Ribbon blenders are renowned for their versatility in blending many forms of powders and bulk solids. Industries range from fertilisers, ceramics, polymers, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals, and the quantities involved can also vary greatly.
Modern Ribbon Blender Gearbox Thinking
For many years, ribbon blenders utilised a gear reducer with a male input shaft, belt driven (or chain driven in higher load, lower speed applications) from the electric motor. Inherent issues with the requirements of machine guarding, belt (or chain) tensioning, and maintenance have always been factored in to this gear reducer layout.
With the constant development of variable speed drives (VSDs) for electric motor control, ribbon blender manufacturers have been able to reduce their reliance on intermediate power transmission and are now using direct-drive gearmotors.
Direct-Drive Gearmotors
The type of reducer used in ribbon blenders varies dependent upon the usual machine design requirements, as well as the powders and bulk solids being blended. Space considerations, torque demands, and duty cycles all help to determine whether a bevel-helical, parallel shaft, inline helical, or planetary gearbox is the best option.
