Plough Mixer (Ploughshare Mixer)
A plough mixer uses specially shaped plough or shovel agitators mounted on a horizontal shaft rotating at significantly higher speeds than ribbon or paddle mixers.
As the ploughs rotate at speed, they create a mechanically fluidized zone within the mixing vessel — temporarily suspending the powder in a turbulent, three-dimensional mixing cloud where every particle is in rapid, simultaneous motion.
This fluidization effect completely overcomes segregation forces caused by density, size, and shape differences that slower mixers cannot handle.
The plough mixer achieves thorough mixing in 1 to 5 minutes — the fastest intensive batch mixer available. Optional choppers — high-speed cutting blades mounted perpendicular to the main shaft — can be engaged simultaneously to break down lumps and agglomerates while mixing. Liquid spray nozzles can be added to incorporate binders, coatings, or liquid actives directly into the fluidized powder cloud for highly uniform distribution.
Best For
- Cohesive powders that clump and do not flow freely
- Materials with very wide density differences (3:1 ratio or greater)
- Wet granulation — incorporating liquid binders into dry powder
- Coating processes — distributing fine coating particles across coarser granules
- Applications requiring the fastest possible batch cycle times
Industries
Chemical processing, battery materials, mineral processing, fertilizer production, construction materials, pharmaceutical wet granulation, food processing (cohesive ingredients), plastics and rubber compounding.
