Industrial mixers are a significant investment and can last a very long time. Processing needs can sometimes change, however, prompting the need to decide whether to refurbish an existing mixer or invest in a new one.
Refurbishing mixing equipment offers a variety of benefits including:
- Reduced downtime
- No hassles due to tearing out existing equipment and installing new equipment
- Ease and convenience due to working on a mixer already in place
- Lower costs
It is typically less expensive to refurbish equipment and it is often easier to achieve budgetary approval for working on currently owned mixers rather than purchasing a new one.
Due to the sanitation requirements for numerous mixing applications, many processing facilities are acutely conscious of the impact on facility air quality that dust and powders can have. Poorly designed doors, deteriorated gaskets and worn seals are all escape points for powder, dust and fumes from mixing. A few simple upgrades can close the gaps for old mixers. Retooling doors and adding replaceable O-ring gaskets are low-cost, high-return tactics that can reduce cleaning costs, improve air quality and minimize hazards such as combustible powder in the air.
Upgrading agitation is another way to breathe new life into old mixers. Agitators are central to mixer performance and the type of agitator in the mixer will determine what kinds of mixing can be accomplished. Replacing or completely changing the agitator can revive an old mixer or help transition a mixer from one form of mixing to another.
Refurbishing a mixer does not necessarily need to be done by the original manufacturer. In fact, in some cases, the original manufacturer of a mixer may no longer be in business. Another mixer manufacturer may be able to complete an overhaul or upgrade a mixer that is not their own brand. For example, Marion Performance Group works with a range of equipment brands, whether they are still in business or not, to upgrade and rehabilitate mixing equipment so that it performs well for companies in the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and other processing industries.
Larry Moser has been the general manager at Marion Performance Group for nearly five years. He has nearly 30 years of experience helping customers in several different market sectors meet their challenges.
