All About Air Mixers

Arrow Mixing Products produces the top industrial size mixers for industrial mixing and have many sizes and options available to choose from. Sifting through the information and selecting the pneumatic mixer that works best for your operations may seem overwhelming. However, it’s easy to navigate this path simply by answering a few key questions about your specific application, and the properties of the material you are mixing.

Is there a risk of explosion with the product you’re mixing? Then you need an air mixer.

If the material that you’re planning to work with is not flammable, you’ll want to select an electric mixer. Our industrial electric mixers are designed and built with an enclosed, non-ventilated motor, so you can increase service life by keeping dust, particulates, and fumes out of the motor. To learn more about selecting an efficient electric mixer, visit the Electric Mixer Buyers Guide Page.

However, if the materials that you are working with contain volatile chemicals, solvents, lacquers, or other flammable materials, an air mixer is a necessity. Air mixers use compressed air to power the propeller, so you don’t have any risk of ignition due to an electrical spark during flammable material & liquid mixing. This guide will show you what questions to ask when selecting an air mixer.

What are the properties of the material you’re mixing?

When choosing the right overhead air mixer for your job, there are three properties of the material that you’ll need to take into account:

• Material Viscosity
  The property of viscosity defines how thick a liquid is. A higher viscosity translates to a thicker liquid, and the mixer will have to do more work to move the material. A material with a high viscosity will require an air mixer with a high direct torque or gearing to increase torque. For example, the Model G-HD air stirrer has a 7-1 gear ratio to properly mix very thick materials.

• Batch Size
  Mixing applications can come in a variety of batch sizes, so batch size (in both volume and dimensions) will determine the size of the overhead air powered mixer and the length of the shaft. For example, the Model 750 air stirrer in a standard configuration has a maximum batch size of about 200 liters, or just over 52 gallons.

• Motor Speed
  The motor speed specification defines the maximum speed of the mixer shaft in RPM. For an air mixer, the RPM is increased or decreased by varying the input air pressure. A shaft speed that is too slow will result in a material that is not mixed material properly, and a speed that is too fast increases the amount of air that is added to the material. As an example, the light duty air mixer Model A-5 has a maximum running speed of 7,000 RPM, and an air input of 30 to 100 psi.

What other options do I need to look for?

Reversible – Some innovative mixer models, including the Model 1500-RV air mixer, can be set up to safely run in either direction.

What kind of equipment accessories do I need?

When you purchase an air mixer, it will ship with an aluminum support rod and a standard stainless steel shaft/propeller combo, a 4 ft. air hose, and a muffler. Depending on your application, you may want to purchase a different shaft length or propeller size. If the material that you are mixing is corrosive, shafts and propellers are available in PTFE.

In addition to those standard accessories, you may need to purchase a stand and clamp to hold your mixer. Stands are available in different sizes depending on the weight of your air mixer and volume of the container you’re mixing in. As an example, the ASE 625 stand works perfectly with the Model A air mixer.

For air mixers, it is highly recommended to add a filter/regulator and lubricator unit to best ensure that the air source entering the mixer is dry and clean every time, preserving the life of the mixer.

What if I have other questions?

If you still need help determining which overhead air mixer is right for you, just contact our experts and we’ll be happy to help. If you have a specialty application, we have a full-service fabrication facility to provide custom mixing solutions. Call us today at 1-800-724-8665 and we’ll help you make the right choice for your application.

All of our mixers come with a 30-day guarantee, so after you purchase a mixer and you find out it’s too big or too small for your application, you can return it or exchange it for another mixer.