All in one: Lödige Process Technology understands this to be the ability to carry out all steps of a complete process in a ‘single-pot’ process. Mixing, granulating, coating, drying and heating as well as cooling, all these steps can be performed in a single unit.
This machine was designed and built by company Lödige located in Paderborn, Germany, upon request of a customer. Intended for use in research and development (R&D), the machine had to be as compact and as multifunctional as possible. The result is a real all-rounder. The ‘single-pot’ process achieves chemical reactions or mechanical product treatment in one single machine. Several process steps can take place without having to isolate the intermediate products. Depending on the application, all reactants can be added to the machine right at the beginning of the process or one after the other as required.
This all-in-one solution is based on the classical concept of the Lödige Ploughshare® Mixer. It is composed of a horizontal, cylindrical drum equipped with a main mixing shaft fitted with Ploughshare® Shovels generating a mechanical fluid bed by rotating. These achieve a rapid and intensive mixing of the product. Thanks to the new process, vacuum drying can then be performed in the same machine, saving time and treating the product with care. Subsequent cooling down of the product is also possible if necessary for further processing. Pressurised operation is possible in the new machine. Furthermore, there is the possibility to perform a coating and granulating of the product in this same machine. The liquid introduction is performed using spray nozzles.
Whatever you want to produce, the field of application with the all-in-one process is large and there are nearly no limits. The design and size of the machine comply with the flexibility required in R&D. Having a 50l mixing drum allowing filling degrees between 25% to 75%, the unit is not only particularly compact but also mobile. The machine, together with its periphery equipment (control cabinet, vacuum pump), are all placed on wheels for mobility within the research facility.
All Lödige machines are manufactured according to individual requirements, technical adaptation is always possible. In this way, the all-in-one solution is not only limited to applications in R&D but suitably sized units can be built for industrial production purposes. These units can then also be equipped with an automatised cleaning feature.