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Planetary Mixer Working Principle & Pharmaceutical Applications

A Planetary mixer is a multi-purpose equipment where its attachments move in a planetary fashion and are used for purposes like whipping and mixing. The mixing blades move in an opposite direction to sweep the entire circumference of the vessel and also rotate around its axis. A planetary mixer is a type of standing/vertical mixer where the mixer rotates the attachment (agitator) on an axis. This rotation is similar to how a planet orbits around the sun, thus the name planetary mixer. This mixer achieves intense mixing with homogeneity and considered ideal for mixing vicious pastes in pharmaceutical industries under atmospheric and vacuum conditions. The mixer bowl is the main component of this mixer as most dough’s and batters are mixed in it with minimum wastage and is a very much detachable part of the whole system and also performs numerous operations. It can be used to mix liquid to liquid, liquid to solid, and solid to solid in powder, granules, ointment, creams, galantine, and chemicals. Uniform mixing action and the single or double planetary action enable faster processing.

Working Principle of the Planetary Mixer

The principle of planetary mixers is very simple, which usually have two or three multi-hinged blades. When the paddles are in revolution and rotation running at the same time the material flows up and down as well as around the inner cylinder, which reaches the mixing effect in a very short time. The planetary mixer is particularly used for paste, high viscosity, high-density materials dissolving, mixing, kneading and polymerization, and much more.

Effective Blending and mixing is an essential part of any pharmaceutical industry. They aim at having a homogeneous pharmaceutical product. Mixer with more than one function is very important such as suspending solids in a liquid, blending, emulsifying liquids, dissolving polymers, powders, and granular materials in a liquid base.

Planetary Mixer

Key features of the Planetary Mixer

  • Single and double planetary blades
  • A Single base structure which helps in easy mounting
  • Manual and Hydraulic operated lift using an air, oil, or electric pump
  • Durable steel planetary gears which are treated by heat and hardened
  • Multiple blade options like a stirrup, vertical, or combination
  • Control panel specifically designed to limit the traverse motion and other elements
  • Control in the speed of the blades results in high efficiency
  • Extrusion Pressure
  • Accompanied by a wall scraper and disperser which complements the planetary agitator
Working Principle and Pharmaceutical Applications
benefites of planetary mixers

Benefits of using a Planetary Mixer

  • Proper mixing is guaranteed and they operate with so much ease that aeration or entry of the bubbles has no place in this composition. Uniform mixing is attained through a mass shift of ingredients.
  • It reduces manual labour and reduces the prolonged time taken to mix. Thicker ingredients and pastes are difficult to blend and planetary mixes save all the time.
  • Low maintenance cost and high efficiency make it a favourite amongst all users. Less mechanical support and no expensive preparations increase the overall revenues.
  • A higher density of a product can be achieved by the use of this mixer as the vacuum eliminates any void and the intensive mixing upgrades the pliability of its ingredients.
  • Planetary mixers are one of the best apparatus which mixes all the ingredients upside down and no ingredient is left untouched which makes it very efficient.
Planetary Mixer

Planetary mixers are versatile machinery that works with minimal noise and vibrations. Apart from its safety that it ensures especially when used for pharmaceutical products, it also guarantees durability and longer shelf life. It can be customized and an operator box with the necessary buttons and options allows the manufacturer to spearhead its mixing process. It is definitely to be considered as a cost-effective option and the best choice for any mixer.