PECM Issue 29 2017 | Page 44

Jayesh Tekchandaney is the Technical Director at Unique Mixers & Furnaces Pvt. Ltd. (www.uniquemixer.com) and the Projects Director at Unimix Equipments Pvt. Ltd. Unique Mixers is engaged in the design, manufacture and supply of industrial mixers for liquid, solid and viscous mixing applications. Unimix Equipments manufactures a wide range of industrial process equipment such as reaction vessels, pressure vessels, columns, heat exchangers, ball mills. Unimix Equipment also has a custom metal fabrication division manufacturing stacks, pipings, ducts, heavy structures. Jayesh is the author of the chapter titled “Mixers” in a John Wiley publication titled “Process Plant Equipment Operation, Reliability and Control” and a contributor to the “Dictionary of Industrial Terms”. He is an expert adviser in the field of Industrial Mixing, and has to his credit articles on mixing technology published on his technical blog www.mixing-expert.com.  up the mixer specifications based on the inputs received from the customer and our special knowledge of mixing equipment, systems. The specifications provide details on equipment geometry, impeller type, power transmission system for the agitator, internal surface finish requirement of the mixer, material charging and discharge systems, electrical operations, instrumentation and so on. The specifications are reviewed along with the end user and fine tuned to achieve the desired objectives. The equipment design is thus derived based on process objectives and is backed by sound mechanical design. For new applications, we offer technology support through our laboratory and pilot scale testing facilities, which is equipped with prototypes of mixing equipment. These trials enable us to better understand the process and recommend a customized solution to the end user requirements. The focus on 44 PECM Issue 29 continual development is driven by the end users increasing demand to maximize productivity and performance from the process equipment. Sound engineering is backed up by the good manufacturing practices and guidance during equipment installation and commissioning. 7) What are some best practices you can offer end-users in the areas of specification, installation and maintenance of fluid mixing equipment to ensure the desired mixing performance and long-term trouble free operation? A good working relationship between the equipment manufacturer and the end user is critical to satisfactory mixing performance. It is the responsibility of the equipment manufacturer to build and deliver mixing equipment that has been custom designed for the end user’s applications, and is maintenance friendly. The manufacturer should guide and assist in the installation and commissioning to ensure trouble-free operation of the mixer. The following are our recommendations. Mixer Specifications are to be clearly defined in terms of: (a) Process objective (b) Process materials and their properties (c) Equipment capacities – gross volume and working volume (d) Materials of construction for wetted and non-wetted parts of the mixer (e) Surface finish requirements (f ) Operating pressure and temperature conditions