Impellers are the component of the mixer which imparts flow. Mixing impeller, also called agitator blades, is designed and manufactured to transfer the energy driven by the motor to the contents of a tank as quickly and efficiently as possible. There are mainly four types of mixing impellers, and each mixing impeller type converts the energy given to it in a different way:
- Airfoil: Generally most efficient because it produces the maximum pumping with the lowest shear.
- Pitch Blade: Ideal for viscous mixtures and for applications requiring a combination of pumping and shearing.
- Radial Blade: Ideal for applications where shear is the primary requirement, or where agitation close to the bottom of the tank is desired.
- Marine-Type Propellers: Ideal for low-viscosity, high-speed direct drive mixers.
Stainless Steel Casting for Mixing Impeller
Stainless steel alloys are widely used as the material of mixing impeller, which has excellent resistance to corrosion and therefore minimizing contamination of the materials being processed. The concern for purity in the food, dairy, beverage and pharmaceutical industries is reflected in the demand for smooth surfaces, particularly the surfaces that contact the fluids being used.
Then how stainless steel mixing impeller is made? From the types of mixing impellers, we can see that there are many different shapes, and the structure of each type is different. To meet the multi demands of mixing impellers, stainless steel lost wax casting method, also called stainless steel investment casting, is often used to manufacture mixing impellers.
Stainless steel casting for mixing impeller is a lost wax precision casting process that pouring liquid metal into shell after wax in shell is melted. With investment casting, our customers can achieve net shap mixing impeller with good surface finish, which reduce or save secondary machining. Besides, to obtain a shining or more surface effect, the surface of mixing impellers after stainless steel casting could be either mechanical or chemical treatments or by electropolishing. Surface scale and discoloration that appears after heat treatments can be removed by chemical treatments. For high purity requirements electropolishing not only offers the advantage of being versatile, but provides a very smooth surface that is readily passivated.
As the professional stainless steel casting supplier in China, CFS Foundry often casts mixing impeller with 316L stainless steel or even higher stainless steel grade, then passivated, electropolished or mirror polished. Our company is able to to customize mixing impeller from our customer’s sample or drawing. We are happy to start cooperation with our customers from initial sample order. To ensure high quality, for each batch of production, material test report and dimension test report are often provided to our customers.