A Double Z Blade Kneader, also known as a Sigma Mixer, Double Arm Mixer, or Z Blade Mixer, is an industrial mixing machine designed for intensive kneading and blending of highly viscous materials. It features two counter-rotating Z-shaped blades housed in a W-shaped trough, which create a shearing action that breaks down agglomerates, stretches, folds, and recombines the mixture for uniform results. The blades often rotate at differential speeds in opposite directions to enhance mixing efficiency.
This equipment is robust and versatile, with options for heating/cooling jackets, hydraulic tilting for discharge, or screw extruders for continuous processing.
Double Z Blade Kneader Video
How It Works
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Blades and Chamber: The Z-shaped (or Sigma-shaped) blades sweep the entire trough surface, including the saddle section where the semi-cylinders meet. This ensures thorough coverage without dead zones.
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Mixing Action: Combines bulk movement, smearing, and dividing to achieve homogeneity quickly, even for stiff doughs or pastes.
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Drive System: Independent motors for each blade allow speed and direction adjustments; some models include hydraulic or electro-mechanical tilting for easy unloading.
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Discharge Options: Tilting the trough, bottom valves, or an integrated extrusion screw to form and transfer the product.
Applications
Double Z Blade Kneaders are used across industries for processing thick, sticky, or semi-solid materials. Here’s a breakdown:
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Food & Confectionery: Kneading dough, fondant, muesli/protein bars, cereals with honey/nuts; mixing thick batters or stiff pastes.
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Chemicals & Plastics: Blending resins, adhesives, polymers, silicone rubber, and viscous compounds.
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Pharmaceuticals & Cosmetics: Homogenizing creams, ointments, gels, and high-viscosity pastes.
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Paints & Coatings: Mixing mastics, sealants, asphaltic derivatives, and hot-melts.
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Other: Rubber compounding, floor coverings, and any high-shear viscous extrusion needs.
Key Features and Variations
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Capacity Range: From lab-scale (e.g., 0.4–1 liter) to industrial (up to 30+ liters or more).
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Customization: Insulated troughs for temperature control, variable blade shapes (e.g., Spiral or Naben), and integration into continuous lines via extrusion screws.
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Advantages: High torque for tough materials, energy-efficient for large batches, and easy to clean/scale.
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Manufacturers: Popular suppliers include PerMix, HASLER Group (GUITTARD series), Jaygo Inc., Karvil Machinery, and Shree Bhagwati.
Salient Features of Sigma Mixer Machine
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Available in Stainless Steel 316, Stainless Steel 304 and Mild Steel materials.
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Stainless Steel polish to matt & mirror finish as per customer’s requirements.
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Mild Steel finish with one coat of red oxide and two coats of epoxy paint.
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Discharge option of hand wheel operated (manual) or hydraulic operated (automatic) offered.
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Jacket for heating or cooling application can be offered.
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Mineral wool insulation with cladding on jacket.
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Tangential designed ‘Z’ blades offered for uniform mixing.
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PTFE made shaft sealing provided for food grade compatibility.
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Minimum gap between trough inner shell & blades removes possibility of sticking product.
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On demand Spray system, vacuum system
Optional Features/Accessories of Sigma Mixer
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Liquid Spray System
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Vacuum System
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Blades Cooling Arrangement
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Screw System
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Automatic Valve Discharge System
Process Operation of Double Arm Sigma Mixer
In Sigma mixer tangential action of mixing and kneading obtained by ‘Z’ type (SIGMA) shaped kneading blades, which rotates very accurately at different speed towards each other causing product to be transferred from one end to another end. Discharge of the finished product is achieved by tilting the container or through the valves at the bottom or by means of an extrusion screw beside the container.
The mixing action is a combination of bulk movement, stretching, folding, dividing, and recombining of the material. The shearing & tearing action of the material against blades and the side walls causes size reduction of the solids. After the time period required for sterilizing the batch has elapsed, the heating circuit shuts of the pneumatics damper (exhaust) opens and cooling operation commences.
In the tangential design, the blades rotate in the trough meeting tangentially. The front blade generally rotates faster than the rear blade usually in the ratio of 3:2. Tangential blades are generally used for material of higher viscosities such as adhesives, rubber compounds, flush colors, dyes, and pigments.
In the overlapping design, the blades overlap above the saddle of the container. Due to the overlapping action, it is necessary that the relative position of the two blades is unchanged, and as a result, both the blades rotate at the same speed. Materials that flow freely or creep down into the blades are mixed using the overlapping blade action. This design offers a faster interchange of material from one blade compartment of the mixer to the other. Overlapping blade action is used for materials of lighter viscosities such as carbon pastes, clay coating, creams, and ointments. The overlapping blade produces a lower kneading and shearing compared to the tangential blade action.
Technical Specification of Sigma Mixer Kneader
| Model | Capacity – Liters | Motor (H.P.) | ||
| Working Capacity approx. | Gross Capacity approx. | General | Heavy Duty | |
| ASM – 50 | 50 Liters | 80 Liters | 5 H.P. | 7.5 H.P. |
| ASM – 75 | 75 Liters | 110 Liters | 7.5 H.P. | 10 H.P. |
| ASM – 100 | 100 Liters | 150 Liters | 10 H.P. | 15 H.P. |
| ASM – 150 | 150 Liters | 200 Liters | 15 H.P. | 20 H.P. |
| ASM – 200 | 200 Liters | 300 Liters | 20 H.P. | 25 H.P. |
| ASM – 400 | 400 Liters | 550 Liters | 30 H.P. | 40 H.P. |
| ASM – 500 | 500 Liters | 750 Liters | 40 H.P. | 50 H.P. |
| ASM – 750 | 750 Liters | 1150 Liters | 50 H.P. | 60 H.P. |
| ASM – 1000 | 1000 Liters | 1500 Liters | 60 H.P. | 70 H.P. |
| ASM – 1500 | 1500 Liters | 2100 Liters | 75 H.P. | 80 H.P. |
| ASM – 2000 | 2000 Liters | 2600 Liters | 80 H.P. | 90 H.P. |
| ASM – 3000 | 3000 Liters | 3800 Liters | 100 H.P. | 120 H.P. |
* Power voltage can be adjusted as per customer’s domestic power voltage requirements.
* Rights of technical improvements & modification reserved.
* Illustrations & dimensions are shown for information purpose only.
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