Abrasion Resistant Mixers
Accelerated wear is a complex subject, so here we focus on PHLAUER™ Mixers and Shearmakers.
Common wear points
- Mixers: housing sides, paddles, discharge, rotor shaft under the seals, and seals
- Shearmakers: blades, shaft under the seals, and seals
When assessing wear, consider the cost of part replacement, labor, downtime, and product quality losses. Extending part life often offers a clear cost/benefit.
Protecting the rotor shaft
Replaceable sleeves ($1200–$2000 per end) can last 10+ years. Without them, rotor repairs plus seals may cost $12,000. Heat-treated C1045 or stainless with hard chrome plating are often sufficient.
Understanding wear on the body
Applications such as sand and cement can demand AR solutions. With our experience, we confidently provide 20-year solutions where carbon steel would fail.
Wear depends heavily on particle size and shape. Very fine particles (<50 micron) cause minimal wear. As particle size increases, wear rises until leveling off beyond ~3/8”.
Causes of wear
- Gouging
- Impact
- Combined gouging + impact
- Friction heat
- Chemical attack
- Galvanic action
- Excessive surface speed
Rules of thumb
- Gouging: repel material, use harder alloys, or sacrificial materials
- Impact: select materials with good impact strength
- Gouging + impact: alloy or cushioned backing may help
- Friction heat: add thickness or use UHMW
- Chemical attack: coatings or stainless (if no gouging present)
- Galvanic action: isolation or sacrificial plugs
- Surface speed issues: change material or design
Proven AR400 performance
- AR400 plates have been our standard since the first PHLAUER™ machines.
- Mixers handling up to 1 million lbs/day of sanded products show negligible housing wear and minimal paddle wear even after 8 years.
- Tool steels are sometimes required for Shearmaker blades with sand and cement.
Real-world applications
- Molasses + ceramic: 15 tons/hr → long AR400 paddles wore ¼” per week; testing carbide and UHMW liners for better results.
- Mill scale: 10 tons/hr continuous → AR400 provided excellent return; still improving.
- Dairy feed: experimenting with AR400 + Teflon to reduce friction heat and ease cleaning.
We have more than 50 AR400 machines operating worldwide with excellent performance. Customers confirm that the AR400 premium pays off with reduced discharge maintenance costs.
Additional considerations
- Stainless steel is not ideal for abrasion; it work-hardens under forming but does not wear-harden.
- AR machines endure stress from forming/welding; ~5% may require field adjustments after shipping/installation. Repairs are covered globally.
- Removable and replaceable paddles are part of our design arsenal.
