Company Information Updates

agitat01 PROCESSING UPDATE
Agitation: Is it engineered for your product?

New in the processing business? Or maybe you've been around for awhile but you're looking at some new high viscosity or hard-to-wet-out products? In the first instance, we'll just say that things may actually be as simple as they seem! Since someone has probably already mixed the product you're thinking about, and since Lee equipment was probably involved, we can promise you some hands-on expertise. As for the second and more complicated scenario, be assured that three-quarters of a century of innovative equipment design is still alive and well in our engineering departments!

For the new guys on the block, how about a general review of the basic styles of agitators that do the mixing in tanks (have dished, pitched or cone bottoms) or kettles (have hemispherical bottoms). Blenders will be a subject for a future discussion.

Although not all agitators have scrapers to clean the inside walls of the vessel, our examples will reflect that style since they are most common with both jacketed and non-jacketed vessels. The basic style #7, which is a single-motion or one direction design, is generally used to do light product blending, sautéing and melting. This is not the best option if you need good stirring or mixing unless optional secondary mixers are incorporated as shown in the the style #10. Adding either a pitched blade or prop type auxiliary mixer can add to the versatility of the style #7. Bottom mixing can be somewhat limited in these agitator styles that do not have pitched bars or some pumping action that would lift product from the bottom to get it into the center of the batch. Styles similar to the style #10, although they may be considered double-action and will generally have a lower purchase cost, do not have the complete top to bottom thorough mixing capability as the style #9M double-motion design and most commonly used for lower viscosity or watery type products. The difference in this style from the other single-motion style #7 is the addition of pitched bars that extend from either the outer frame or center shaft. These will lift product from the bottom and provide more of a stirring action. Auxiliary mixers cannot be readily incorporated into this agitator configuration.

Excluding these cases we have already talked about, the crown jewel for most general mixing requirements is most certainly the style #9M! While resembling the single-motion style #5, the pitched bars of the #9M actually rotate in opposite directions. Pass your separated fingers through each other and you will get a good representation of this action. The design features in the style #9M allow the scrapers to pull product off the inside walls, the pitched blades lift product from the bottom into the batch, and the counter-rotating action thoroughly mixes even the most viscous products. This style can handle most of the common mixing requirements in the industry. To pick up the interest of some of you who are familiar with these standard styles of agitation, we can expand on the capabilities of all these basic styles by discussing some of the design options available. The addition of variable speed controls for your agitator motor allows you to operate at a range of 5 to 50 rpm instead of a constant 25 rpm; obviously, the difference between a slow gentle mix and a more aggressive mixing action. Individual motors on a style #9M permit various speeds to be run on bars going in opposite directions, which is an advantage to help either lift from the bottom or pull down from the top of the batch. A pitched outer frame will assist in pulling the product into the center of the batch. Tilting the entire agitator assembly can eliminate dead area around the center shaft and simultaneously lift from the bottom and pull down from the top of the batch. Adjustable turbine blades can accomplish a rapid turnover of an entire batch.

Maybe the most versatile processing agitator is the style #12...a triple-motion high-shear mixer. This configuration combines the thorough batch mixing efficiency of the style #9M with a high-shear head assembly that is located at the lowest point in a vessel, directly over the bottom outlet. The advantage of feeding ingredients through the bottom outlet to be immediately dispersed is used frequently in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Options like high-intensity turbine blades can also be added to the style #12.

The proven efficiency of one style over another can add up to a substantial operations cost reduction when the agitation is engineered for your specific product. Beyond our 70 years of design expertise, we can offer real proof with a test session in our pilot plant/ test facility. We guarantee process scale up...and we do it at no charge to you!

Q and A Update

PROBLEMS: We have found the heating and cooling capability of the cooking/cooling vessels we are familiar with to be quite comparable. Although we would always prefer the thermal transfer efficiency to be the best possible, our critical concern is the lack of adequate mixing offered in the cook/cool units on the market. Are we searching for something that doesn't really exist?

SOLUTION: The short answer to the question is NO ... Your search is not in vain! The company that's been manufacturing processing equipment for over seventy years has a cook/cool tank that is guaranteed to be a pleasant surprise. Not only does the Lee Industries' Cook/Cool Tank offer unmatched temperature transfer efficiency, the mixing of the Lee vessels solves agitation tasks for all types of batch processing. A standard heavy-duty #9M double-motion agitator, proven in Lee vessels for decades, offers superior mixing capability with a true counter-rotating, scraped surface design. Uniform scraping on both cylinder walls and bottom head, coupled with Lee's Uniflow jacket on the same surface areas provide you with processing efficiency you won't believe until you try it for yourself. At Lee, you can do it for FREE! Call or write for additional information or to schedule "no obligation" lab testing.

Tanks
Item A: 50 Gallon Dished Bottom and Dished Top Uniflow Jacketed Tank with Lee #9M Agitator, T-316 S.S., 100 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and outside, 3" flush bottom ball valve, 15 PSIG and full vacuum internal design, A.S.M.E. Code, S.S. legs… S/N C-147-B

Item B: 50 Gallon Dished Bottom, Removable Dished Top Uniflow Jacketed Tank, T-316 S.S., 100 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and outside, 3" flush bottom ball valve, 30 PSIG and full vacuum internal design, A.S.M.E. Code … S/N C-122-E

Item C: 200 Gallon Cone Bottom, Open Top Uniflow Jacketed Cook/Cool Tank with Lee #9M Agitator, T-316 S.S., 100 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and #7 finish outside, 3" flush bottom valve outlet, S.S. legs … S/N B-8541-A

Kettles
Item A: 20 Gallon Style "A" Kettle, T-304 S.S., 40 PSIG jacket, #4 finished inside and outside, 1 ½" flush bottom ball valve, two-piece cover, A.S.M.E. Code., S.S. legs... S/N A-8630

Item B*: 25 Gallon Style "D12T" Kettle with Lee Tri-Mix Turbo-Shear Agitator, T-316 S.S., 90 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and #7 finish outside, 30 PSIG and full vacuum internal design, 2" flush bottom ball valve, A.S.M.E. Code, S.S. tubular frame with casters … S/N B-7833A

Item C: 40 Gallon Style "D10S" Kettle with Lee #10 Agitator and Auxiliary High-Shear Mixer, T-316 S.S., 90 PSIG jacket, 6-12 Ra finish inside and less than 6 Ra finish outside, 2" flush bottom ball valve, A.S.M.E. legs … S/N B-6281-A

Item D: 50 Gallon "D9MSI" Kettle with Lee heavy-duty inclined #9M Agitator, T-316 S.S., 90 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and outside, 2" flush bottom ball valve, A.S.M.E. Code, S.S. legs… S/N C-122-D

Item E: 50 Gallon Style "D9MS" Kettle with Lee full-extended #9M Agitator, T-316 S.S. (#7 finish on agitator) 90 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and outside, 2" flush bottom valve, A.S.M.E. Code, S.S. legs … S/N C-122 Lee Order No. B-1970-B.

Item F: 200 Gallon Style "D7S" Kettle with Lee standard #7 Agitator, T-316 S.S., 90 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and outside, 2" flush bottom valve, A.S.M.E. Code, S.S. legs... S/N B-5716-C.

Item G: 200 Gallon Style "D9MSI" Kettle with Lee heavy-duty Inclined #9M Agitator, T-316 S.S., 90 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and outside, 4" flush bottom ball valve, flush RTD sensor with Honeywell recorder/controller, steam/condensate piping kit, A.S.M.E. Code, S.S. legs with casters … S/N B-8513-A & B

Item H: 200 Gallon Style "D9MSI" Kettle with Lee heavy-duty inclined #9M Agitator, T-316 S.S., 90 PSIG jacket, #4 finish inside and outside, 4" flush bottom ball valve, flush RTD sensor with Honeywell recorder/controller, steam/condensate piping kit, A.S.M.E. Code, S.S. legs with casters … S/N B-9349-A & B

*Not For Rent

Mixers/Blenders
Item A: 50 Gallon Single Shell Horizontal Blender with Double-Ribbon Agitator, T-304 S.S., #4 finish inside and outside, 2" outlet, vari-speed drive, S.S. legs … S/N A-5524

Item B: (3) Lee Multi-Mix High-Shear Mixers with 10 H.P. Motors, T-316 S.S., flange mount design … S/N B-6672-A and S/N 6688-A & B

Item C: (1) Lee Portable Multi-Mix High-Shear Mixer with ¾ H.P. motor and A.C. inverter for speed range of 345 to 3450 RPM, T-316 S.S. contact parts … S/N B-7320-A

Parts/Valves
Spare parts for all Lee Equipment, including valves and valve parts, are readily available. Please call with vessel serial number and date of manufacture.


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