New small-scale In-Line mixer range from Silverson Machines

Oct 23, 2024

One of the most versatile mixers on the market, Silverson high shear rotor/stator In-Line mixers have the ability to form stable emulsions, de-agglomerate, reduceparticle and droplet sizes and blend powdered and liquid ingredients. The rotor/stator workhead is impossible to bypass, so all material is subjected to high shear as it passes through the workhead. Before now these specialised mixers have only been available as a production-scale model or as a benchtop laboratory unit. The new mixer range, which includes “Ultra Hygienic” specification models, a unit suitable for higher viscosity mixes, a Multi-stage In-Line mixer and a small-scale powder/liquid mixer, complement the different types of laboratory and production models already available from Silverson, but importantly offer customers more options in terms of batch sizes and processing requirements.

The 150 UHS In-Line is designed for Ultra Hygienic applications typically encountered in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, where the smallest production scale mixers may be too large, but laboratory equipment doesn’t offer sufficient capacity. This new model is built to the same high specification as production scale UHS mixers and can be supplied with Silverson-designed hygienic single mechanical shaft seals, which can be converted to hygienic doublemechanical shaft seals suitable for pressurised flush. They have a crevice-free construction and are designed for Clean-In-Place (CIP) and Sterilise-In-Place (SIP) operations. Ideal for batches of up to 50 litres, the mixer features a range of interchangeable workheads and screens, offering intense yet targeted high shear capability; a conversion kit allowing it to be used as a Multistage 088/150 is available. As with all Silverson UHS models, the mixer can be supplied with data dossier documentation packages conforming to all regulatory standards, for example, cGMP and FDA and EC1935/2004.

The 088/150 UHS is the first small-scale Multistage In-Line mixer from Silverson Machines. Matching the capabilities of production scale Multistage In-Line mixers, these mixers increase the number of shearing actions per revolution of the rotor, resulting in substantially faster mixing times and increasing the number of products that can be processed in a single pass.

The Multistage workhead features two concentric rotors and stators; this allows customers to configure the mixer to their individual requirements, for example the inner stator can be configured as a General Purpose Disintegrating Head, while the outer stator could be a Slotted Disintegrating Head. Depending on the desired results the stators can be a number of different combinations which can be quickly and easily changed to optimise processing and increase mixing versatility.

For small scale manufacturing of higher viscosity products, Silverson has developed the 150 UHS-HV, an In-Line mixer which matches the capabilities of the production scale Silverson HV In-Line mixers. It incorporates a unique and innovative “pumping rotor” design that substantially increases the mixer’s self-pumping capacity, ideal for processing higher viscosity products.

High flow rates, typically around 6,500 litres/hour are maintained as viscosity rises, often eliminating the need for an additional feed pump when processing many higher viscosity products such as creams, ointments, sauces and slurries. A range of motor options is available, including high speed, which allows the mixer to run at 9,000 rpm. This gives the mixer more power to continually recirculate higher viscosity products in the vessel. Other motor options include stainless steel and Flameproof models.

Also part of the launch is the new FMX10 small-scale powder/liquid mixer. This mixer has been developed to bridge the gap between the laboratory scale FMX5 and the larger, production-scale Flashmix product range. The FMX10 provides a simple, effective and hygienic means of powder/liquid mixing on a small scale, with a batch size of up to 50 litres, depending on viscosity. Featuring the same pumping rotor design as the HV model, the FMX10 is able to process higher viscosity mixes, and the option of a high speed motor, capable of 9,000rpm, and Flameproof specification makes this model even more versatile.

In addition, further increasing the versatility and flexibility of these new small-scale mixers, any mixer in the new range can be supplied with a Vessel Package. The Vessel package comprises of a 50 litre vessel, vessel, stand, valve and pipework. Conversion kits are also available allowing the UHS model to be upgraded to a UHS-HV and an FMX10.