Medium-range throughput blender features fast change-over of minor ingredients

The Maguire WSB 260R4 gravimetric-blender incorporates six hopper bins, including two large ones for natural resin and regrind and four minor-ingredient bins that are removable for fast color and additive changes and easy cleanout. While materials in the large bins are dispensed by means of slide gates like those in many other Maguire blenders, additive dispensing is carried out with vertical valves, which provide a high degree of accuracy when dosing minor ingredients.

Large hopper at top left actually consists of two bins for natural resin and regrind. To the right are four minor-ingredient bins for colors and additives.

Developed by Maguire Products, Inc. (Aston, PA), this design innovation that has reduced downtime and enhanced user-friendliness for plastics processing operations in the low throughput range is now available in a medium-capacity blender required by many injection molders and extrusion processors. The new blender accommodates process throughputs up to 400 kg per hour, more than double the maximum throughput for the next-largest Maguire blender equipped with removable hopper bins.

"The WSB 260R4 blender is ideal for processors who make frequent product or color changes, since they can quickly empty and refill the removable bins or even keep pre-loaded duplicate bins on standby, reducing the time for color changes to the few seconds it takes to replace one bin with another," said Frank Kavanagh, Maguire Products sales manager.

The lightweight removable bins are equipped with integral shutoffs to eliminate spillage and hinged lids for easy clean-out. There is easy access to all material contact surfaces of the blender, hoppers, feeders, weigh chamber, and mixing chamber, permitting rapid color change without the use of tools.-[email protected]