Vertical Blender

What is a vertical blender for granules?

A vertical blender for granules and powders mixes material inside an upright vessel at low speed. Its job is not to heat the material or change its structure, but to distribute different components gently and evenly — and to keep the blend that way.

That makes it quite different from a turbo mixer, which runs at high speed and relies on frictional heat. For applications such as PVC dry blend, where additives must be worked thermally into the resin, the EPM-V vertical high speed mixer is the right machine. The vertical blender is designed instead for precise blending of ready components, granule blending and material control inside silos.

Why low speed?

The most common problem with powder and granule blends is segregation. Components that differ in particle size, shape or density tend to separate during fast mixing, vibration or conveying: fines settle to the bottom, coarse particles rise to the top, and the blend drifts away from the recipe.

Low-speed operation keeps this to a minimum:

• Components change position without harsh impact.
• Granule shape and size are preserved, and less dust is generated.
• Uniformity is reached steadily and maintained throughout mixing.

Keeping silos flowing

The second key role of the vertical blender is to keep material flowing in silos and hoppers. Powders and granules that sit for long periods — especially in humid conditions — compact, cake or form bridges inside the silo. The result is stalled discharge, irregular feeding and line stoppages.

The vertical blender tackles this in three ways:

1. Movement at the silo base: it keeps the material at the bottom of the silo moving so discharge continues without interruption.
2. Breaking up caking and bridging: it disperses lumps and bridges caused by moisture.
3. Air circulation: it helps air move through the material, reducing compaction.

Where moisture needs to be dealt with at source, a jet filter and dehumidifier system can be added to the line.

Applications

• PVC composite and additive homogenisation: keeping prepared blends and additive packages evenly distributed.
• Polymer granule blends: blending different granules, colour or additive masterbatches.
• Powdered chemicals: precise blending of powder chemicals and maintaining flowability in storage.

Vertical blender or ribbon blender?

Both machines work at low speed. The choice usually comes down to plant layout and application: the vertical blender suits silo and hopper duty and granule blending. If you need liquid addition, choppers or centre/side discharge, consider a horizontal ribbon blender.

What to consider when choosing one

Configuring a vertical blender correctly depends on understanding how the material behaves. At quotation stage we usually review:

• Material type: powder, granules or a mix, with particle size distribution and bulk density.
• Tendency to segregate: the bigger the differences in particle size and density between components, the more important it is to preserve the blend.
• Moisture sensitivity: how readily the material absorbs moisture and the conditions in storage.
• Mode of use: whether the machine will act as a separate blending unit or keep material flowing inside an existing silo or hopper.
• Position in the line: the dosing, sieving and conveying equipment upstream and downstream.

Line integration

The vertical blender can work alongside dosing, sieving and conveying equipment as part of your raw material line. A granule sieve removes foreign matter and oversize pieces from granule blends, and a flexible screw conveyor handles onward transport. Erk PVC Makine builds all of this upstream equipment at its factory in Ergene, Tekirdağ and provides installation, training and spare parts support.

To specify the right vertical blender for your powder or granule blend and get a price, request a quote.