Tumble blending systems: A productivity and cost comparison
To determine the overall cost effectiveness of a tumble blending system you must review the entire operation, from loading the raw material into the blender through discharging the blended product into the next process step. Your review should include an evaluation of the cost of the operation's productivity in addition to the cost of the system's components. This article compares the productivity of several tumble blending operations as they relate to their initial purchase costs.
Blending productivity is normally determined by combining the batch size with the number of batches produced per shift or day. However, if you consider that most tumble blenders achieve a blend in just 15 minutes, tumble blending productivity is actually determined by how quickly a unit can be unloaded, cleaned, and reloaded for the next batch. The following discussion compares the productivity and costs of several types of tumble blending operations, including manual systems, automated drum-handling systems, bulk charging/discharging systems, and hopper systems.