purpose rotors includingultrafine, chopping, ripping or mashingcan be combined with any of our stan-dard duty heads. For very extreme processing needs, our Shearmill™ seriesprovides the highest tip speeds, the tight-est gaps, and the greatest number of win-dows (ports) to provide ultrafine mechan-ical shear.

For more information on the BostonShearpump, look us up atwww.admix.com or atwww.shearpump.com.

Performance CurveFrequency (%) vs. Droplet Size (µm)

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

00.01 0.1 1 3 5 10 100

Droplet Size (µm)

Freq

uenc

y (%

)

Note that 95% of the droplets analyzed are lessthan 3 microns,while 50% are lessthan 1 micron.

Boston Shearpump® and Shearmill™are designed to provide a median parti-cle size of 1.0 micron with excellent dis-tribution.

Admix TeamMembers

The Newsletter of Mixing Technology for Sanitary Processors

In general, in-linemixers, by design,are less suscepti-ble to process ormechanical issues.The process per-

formance can be predicted fairly

accurately, because all ofthe process must pass through

the mixing and shear zones, without anybypass or "backmixing" which could occurin batch mixing. Mechanical problems arealso less common, since all in-line mixershave short shafts, eliminating most shaftdeflection and critical speed issues.However, process or mechanical chal-lenges can occur, and here are a fewpointers to help prevent them:

Process Tips for Better In-Line Mixing1. To Feed or Not To Feed: Most in-line mixers (at least of the high shear type)are limited to how much flow, viscosityand solids they can pump. While all mixershave some self-pumping capabilities at viscosities below 500 cps, they will benefitfrom "feeding" the process with a centrifu-gal pump (for low viscosities) or positivedisplacement pump (for high viscosities). If you find that you are not achieving theflow capacity "advertised" by the mixersupplier, it is probably due to the viscosityor solids level causing a restriction in theflow rate. Feeding the process with anauxiliary pump also allows the in-linemixer to devote all of its energy to creat-ing shear rather than providing flow.

2. Multi Pass Recirculation:At least 50% of high shear mixingapplications can be adequatelyachieved with a single passthrough the mixer, especiallywith multiple head machines.Many applications will benefitfrom multiple passes throughthe unit, until the desired particle size

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Sue Foskitt, our MarketingManager, has been with Admixfor almost 10 years. Aftermany years in administration,she currently oversees all ofour marketing needs includingWebsite maintenance, marketing updates for sales rep agencies, trade show coordination, scheduling tradeads and articles, brochure and newsletter design.Our Production Supervisor,Gary Floyd, celebrates nineyears with Admix this month!Gary is responsible for theproduction and shipment of allcustomer parts & mixer ordersas well as maintaining our testlab & trade show equipment.He is committed to providingoutstanding customer serviceby ensuring that delivery andquality standards are met.

Earlier this spring ourTechnical Director for BostonShearpump®, Hans Copek,joined us when we acquiredthe Boston Shearpump line.Hans brings to Admix manyyears of experience with sani-tary in-line mixing & dispersionequipment. In addition toassisting with customer sales,he will be instrumental indesign enhancements andcontinued development of theBSP product line.

or emulsion stability is achieved. This canonly be determined with field testing orlab tests at the vendor's facility.

3. Use a Speed Controller (VFD)to Fine-Tune a Process: Effective in-line mixing relies on both the tip speedof the mixing heads as well as the productvelocity through the mixer. Both are measured in feet or meters per second.Flow velocity can be controlled with afeed pump (as discussed above) to main-tain a specific velocity should that be adesirable objective. The tip speed or peri-pheral velocity is typically more critical,and this should be maintained at a specifictarget minimum. Having a variable speedcontroller allows the option of overspeeding the unit to fine tune the tipspeed, or reducing the operating speed(and tip speed), completely separate fromflow rate adjustments with the upstreampump.

Mechanical Tips1. Reduce Seal Maintenance: Begin by choosing the proper seal. The mixervendor sometimes dictates this, but several seal options should be available tosuit the process characteristics. A waterflush single or double mechanical seal isalways the preferred method, but will costsubstantially more than a typical productflushed pump seal. Be sure to review thecorrect flush pressure and flow rate withthe vendor when using flush seals, as evenflushed seals can fail prematurely if not setup properly.

Continued on page 4

Lets Get Technical!

Tips to Improve In-lineMixing Performance

This Is Your Last

Issue!

The Newsletter of Mixing Technology for Sanitary Processors

Advanced Mixing Technologies

234 Abby RoadManchester, NH 03103

Contact OurExpertsAdmix has applications expertsavailable to answer any and allof your Advanced MixingTechnology needs.Call anytime:Tel: 603-627-2340 or 1-800-466-2369Fax: 603-627-2019www.admix.com

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Don’t forget to stop byand see us in Booth#1008 at theWorldwide Food Expo in Chicago - October 18-21, 2001!

And why not start out 2002 with a visit toBooth #6103 at theInternational PoultryExpo in Atlanta (January16-18)!

LETS GET TECHNICAL!Tips to Improve Mixing PerformanceContinued from page 3.

2. Prevent Overload Situations:In-line mixers are susceptible to motorand/or mixer overload when the viscosityor solids level is higher than the capacity ofthe motor or the mixer. Horsepower loadon the mixer will rise as higher viscosityprocess streams are pumped or fed intothe unit, which could cause the motor tocut out. Reducing the feed pump speed(and therefore mixer flow) will bring thecapacity and HP back into an acceptablerange. Observing the maximum throughput capacity recommended by the vendor willalso prevent mixer overload. Forcingthrough 200 GPM of product into a mixerrated for 130 GPM could "stuff" and clogthe mixer, potentially damaging the unit.

3. Do Not Run Dry!!: Perhaps the most damaging of all mistakes with an in-line mixer is dry running. In addition toblowing the seal (if not water flushed), thepotential for damaging the mixing heads issevere. Low flow operation could also be a problem, or not properly "priming" themixer, with cavitation being the result.Using a throttling valve on the discharge isideal for controlling cavitation, with theadded benefit of increasing the retention ordwell time of the product within the mixingchamber. Providing a screening mechanismprior to the mixer or feed pump is also recommended, as any tramp metal, stonesor large objects could damage the mixerinternals.

This will be your Last Issueunless we here from you!! If youwish to continue receiving theAdmixture Newsletter please call 1-800-466-2369 or e-mail suef@admix.comPlease include your Code #

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What’s New atAdmix...

Recently introduced literature includes 2

articles in Processing’s Mixing, Blending and

Size Reduction Handbook. Please call or

email us for copies!