Blender's shaft seals serve and protect
A dry food mix company solves a costly ribbon blender sealing problem by installing custom-engineered shaft seals.
Operators at Blendex Co., Louisville, Ky., were having a problem sealing the blender it uses to make specialty mixes. We blend a variety of dry food mixes, says Wayne McDowell, vice president of operations, maintenance, and engineering at Blendex. "But three of them sirloin seasonings, yogurt mixes, and drink mixes were causing substantial problems during production. The culprit ingredient in all three of these mixes is sugar." The sugar would heat, melt, and become impacted in the blender's seals, requiring massive amounts of maintenance and frequent seal replacement.