Breaking Down Process Applications

Nearly every product we use in our daily lives has been touched in some way by a fluid mixer. From food and beverage to waste treatment, from pulp and paper to the vast chemical processing industry, liquid mixers are indispensable.

The number of different products requiring mixing is infinite, and each product has unique manufacturing requirements. Fluid mixers are called upon to blend miscible or immiscible liquids, suspend or dissolve solids in liquid products, disperse gasses within a fluid or to merely provide flow within a tank to promote heat transfer. Sharpe Mixers builds many types of mixing equipment to meet these requirements, but they all operate on the same basic principle, using rotating impellers to "pump" the fluid within a tank.

An easy way to arrange process applications into categories indicating degree of difficulty is a broad spectrum divided into three seperate parts:

A "white" process is defined as one which is a straightforward, easily accomplished task. For example, simple dissolving, or blending and storing low viscosity materials. These are jobs that can be satisfied by simply selecting a stock mixer, from portables to our E and N Series.

A "gray" process is more complex, and may require pilot plant testing before a mixer design can be determined. Depending on the shade of gray, the resulting mixer could be similar to an E or N Series or completely "designed from scratch" to satisfy many special requirements. All white applications - and many gray applications utitlize standard impellers, reducers, and motor designs - and the determining criteria is often one of size, scale, or materials of construction.

A "black" process implied deep, dark magic. In reality, it is here where all of the best engineering, pilot planting, and special designing techniques are required to satisfy process variables. This could mean specially designed impellers, reducers or sealing devices, using exotic materials and special motors. "Black" process specifications are the most difficult to satisfy.

Sharpe Mixers has the facilities, the personnel, the experience and the know-how to handle all these processes. What are your mixing needs? How can we help you?

Sharpe Mixers and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Sharpe Mixers manufactures industrial liquid mixing equipment for various industries, including many that may be funded in partly or in whole by government programs.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is a bill providing for a wide variety of appropriations and other government programs. The “Buy American” provision within the bill, Section 1605 of Division A of the ARRA, provides that (with certain exceptions explained in the bill) the funds appropriated or made available by the ARRA may not be used for a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance or repair of a public building or public work unless all of the iron, steel, and other manufactured goods used in any projects receiving funding provided through the project are “produced in the United States.”

ARRA regulation 48 CFR § 25.602 explains that the requirement of “production in the United States” refers to the manufacturing processes of the iron, steel and other manufactured goods. The regulation provides that “there is no requirement with regard to the origin of components or subcomponents in other manufactured construction material, as long as the manufacture of the construction material occurs in the United States.” Further, the requirement of production in the United States “does not apply to steel or iron used as components or subcomponents of other manufactured construction material.”

Sharpe’s factory in Seattle, WA manufactures the entire range of its machinery and parts using locally sourced raw materials when available. Design, machining, welding, fabrication and assembly of the equipment is done at Sharpe’s Seattle factory, or by local subcontractors. All sub-components, such as motors and gear reducers, will be manufactured in the USA when ARRA regulations are specified.

Nearly all components used in Sharpe Mixers’ small portable mixer line are cast, fabricated, machined and processed in the USA. However, any orders specifying “Buy American” construction will use locally built alternatives for any foriegn sourced parts.

Based on the criteria specified in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Sharpe Mixers products are “produced or manufactured in the United States” as required by the regulation.

High Country Stainless

Glen Monaghan and Ken Cliff of High Country Stainless recently paid Sharpe Mixers a visit and toured our manufacturing facility here in Seattle. The tour was led by none other than our National Sales Manager, Fred DeCicco.

High Country Stainless has extensive experience in the water, food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, and now serves as Sharpe Mixers' exclusive sanitary market sales representatives for British Columbia, Canada.

How can they assist your process needs? Contact them today and find out!