How to Choose the Right Electric Mixer

Arrow Mixing Products carries a wide variety of top-of-the-line industrial mixers with a lot of options, and can help you with choosing the right mixer for your application, even if it seems like a daunting task. By asking a few questions about your application, it’s easy to find the right direction to head in. It starts by understanding what your business is mixing, and the properties of that material.

Is there a risk of explosion with the product you’re mixing?

If you are working with any material that contains volatile chemicals, solvents, lacquers, or other flammable materials, it’s time for you to invest in an air mixer. Air mixers use compressed air to power the propeller, so you don’t have any risk of ignition due to an electrical spark. To learn more about selecting an air mixer, visit the Air Mixer Buyers Guide Page.

If you’re not working with a flammable ingredients, an electric mixer is right for you. Our light duty and heavy duty electric mixers each have a completely enclosed non-ventilated motor to keep dust and fumes out, resulting in a longer service life. Electric drum stirrers allow for easy regulation of the mixing speed and all models include overload protection and an enclosed control box that guard components from splashes or spills. This guide will show you what to look for when selecting a high-quality industrial electric mixer or electric whisk.

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

There are three main properties you’ll need to know to select the correct overhead electric mixer for your application:

• Material Viscosity
  Viscosity is the “thickness” of a liquid, so the thicker the liquid, the higher the material’s viscosity and the more work the mixer will have to do to move the material. A highly viscous material will require a higher horsepower motor or gearing to increase torque. For example, the Model 350 electric stirrer has a 7-1 gear ratio to take on heavy duty mixing operations, making it perfect to use as a high viscosity lab mixer.

• Batch Size
  Batch sizes for mixing applications can range from small cans to large drums, so batch size (in both volume and dimensions) will drive the physical size of the mixer and the length of the shaft. For example, the Model 6000 electric stirrer is designed with a maximum batch size in its standard configuration of about 20 liters, or just over 5 gallons.

• Motor Speed
  This is the maximum RPM of the mixer shaft. Running a shaft too slow won’t mix the added material properly, and running it too fast increases the amount of air introduced into the material. For example, the medium-duty electric mixer Model 1750 has a maximum speed of 2000 RPM.

What other options do I need to look for when choosing a mixer?

Electrical Power – Many of the industrial electric mixers are available in 120 VAC 60 Hz or 230 VAC 50 Hz, so you can select the voltage you want. Some high-quality mixers, such as the Model 850, are available with CE marking for European conformity.

Reversible – Select models, such as the Model 2000 electric stirrer, are equipped with a reverse switch so that the propeller can be run in either direction.

What kind of accessories do I need to get?

All commercial mixers come standard with an aluminum support rod, a standard stainless steel shaft/propeller combo, and a three-wire power cord with grounded plug. Depending on your type of application, you may need a different shaft length or propeller size. Also, if you are mixing a corrosive material, shafts and propellers are available in PTFE.

You may also need to add a stand and clamp to hold your industrial overhead mixer in place. Stands are available in different sizes to accommodate different mixer weights and sizes of material containers. For example, the SSS-55 stand can accommodate a 55-gallon drum.

How To Choose A Mixer

If you still need assistance selecting the most efficient overhead electric stirrer for your business, we’d be happy to help. We can also provide custom mixing solutions beyond our standard offerings if you have a specialty application. Just give us a call today at 1-800-724-8665 for more information and we’ll work with you to make sure you get the best professional mixer built for your needs.

We offer a 30-day guarantee on all of our mixers, so if you purchase a unit and it’s not quite the right size or speed, you can return it or exchange it for another model.