Lancaster Products offers a high-shear mixer rental program for materials processors that are considering the purchase of a high-shear mixer to satisfy their production needs. Rental mixers allow ceramic manufacturers to try out a Lancaster mixer in their own facility to determine if it is the right equipment for their needs before making an investment to purchase. Rental mixers allow for an extended testing period and play a critical role in defining required specifications and fine tuning the process to improve performance for outcomes such as increased yields, reduced mix times, reduction in additives, and overall increases in efficiencies. 

The majority of new projects presented to the engineers at Lancaster Products must be proven in physical testing before they are ready for mass production. Most projects start with small batch testing in a K1 mixer at the Lancaster Products testing facility. This is where theories are proven and formulations are developed. Scaling up from small batch processing to large production runs doesn’t necessarily follow a linear scale, so additional testing in a production-sized mixer is recommended. 

To ensure optimal performance, testing should be ramped up on a production-sized mixer (K4 or larger) to simulate a production environment. While Lancaster Products can test at its facility, it is even better if these test runs are performed on-site over a period of time so other factors related to the equipment itself (e.g., footprint, size, location, electric and air, etc.) can be evaluated as well. It is during these test runs that unanticipated issues are often flushed out, thus helping in both the proof of concept of the process and any equipment modifications that may be required to fit the needs of the application. 

For more information, visit www.lancasterprd.com.