The Hauschild SpeedMixer® Benchtop series, first introduced in 1974, is widely used at universities, research labs, and QC labs worldwide. This workhorse with half a century of heritage has recently been updated with a modern touchscreen interface, improved programmability, and suite of innovative new accessories for vacuum degassing, milling/grinding/dispersion, use of glass/stainless steel containers and more. These new features & accessories give this classic equipment the improved process control versatility needed in modern applications.
The SMART DAC series is the latest generation of Hauschild SpeedMixer® equipment. This new class of DAC equipment delivers the largest advancement in mixing power, process monitoring & control, and data collection since the previous generation was launched in 2010.
The fully customizable SMART DAC platform is the foundation of the most versatile and capable DAC mixing equipment to date. With options like live temperature monitoring & control (with active cooling), independent control of main rotation/counterrotation, and a manufacturing or research optimized interface, it is already answering many of the most common requests from industry. The platform was also designed with the future in mind. The machine’s software and onboard PLC allow easy connection and integration of nearly any sensor imaginable as well as IOT compatibility.
Commonly Used in (icons): medical device manufacturing, aerospace and defense manufacturing, ceramics, thermal management materials, adhesives & sealants, materials science R&D.
Smart DAC equipment was designed with the power and ruggedization to offer the highest main RPM in its class and also has the stability balance to allow the main rotation to be set as low as 50RPM. This gives the user the widest range of control that has ever been available.
The machine’s touchscreen interface makes it easy to create programs and customize the display to show the most relevant information about the mixing process. This ensures that precisely optimized mixing and degassing methods can be accurately and repeatably reproduced. With minimal training, any operator can achieve exactly the same results. The optional software packages allow remote control of the equipment from any PC, tablet, or smartphone as well as full documentation of all mixing activities for traceability purposes.
The integrated LED light can be set to remain on, off, or to flash at the same frequency as the main RPM and function as a stroboscope. When the light is used as a stroboscope, it gives the illusion that the cup is standing still, and mixing/degassing progress can be monitored live through the viewing window. The visual feedback can help the operator quickly optimize a process by seeing how much speed is required to move the material, when the material is fully mixed, and exactly when the material is fully degassed.
The R&D lab of a ceramics company was having issues with wasted time & material as well as with the quality of their lab scale batches. The planetary ball mill they were using to mix & disperse took hours or sometimes days to produce samples. The ball mill required large amounts of material, much of which was lost because it was too difficult to separate from the grinding media. They also noticed that their material contained a great deal of entrained air and that their densities and physical properties were typically significantly less than the theoretical values.
Finally, the team discovered the Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC 1100.4 VAC-P. By using a higher counterrotation ratio with the machine’s variable counterrotation function, they were able to deagglomerate and disperse powders into a slurry in minutes rather than hours. Because the SMART DAC had more batch size flexibility and didn’t require grinding balls, they could also mix smaller batches and waste less material. The DAC motion and vacuum function also easily removed entrapped air from the material unlocking the material properties that they had been targeting.
The team loved their new Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC 1100.4 VAC-P not only because it was faster and delivered better results, but also because they could mix in disposable cups and didn’t have to do any cleaning!
Enhancing Efficiency and Quality in Ceramics R&D with Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC 1100.4 VAC-P
Background:
This case study explores how a ceramics company’s research and development (R&D) laboratory overcame challenges related to wasted time, material, and subpar quality of lab scale batches. The company successfully addressed these issues by adopting the Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC 1100.4 VAC-P, which revolutionized their mixing and dispersion processes.
Challenges Faced:
Time and Material Waste:
The existing planetary ball mill employed by the lab for mixing and dispersing materials required excessive time, often taking hours or even days to produce samples. Additionally, large amounts of material were lost when separating out the grinding media, leading to significant waste.
Inconsistent Quality:
The lab observed that the physical properties and densities of their ceramic materials sometimes deviated significantly from the theoretical values. This discrepancy was attributed to the presence of entrained air within the material, affecting the overall quality.
Discovering the Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC 1100.4 VAC-P:
After diligent research and evaluation, the R&D team discovered the Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC 1100.4 VAC-P, a cutting-edge solution that addressed their specific needs.
Reduction of processing time:
By taking advantage of its variable counterrotation function, the team used a higher than normal counterrotation ratio to achieve rapid deagglomeration and dispersion of powders into a slurry. The SpeedMixer significantly reduced processing time, transforming the task from hours to minutes.
Enhanced Flexibility and Reduced Material Utilization:
Unlike the ball mill, the SMART DAC offered more batch size flexibility. The equipment’s compatibility with a variety of disposable mixing vessels allowed the team to mix smaller batches, reducing material waste significantly. Moreover, the SpeedMixer did not require grinding balls in this case which ensured there was negligible loss of materials.
Removal of entrapped air and bubbles:
The DAC motion and vacuum function eliminated entrapped air from the ceramic material during the mixing process. This breakthrough enabled the team to unlock the targeted material properties that had previously been elusive, resulting in improved densities and physical characteristics aligning closely with theoretical values.
Conclusion:
The ceramics company’s R&D lab successfully addressed their challenges of wasted time, material, and inconsistent quality by implementing the Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC 1100.4 VAC-P. The SpeedMixer’s modern features and capabilities, flexibility, and operational convenience proved pivotal in transforming their material processing procedures. This case study exemplifies how adopting innovative equipment can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, material utilization, and product quality within the ceramics industry.
The Temperature Control package for the Hauschild SpeedMixer® SMART DAC series provides a number of new and novel capabilities. The machine uses a non-contact sensor to provide Live Temperature Monitoring. The live temperature data can be used by the SMART software to provide Temperature Control by varying process parameters accordingly. This includes the option to apply Active Cooling directly to the mixing vessel.
Until recently, no high-power DAC mixer on the market offered independent control of the main rotation and counter rotation of the mixing vessel. The most powerful DAC mixer ever offered is now also available with a digitally programmable Variable Counterrotation Ratio. This gives the user the option to favor mixing or Dearing/degassing and gives significantly more control over the temperature of the material.
Feature applications & video
Holders
Cups
Lever Press
Grinding
