Intertronics now offers a vacuum planetary centrifugal mixer, the Thinky ARV-501CE. It's a mid-size mixer with a maximum capacity of 700 g, so operators can mix, defoam and degas larger batch sizes of liquids, powders and pastes.
The vacuum mixer is suitable for manufacturers working in applications where even micro-bubbles cannot be tolerated, but can also be used without the vacuum for less critical functions.
The product is suitable for all engineering compounds, from low viscosity to semi-solid materials, Intertronics says.
It offers two standard modes, mixing and defoaming, to both mix material and remove air. Material is forced to the sides of the container during the simultaneous mixing procedure, mitigating the requirement to deep clean workspaces after use. Manufacturers mix in their own containers, such as jars, beakers or cartridges, which means there is no cleaning between batches.
The mixer sits at bench height with an optional stand and built in vacuum pump. It has a touch screen to display status and progress, and offers RS232 connectivity for recording and traceability.
“Thinky mixers provide fast, efficient, homogenous mixing of many high technology materials,” explained Ben Swanson, Sales Manager of Intertronics. “Unlike machines that use paddles or stirrers, no air is introduced; in fact, there is a tendency to remove air. The ability to degas under vacuum makes the product suitable for ultra-critical applications, where even microbubbles, perhaps in the order of 100 µm, cannot be tolerated.
“Our customers have already seen success with vacuum planetary centrifugal mixers for applications including semiconductor manufacturing, electrode production for battery applications and LED manufacturing,” added Swanson. “This new product could be a good steppingstone for our customers that already operate a mixer to scale up their operations once they have proven their process with a smaller model.”
The device operates with an independent vacuum pump, the PU-501CE. Customers can also choose to use their own vacuum equipment or use it as an atmospheric pressure mixer and upgrade it to a vacuum mixer at a later time.
