Also known as mixers, agitators are the only machines that can blend chemicals, foods and other low-viscosity materials with ease. Because they have relatively small blades, they're also best used for slow, low-shear mixing processes where it's more important to keep the mixture moving than it is to actually blend its ingredients.

Picking the right agitator for your business involves more than assessing strength and overall power. Here are a few facts about agitators that will help you choose the one that most closely satisfies your process needs:

1. Agitators vary greatly in size, shape and portability.

2. Agitator manufacturers offer impeller designs with different blending characteristics.

3. As they do in other engines, revolutions-per-minute and horsepower define an agitator motor's strength.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose an agitator that accommodates your materials

Some agitators are small enough to blend ingredients in a lab flask, while others are big enough to churn chemicals in a full-sized tanker truck. Although it's unlikely you'd need such diverse capabilities from your agitator, it's important to choose one that's the perfect size for your applications.

I recommend: Cleveland Eastern Mixers produces agitators ranging in size from small lab models and water agitators to behemoth tank agitators. They also provide a selection guide that helps you pinpoint the exact model you need. Bowers Process Equipment makes burlier agitators with multiple mixing shafts and stronger drivetrains. Some models are available with a hydraulic lift for agitator removal. If you want your lab flasks shaken and not stirred, browse the selection of laboratory shakers at New Brunswick Scientific.

Match an agitator impeller to your material's sensitivity and viscosity

An agitator's mixing blade or impeller is one of its most important features. Since it interacts with the substance being mixed, the impeller controls the motion, shear and turbulence in the mixture, meaning it also controls the chemical or physical outcome of the mixing process. Some impellers work better with thick semi-solids, while others work best with light, low-viscosity liquids.

I recommend: ProQuip produces a line of high-performance impellers offering FEA-checked specificity and reliability. If your job's too delicate or tough for stock impellers, the design engineers at MixMor will craft one from scratch that's perfectly suited to your application.

Use horsepower and RPM as a guide to agitator strength

Much as some impellers work better with certain mixtures than others, some agitators simply aren't strong enough to blend your materials. Checking an agitator's horsepower and RPM before buying it ensures it's both strong and durable enough to withstand your processes.

I recommend: Both IKA and Admix provide easy-to-read specifications charts for each of their agitators and batch mixers. If you're unsure of how much power you need, use your industry or process as a guide for selecting the right genre of equipment. Chemineer has a huge selection of products each designed to meet different industrial requirements.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Agitator suppliers often group their products by the materials or substances they're capable of mixing. Instead of searching for agitators by volume or horsepower, try browsing a company's selection by application instead.