DAC mixer simplifies composites development, prototyping

Obtaining a homogeneous composites mixture is a significant task in R&D laboratories. Hauschild (Farmington Hill, Mich., U.S. and Hamm, Germany) highlights its German-made SpeedMixer Smart DAC series, which offers new possibilities for temperature-sensitive materials and simplifies and accelerates the development and prototyping of composites.

A Hauschild SpeedMixer is a programmable dual asymmetric centrifugal (DAC) mixer for laboratory work and small production quantities. It offers fast mixing and grinding of materials that could otherwise take a lot of time. When mixing temperature-sensitive materials, real-time temperature control or cooling of the mixture is useful, the company notes.

Hauschild’s newest SpeedMixer series features vacuum-robotic sensor integration for temperature, gas etc., variable counter rotation, Internet of Things (IoT) compliance, QR code reader, remote control and automatic pot cooling system; the latter feature is ideal in the field of laboratory mixers.

According to Fabio Boccola, CEO of Hauschild Engineering and the pioneer of this technology, the DAC mixer does not require a stirring tool, provides nearly 100% degassing and, by using centrifugal forces with extremely high rotational values, mixes materials that were previously considered impossible to mix.

For companies with highly automated laboratories and small batch production, Hauschild also offers a robot version with a vacuum option for optimal degassing. New mixing sizes and volumes are available — it enables mixing from 250 g up to 2 kg, and mixing volumes from 310 mL up to 2.8 liters. Its improved design also allows mixing at very low speeds without the risk of strong vibrations, which is advantageous when a light powder is one of the components.