Pigments Kneader Mixers, commonly known as sigma kneader mixers, Z-blade kneaders, or double-arm sigma blade mixers, are specialized industrial machines designed for processing high-viscosity materials, particularly in pigment production, color masterbatch manufacturing, inks, dyes, paints, and related chemical applications.
Pigments Kneader Mixers Video
Key Features and Design
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Structure: They feature a U-shaped or W-shaped trough with two counter-rotating blades (typically sigma/Z-shaped or double-arm) that rotate at different speeds (often in a 3:2 ratio). This creates intense shearing, extrusion, folding, stretching, and grinding actions.
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Materials: Built from stainless steel (e.g., 304 or 316 grade) or mild steel, with options for jackets for heating/cooling, vacuum operation, and extrusion discharge screws.
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Capacities: Range from lab-scale (5-50 liters) to production-scale (up to 10,000 liters).
Primary Uses in Pigment Processing
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Dispersion and Refinement: Excellent for breaking down pigment agglomerates, refining particle size, and achieving uniform dispersion in viscous pastes. Crude pigments are often mixed with salts, solvents, or resins to create high-color-strength pastes.
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High-Viscosity Handling: Ideal for semi-dry, rubbery, or elastic-plastic materials where standard mixers fail. Common in producing pigment pastes, flush colors, color masterbatches (pigments concentrated in carrier resins), and high-purity pigments requiring strong shear.
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Other Applications: Also used for inks, dyes, adhesives, silicone rubber, chewing gum bases, pharmaceuticals, and plastics compounding.
Advantages for Pigments
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Superior shear force ensures even pigment distribution and high coloring power.
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Vacuum models prevent bubbles and oxidation, crucial for sensitive pigments.
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Efficient for high pigment loading with consistent results and easy color changeover/cleaning.
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Combines mixing, kneading, grinding, and sometimes extrusion in one machine.
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 Pigments Kneader Mixers
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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