What is a tank agitator?
A tank agitator is essential equipment in numerous industrial processes, designed to mix, agitate and homogenize different components inside a container or tank. This mechanical device is essential to ensure that materials are mixed uniformly and efficiently, thus enabling the production of high-quality products in a variety of industrial sectors.
Tank agitators serve a variety of functions depending on the specific application. Some of their most common tasks include homogenization, where they ensure that the components of a mixture are evenly distributed; dispersion, where they facilitate the distribution of solid particles in a liquid, and dissolution, where they help mix a solute in a solvent to form a solution.
Additionally, tank agitators can play a crucial role in heat exchange, helping to regulate the temperature of a mix by facilitating heat transfer. This function is particularly useful in industrial processes where precise temperature control is required.
Another important function that agitators can fulfill is the maintenance of the suspension, in which they prevent solid particles from settling on the bottom of the tank, thus ensuring a uniform mix.
Products that you can obtain through the tank agitator
Understanding the operation of tank agitators
The basic principle behind the operation of tank agitators is quite simple, although its implementation in practice can be sophisticated. The agitators use a rotary movement to mix and combine solids and liquids of different densities, achieving their homogenization. This operation is performed by a propeller or impellers mounted on the agitator shaft, which create a flow in the material being mixed.
Thrusters: the engines behind the propulsion
Agitator impellers are crucial components that can take various forms and features, depending on the type of flow required. There are axial flow impellers, which are highly efficient and commonly used in a variety of applications. These propel the material along the agitator shaft, promoting effective mixing.
Another type are radial impellers, such as 90° vertical vane impellers, which generate flow that is directed outward from the shaft toward the tank walls. Finally, tangential flow propellers move the product circularly, and are usually used mainly in products with medium or high viscosities. Many mixers incorporate a combination of these flows to maximize mixing efficiency.
Variable speeds
Tank agitators can operate at various speeds depending on the type of mix to be achieved. To mix low-viscosity liquids, the effort required is much less, so operating speeds can be lower.
However, to disperse medium to high viscosity liquids, the effort and therefore the speed required will be greater, and can be up to several thousand RPM.
Fixed or portable mount
There is a wide variety of agitators for tanks, and their choice largely depends on the specific needs of each industrial process. Fixed mount agitators are those that are anchored directly to the tank, ideal for large scale or long term operations.
On the other hand, portable agitators offer flexibility as they can be moved and used in different tanks as needed. Its installation can be done by anchoring it to the tank or to an external support, which can be mobile or not, providing a versatile option for the optimization of mixing processes.
Types of agitators for tanks according to their drive system
Why choose InoxMIM?
We like to always provide you with the equipment that best suits your needs. Never without losing sight of the innovation and constant improvement of this market. We are committed to values such as technical quality or excellence in industrial processes and we want you to notice this at all times.
All our shakers are of high added value and have guaranteed results. If you are thinking of upgrading your company’s production or agitation system, don’t hesitate any longer. We are what you need. We will not stop until we solve all your problems or needs.
