Mining and refining companies are benefiting from mixers provided by designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty agitators and mixers Mixtec, as the mixers use less power to achieve efficient results, says Mixtec sales manager Brian Paxton.

“Our in-house-developed software programme enables us to design mixers that use high-efficiency hydrofoil impeller systems,” he says, adding that the software also enables the company to produce a design in minutes.

He further notes that, as a way of ensuring that Mixtec offers clients a value-added service, the company constantly improves its efficient lower-power designs, which results in lower operating costs at plants.

“Better-engineered designs result in fewer mechanical failures and, therefore, reduced downtime.”

In addition, the market for refurbishing and improving existing mixing systems is also vibrant, with increasing demand for new and used replacement units, says Paxton.

He adds that the company uses a fluid-mixing technology in its mining and refining applications and installations, such as neutralisation, cyanide destruction, solvent extraction, backfill applications, pump mixers and lime mixers.

Mixtec has two manufacturing facilities in Alrode, Alberton, and, on average, they collectively produce more than 1 000 units a year, says Paxton.

He notes that the company has been manufacturing agitators and mixers for the mining and refining industries since it was established in 1984. “Mixtec supplies agitators and mixers to almost every mining and refining company in South Africa. We also supply many mining companies and refineries in most African countries from our South African operation.”

He adds that the company’s other branches in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, the UK, Chile and North America also supply agitators and mixers to its clients globally.

The company focuses on the specific process considerations of the client’s application, the mechanical integrity of the mixing components and the drive-system integrity to ensure the best solution, says Paxton.

He says all the mixers are custom-designed by Mixtec’s well-trained mixer design specialists who use high-quality mixing equipment for all industries and applications.

“We match the right impeller with a client’s mixer by considering the profile, as well as the pumping and power needs of the application. We factor in the velocity gradient, superficial velocity, pumping rate, tank turnover rate, the shape of the tanks, liquid level variation, the location of the impellers and the direction of pumping to ensure a successful solution,” he says.

He tells Mining Weekly that it is beneficial for a design and manufacturing company, such as Mixtec, to have its own research and development facilities.

“Research and development assists in solving specific mixing problems, resulting in, for example, the development of new impellers. It also enables us to help customers solve process-related issues by initially testing on a smaller scale. “This has resulted in customers approaching us to [deal with] unconventional mixing ideas that have previously been outside our scope.”