What's New at Sharpe Mixers!

Pacific Northwest Food Processors Exhibit - Jan 16th - 18th, 2012

2012-01-26T07:51:00.000-08:00

Michael Bauman and David Bowlin of EPS.

This exhibition is always a good show for Sharpe Mixers, and this year was no different.

Despite some nasty weather we saw a wide variety of customers, new and existing.

Some are food processors, mostly in the fruit and vegetable processing industry.

Others are OEM accounts that supply Sharpe Mixers with their process, water and wastewater treatment systems.

The all stainless steel portable mixer we displayed at this year’s show attracted a good deal of attention.

Everyone recognized the advantage of the new quick-clamp assembly.

EPS provides a wide variety of products to the food processing industry including mixing and agitation, filtration, cooling and heating, water & waste treatment.

Michael Bauman, pictured above, is a new salesman for EPS, coming from the food process industry in the Yakima Valley, where he will be focusing his efforts.

Submitted by Fred DeCicco

Northwest Food Processors Expo 2012

2012-01-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

Sharpe Mixers Sales Representative David Bowlin.

The Northwest Food Processors Association will hold their annual meeting and exhibition in Portland Oregon, Jan 15-18, 2012.

This venue is an opportunity for food processors in the Pacific Northwest to attend educational sessions and see and meet with their suppliers.

Once again, Sharpe Mixers, in association with our local sales representative, David Bowlin, Engineered Products & Services, will be participating in this event.

Come by and see us! We will have our popular All Stainless portable mixer on display, along with many other products. We will be happy to answer all your questions and prepared to impress you!

Happy Holidays from Sharpe Mixers!

2011-12-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sharpe Mixers staff 2011

We at Sharpe Mixers would like to shout out a Happy Holidays wish to all! We hope the holidays find you well and that you get to spend them with family and loved ones.

Sharpe Mixers recently celebrated our success in 2011 at our annual Christmas Party, and we realized just how much we had to celebrate!

2011 was a very successful year for Sharpe Mixers. We expanded into many new markets, both domestic and international. This has created many new business opportunities in some exciting new industries. China continues to be a strong market for us, as does Europe and South America.

Jay Dinnison - President/CEO

2011 also saw us introduce several new products to our mixer and mixer accessory line, including our M5 Quick Clamp, remote tachometer displays, all-stainless shaft bearings for our all-stainless portable mixer drives, and much more!

We also went live with our NEW online web store! Now you can purchase parts for your portable mixers online any time, day or night! You can visit our web store at www.sharpemixersstore.com/. We will be expanding on our store offerings in the coming year, so check back!

At Sharpe Mixers, we are always searching for better ways to serve you, our customer. 2011 saw many changes implemented to improve mixer and parts deliveries. This includes expansion of our stocked inventory items, as well the pre-manufacture of such components as impellers and mixer shafts. This allows improved ship time to you!

There were many behind the scenes improvements as well, such as the expansion of our new ERP system which puts more information at our fingertips, enabling us to provide you with faster answers.

Steve Drury - Vice President,
Director of Applications

Sharpe Mixers has always taken a great interest in family. In fact, Sharpe Mixers really is one big family, with employees supporting and encouraging one another and taking interest in each others personal interests, activities and achievements away from work. 2011 gave us much to smile about!

We at Sharpe Mixers look forward to a successful 2012. We have many lofty goals and ideas for the new year and are excited to get moving on them (many, we already have)!

We wish the best for you in 2012 as well, and look forward to continuing to offer you solutions for your mixing needs.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Sharpe Mixers!

New Sealed Stainless Bearings!

2011-12-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

Stainless bearing for all-stainless mixer drive

We are excited to offer the option of an all-stainless sealed bearing for our all-stainless portable mixer drives! These bearings are corrossion resistant and won't rust, giving you the utmost confidence in the integrity of your product.

These bearings are available as an option with newly purchased mixers, or as an upgrade to your existing mixer, and are available in all standard portable shaft diameters.

Are you ready for an upgrade? Order yours today!

Sharpe Mixers at Process Expo 2011

2011-11-23T07:57:00.000-08:00

Sharpe Mixers exhibited at the now bi-annual Process Expo 2011, Chicago, Nov 1-4, 2011.

This is the first year that Process Expo is a stand-alone exhibition. It had been part of Pak Expo in the past. The new format brings a more focused audience to the show. People interested in food & beverage processing equipment, not packaging equipment, made up most of the attendees we saw this year. Our exhibit drew many food processors, especially, meat packers looking for brine mixers. Our all stainless steel portable mixer is a favorite in this industry.

Sharpe Mixers was the only agitator supplier at Process Expo. Other mixer companies, like those offering specialty mixers and high shear mixers were in attendance, but none of our common competitors were there.

Sharpe Mixers participated in the educational part of the exhibition this year. Two technical sessions were presented, detailing the sanitary design features used by Sharpe Mixers to bring our equipment into conformance with USDA, 3A and FDA standards and guidelines. Much of the focus was on our line of all stainless steel portable mixers. One of the seminars was presented in Spanish by Laurie Thayer, our in-house linguist and purchasing manager, to a Latin American audience, organized by FISA’s (Food Industry Suppliers’ Association) Educational branch, under their “Seminario de Innovaciones” program. Kyle Sides, our director of sales, presented the same seminar to a large group of English speaking participants.

The food & beverage industry continues to be a growing part of our business, as more and more plants look to upgrade the quality of their mixing equipment. Sharpe Mixers product development catering to the sanitary industries has made a very good impression on the marketplace. Show attendees who stopped by our exhibit recognized the advantage of our product features and benefits, making statements like “This is what we need”, “How soon can we get one of these?”, and “This is the mixer I was telling you about.”

The show was also a good opportunity to visit with our local sales representatives at Anderson Pumps & Process, with offices in Illinois and Wisconsin. Some of our other sales representatives visited us, including folks from F & H Food Equipment Co., KGO Group, Inox Pumps & Process and York Fluid Controls.

The future of the process industry trade show is definitely in transition. The overall attendance at this year’s Process Expo was good, not terrific, but, highly qualified. Attendance at most shows has dropped in the past few years, due to both the internet and the economic downturn. Going to a bi-annual cycle will help Process Expo maintain a better than average interest level. We may see other industry shows going to a less than annual calendar, in the future.

Sharpe Mixers will continue to support the food & beverage industry by exhibiting at Process Expo in October 2013.

Submitted by Fred DeCicco

Process Expo - The Global Equipment and Technology Show!

2011-10-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Be sure and mark your calendars for this BIG event in Chicago, Oct. 31 - Nov. 4, and come see us at booth 5123. Admission is FREE!

What is Process Expo? Process Expo is one of the largest shows dedicated to process equipment for food and beverage. It gathers the industry’s leading processing and packaging equipment manufacturers in one convenient place. Here you will find solutions for your most critical issues and new technologies that will give you an advantage over your competition. With experts from all segments of the food and beverage industry, you’ll find cross-over opportunities that you might not have realized were there.

As a leading mixer supplier in the food and beverage industry, Sharpe Mixers will not only be attending this year's event, we'll be offering two keynote presentations!

Kyle Sides, Applications Engineer/Director of Sales at Sharpe Mixers, will be offering a presentation on Easy, Clean and Sanitary Design Options for Mixers and Agitators.

TIME: Wednesday, Nov. 2, 1:15 - 2:15pm

ROOM: S102A

The focus of the seminar will be on mixer and agitator options and their impact on price and quality. Cleanability is a leading requirement in the food industry and this presentation will help processors meet the new 3-A requirements and standard practices.

Kyle has worked at Sharpe Mixers for 15 years. He has a wide range of field experience and has traveled not only across the U.S., but also in China, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Canada. Kyle currently designs and quotes sanitary mixers for the food and pharmaceutical industry, with an emphasis on easy-clean applications.

Laurie Thayer will offer a presentation in Spanish of Easy, Clean and Sanitary Design Options for Mixers and Agitators.

TIME: Monday, Oct. 31 9:00 - 10:00 am.

Laurie has been with Sharpe Mixers for four years, coming from international business on the East Coast. Laurie’s focus is to secure the highest quality materials at the best cost for the mixer components Sharpe Mixers manufactures. She has traveled to Latin America to assist in start-up operations and supports the design engineers in complex translations during the technical and quotation phases of the business. As a director at Sharpe Mixers, Laurie is involved in company strategies and future business direction.

Sharpe Mixers has a long history of supplying liquid mixers from small, all-stainless steel portable sizes to large-capacity blend tanks, with applications varying from water-like to cosmetic pastes and gels.

Process Expo is the premier worldwide trade show for leaders in the food and beverage industry. We are excited to be a part of it and look forward to seeing you there!

Need help with your mixing needs NOW? Let's get started!

New Remote Tachometer Display Now Available!

2011-10-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

Need a tachometer that can be mounted for remote display? Sharpe Mixers has your answer!

The Autonics MP5 Series high performance tachometer supports 13 kinds of operation modes to measure various industrial numerical data including frequency, absolute ratio, passing time and error ratio. Having diverse functions with various output types, the series is widely used in many industrial fields. Now you can enjoy this tachometer and all its features with your new or existing Sharpe mixer!

This tachometer is offered with 110/220 volt input. As an option, the this unit can be provided with an output signal to feed another tachometer display in a remote control room, or add an alarm or other device.

Download our new brochure to learn more about this important accessory and how it can help you!

These components will be coming to our new online store soon. Don't forget to visit our web site to learn of other exciting new products!

ISPE Boston

2011-09-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Please join us!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Gillette Stadium Clubhouse, Foxborough, MA

Education: 9:00 am

Show Floor Opens: 12:00 noon

After-Party: 7:30 pm

• Keynote Address: Hear from Jonathan Kraft, President, The Kraft Group

• Source New Products: View new technology and innovations from over 300 exhibitors

• Improve Your Knowledge: Attend any of the nine broad-based educational sessions

• Develop New Resources: Connect with over 2000 biopharmaceutical professionals

• After Party: Meet Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots Linebacker, and get his autograph

Registration http://www.ispeboston.org/events/registration.htm?eventID=131

Register today to attend the morning Educational Sessions, hear the Keynote Address and visit over 300 exhibitors in the afternoon Show Floor from noon to 7:30 pm. Jonathan Kraft, President, The Kraft Group, to deliver this year's Keynote Address. Plan your day using the schedule below. .

Also new this year, attend the Product Show and pick-up a free wristband from an exhibitor to attend the After-Party Networking Reception at CBS Scene. Scheduled to appear is Jerod Mayo, New England Patriot Linebacker. Don't miss this opportunity to meet Mayo and get an autograph signed!

SCHEDULE:

Educational Seminars: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Attendee Lunch * (with pre-purchased lunch ticket, NO tickets will be sold on show day): 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Exhibitor Show Floor: 12:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Keynote Address: 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm

After Show Networking Reception: 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

* The 20th Annual Product Show and Educational Sessions are FREE to attend. If you would like to register to attend the 11:00 am lunch the cost is $45 per person. You must pre-purchase this ticket; tickets will NOT be sold onsite. You may also purchase a Patriot Hall tour ticket for $20. These must also be pre-purchased and will NOT be sold onsite. Tour times are before and after the Keynote Address. Tour are at 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm. You will be assigned to one of these tour times. If you have any questions call the ISPE Office at 781-647-4773.

For more information, please feel free to contact Sharpe Mixers, or Perrigo, Inc., our sales representatives who will be attending this event.

ISPE New Jersey Chapter Technology Showcase

2011-08-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

Come join the ISPE New Jersey Chapter’s 25th Anniversary Celebration at the annual Technology Showcase Exhibition. See the latest in products and services and hear from a special Keynote Speaker. You’ll also have the chance to connect with colleagues over a variety of gourmet offerings with drinks and coffee included. Co-located with the Risk-Based Systems Validation for Improved Productivity Conference at the beautiful Hyatt Regency New Brunswick. Admission, food and beverages are complimentary for conference attendees who pre-register to attend the Showcase.

ISPE is holding a first time GAMP (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice) event created specifically for you. As the originators of GAMP, we have the best resources for industry experts which allows you to gain real world experience and get your questions answered. Each track is separated, but themed around validation productivity and will tie together at the end of the conference with a focus on Data Integrity. You’ll also have the opportunity to interact with US FDA in workshops and case studies.

Renowned GAMP expert David Selby explains why ISPE's upcoming conference, "Improve Productivity with Risk-Based Systems Validation," is a must-see event. If you are involved with systems validation, you cannot afford miss this conference!

Please note: Registration for the Technology Showcase is separate from the GAMP®: Improve Productivity with Risk-Based Systems Validation Conference. Without pre-registration for the Technology Showcase, admission is $25 at the door.

Registration http://ispenjsept122011.eventbrite.com/

Submitted by Fred DeCicco.

Buy Your Sharpe Mixers Parts Online!

2011-08-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

We stock air motors for immediate shipment!

Our NEW web store has been online for a few weeks now, and the response has been great! Our air motor, pictured to the left, has been our most popular item. But there are many more items to choose from for your Sharpe portable mixer!

If you haven't had a chance to yet, check us out! Shopping is now easy with 24/7 access to the portable parts you need, when you need them. We will be expanding our selection soon, so check back regularly!

Introducing the NEW Sharpe Mixers Web Store!

2011-07-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce the NEW Sharpe Mixers webstore! Visit us at http://www.sharpemixersstore.com/ and for all your portable mixer part needs, 24/7!

You may purchase motors, gearboxes, shafts, impellers, rebuild kits and more! We will be continually expanding our product line, so be sure and bookmark us for future visits.

You may also visit our main web site for product brochures, manuals, and other product literature.

New Spanish Mixer Brochures!

2011-07-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sharpe Portable Mixer brochure in Spanish

Sharpe Mixers is making an effort to expand our sales into Mexico, Central America and South America.

Years of success in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have prompted this market effort.

We have contracted with Inventec S.A. de C.V. to represent our products and services in Mexico.

We are expanding our sales representation in South America.

Our efforts, to date, have been very successful. Sales in Mexico are growing rapidly.

Mixers 101 brochure in Spanish

Project work in the mining industry in South America is on the upswing, with one very large order landed in Peru last year.

Recognition of our growing market in Spanish speaking areas has generated the start of our publication of all our literature in Spanish.

Starting with our Portable Mixers brochure and Mixers 101, our two most popular publications, we will continue to expand our library of Spanish literature.

We will see a Spanish version of our website in the future.

Submitted by Fred DeCicco.

U.S. Army Explosives Process Mixer

2011-06-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Quality Control a Priority at Sharpe Mixers

2011-06-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Inspecting a V-Series mixer.

The Sharpe Mixers name represents the highest of quality in the mixing industry, and for good reason. Sharpe takes great pride in making sure our equipment is manufactured and assembled to the highest standards.

We begin with raw materials of the highest quality on the market. Sharpe has invested in long-term partnerships with material suppliers who are as committed to quality as we are. Our suppliers stand behind their product, offering material certifications when required - a common requirement in the pharmaceutical industry.

Tight tolerances are followed through the machining and welding process. Our machinist's biggest strength is their cumulative and diverse level of machining experience, as well as their expertise of special alloys.

Every large mixer must pass a rigid inspection process before leaving our facility. This thorough inspection is performed by a design engineer. All critical measurements are confirmed and documented, and all components checked for accuracy. Digital pictures are taken of all components, tags, nameplates, packaging, etc., and saved with the inspection documentation.

Sharpe's internal quality control program is designed to guarantee that we meet or exceed our customer's requirements. Each test we conduct has a specific procedure and frequency to ensure consistency.

The end result of all this effort? A product we are proud of and one you may have utmost confidence in!

How may we design your mixer? Contact us today!

New M5 Quick Clamp System

2011-05-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

It's finally here and portable mixer mounts will never be the same! Put your old-school wrenches away - you don't need them anymore. Introducing the NEW M5 quick clamp system from Sharpe Mixers!

May 2011 Newsletter

2011-05-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

The May 2011 Sharpe Newsletter, "Sharpe Points" is now available for direct download!

Mixer Replacement in Pictures

2011-05-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Retrofitting older mixers in the field with newer, more efficient and cost-effective mixer designs has long been a strong suit of Sharpe Mixers.

Case in point, these old mixers were likely installed in the 1950's (best guess) and had long exceeded their life cycle. In fact, the gearboxes were now obsolete and parts no longer available.

The customer contacted Sharpe to see what we could offer as an update. Application engineers from Sharpe flew to the customer's facility, examined their application requirements, and offered a proposal best suited to their needs.

One of the biggest selling points of Sharpe Mixers was the technology of our Hyflo impeller design and the improved mixing it would offer. With their increased impeller efficiency, Sharpe would be able to offer smaller, more efficient and cost-effective mixer drives.

After shipment of the mixers, Sharpe engineers flew back to the customer's facility for start-up.

The first task was the removal of the old tank and mixers. The tank is made of wood rather than metal due to the high salt content.

Once the old tanks were dismantled and stacked for disposal. Once this was completed, it was time to install the new replacement tanks.

The new tanks were a noticeable improvement over the old! This is one of three new tanks. The application process requires three tanks per series. This installation was for the first series, with more to follow.

Next it was time to install the mixers. The HYF-218 impellers were lowered in with cranes first.

The impellers and shafts were followed by the drives. This is our N-Series mixer drive, our most popular heavy duty mixer.

Note the impeller's close proximity to the tank walls. The mixers are in crystalization tanks. They mix a saturated solution of salts and run them though cooling coils. The application is material suspension and heat transfer.

A steady bearing is used to secure the mixer shaft and limit shaft runout.

The customer was so pleased with the results that they have placed orders for two more series of mixers, the next of which will be shipped in the coming days.

How can we help you with your mixer needs? Contact us today and let us know!

Excluder Seals

2011-04-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

Buna excluder seal kits are available in many sizes.

Sharpe excluder seal kit

Buna excluder seal kits are our most popular, and suitable for most applications. They are stocked and available for quick shipment (excluding large quantity orders).

Viton excluder seal kits are designed for higher temperature applications, and can ship in 1-2 weeks.

For more information, visit our web site at http://www.sharpemixers.com/!

Sharpe Sanitary Mixer in the News!

2011-04-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sharpe sanitary portable mixer.

Our sanitary mixer design has been getting a lot of attention lately, and rightly so! Starting at only $1,595.00 and available from stock, our all stainless portable mixer is perfect for blending juices and adding ingredients to sauces such as meat or poultry, yogurts, and a wide range of other products.

See the recent press release on the KING 5 News web site, or learn more details directly from our web site.

Want us to size a mixer for your specific needs? We can do that too!

Stainless Steel Mixers Upgrade for USDA – FDA – 3-A Acceptance

2011-04-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Sharpe Mixers is working with the USDA and 3-A to be sure our all stainless steel mixers are acceptable for use in plants that comply with USDA, FDA and 3-A standards.

One of the issues they address is nameplates. The typical nameplate is a stainless steel plate, with pertinent information embossed on the plate. The nameplate is then attached to the mixer drive with rivets.

This creates a possible space behind the nameplate which may be difficult to clean with CIP or COP procedures.

Nameplate data can be laser or chemical etched directly on the mixer, in lieu of adding a physical nameplate.

This is called electrochemical marking.

Sharpe Mixers has purchased a Lectroetch VT15A power unit.

It operates a process that utilizes enzymes and electrical current to etch the surface.

The procedure for creating a “nameplate” is as follows:

Apply the stencil.

Apply enzyme solution.

Apply current and rub the saddle across the stencil to etch the surface.

Neutralize.

Repeat process for addition of order specific information, Model and serial number.

“All Stainless Steel” mixers are now supplied with this “clean” nameplate.

Submitted by Fred DeCicco

Side-Entry Impeller Positioning

2011-03-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Side-Entry drawing by Geoff Graham

How do we achieve maximum mixing in a side-entry application? It's not by chance, or trial and error. Rules definitely apply here. Let's take a look:

The rule of thumb for positioning a side entry impeller is a minimum of 1/3 the impeller diameter off the wall.

H = Distance off wall

D = Impeller diameter

“Suction” area = pD x H

“Discharge” area = pD²/4

Suction = discharge in order to avoid “starving” impeller flow.

pD x H = pD²/4
H = D/4

So, for a flat wall H is constant.

For a curved wall, H is going to vary. 1/3 D is pretty close to ¼ D, and as it is slightly longer, more forgiving of wall curvature, etc.

Sharpe Mixers has been sizing side-entry mixers for for many years. These industries include asphalt mixing, pulp & paper, waste water, petroleum, storage tanks and more. How can we assist you? Let us know what your needs are and we can size a side-entry mixer for you today!

Submitted by Steven F. Drury, P.E.

Industrial Laundry Wastewater Treatment

2011-03-08T06:16:00.000-08:00

Ever been to a process plant where personnel wear uniforms?

Ever seen uniform rental trucks driving to and from those plants?

All those uniform rental companies washing all those dirty clothes.

And what happens to all the waste water from all those laundries?

The EPA requires that all industrial laundry wastewater be pre-treated before being discharged to the municipal treatment plant.

The wastewater must have pH adjusted; dirt, oil and grease removed.

A common pre-treatment operation consists of two equalization-pH adjustment tanks followed by DAF, Dissolved Air Flotation, to remove dirt, oil and grease.

The equalization-pH adjustment tanks are in the 5,000 – 10,000 gallon range.

Each is equipped with top entry mixer.

The DAF system uses polymer as a coagulant aid. The polymer is usually mixed ahead of the DAF using a gear drive portable mixer.

Sharpe Mixers has been working with one of the world’s largest uniform rental companies for over 10 years, supplying the mixers for their waste treatment plants. We have shipped mixers to their plants all over North America and the United Kingdom.

So, next time you see a uniform rental company truck driving down the road, follow it back to the laundry and see what they are doing for pre-treatment of their industrial laundry wastewater.

2011 ISPE Delaware Valley Chapter Vendor Night

2011-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Sharpe Mixers exhibited at the 2011 ISPE Delaware Valley Chapter Vendor Night that took place on Feb 9, 2011 at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.

The ISPE, International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers, through its local chapters, sponsors these table top exhibits around the country. This gives local members a change to get out and meet with their peers, enjoy a drink and some excellent food, and visit with their suppliers, new and old. They are a great opportunity for us to meet local customers in the biotech and pharmaceutical markets.

Like the Boston Chapter Product Show that takes place at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots football team, the Philadelphia show had outgrown the hotel venue and was moved to Citizens Bank Park.

And like the Boston show, this move proved to be an excellent choice. This was the 21st annual Vendor Night and, according to the ISPE-DVC, the most successful and best attended in the event’s 20 year history. Part of the success is probably due to the venue. People like visiting these sports stadiums. We hope that this is also a sign of an improving business climate.
Sharpe Mixers was supported by our local sales representative, Tom McDonough with Matak LLC. Tom worked with the ISPE DVC so that several of his suppliers were side by side at the exhibit. We called the area “McDonough Place”!

We are encouraged that business in the biotech and pharmaceutical markets will see some growth this coming year, based on conversations we had with customers and suppliers, alike.
If you are involved in the biotech – pharmaceutical industries and you would like Sharpe Mixers to participate in a local chapter Vendor night, please let us know.

Submitted by Fred DeCicco

Special Mixer Stand Design

2011-02-16T12:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes "out of the box" simply doesn't work. Sharpe Mixers has known this for years. In fact, much of our success in the mixing industry has come from our willingness to work with our customers and our ability to design around their needs.

Here is a great case in point. Recently, a customer in the soap industry approached us with their special need: Rather than angle mount their Sharpe portable mixer in traditional fashion, they required a center cantilevered mount for their iBC Tote.

The answer? A floor mounted mixer stand with extended arm over the tote, coupled with our Quick-Connect coupling.

This design allows our customer to position a tote under the permanently mounted mixer with the shaft removed, insert the shaft assembly into the Quick-Connect coupling, mix the product, and then quickly and easily remove the mixer shaft in preparation for the next tote to be brought in.

Sharpe Mixers has been designing and building innovative mixer stands for many years, starting with our basic MS floor stand and working all the way up to our high end ELS (electric lift) and ALS (air lift) stands. Our mixer stands can be found in many industries and applications, including sanitary and pharmaceutical installations. How can we help you?

Our mixer stands come with many accessories, including casters and tank straps. They can be provided in epoxy painted carbon steel or SS316 construction.

Want to learn more? Contact us with your questions! We'll offer a solution to fit your exact needs.

Northwest Food Processors Association and Sharpe Mixers

2011-01-25T14:21:00.000-08:00

The Northwest Food Processors Association held their annual meeting and exhibition in Portland Oregon, Jan 16-19, 2011.

This venue is an opportunity for food processors in the Pacific Northwest to attend educational sessions and see and meet with their suppliers.

Sharpe Mixers, in association with our local sales representative, David Bowlin, Engineered Products & Services, participated after a 2-year hiatus.

To say that we were pleasantly surprised by the activity is an understatement. It seems like the economy is on the way up, again.

Many of our existing customers stopped by to visit and talk about their business. They were very positive and excited about the future. We were told that projects that had been back-burnered for the last two years were active again and going forward.

The quality of the sales leads we received, from new and existing clients, was the best I have seen in a long time. The diversity of the attendees was also very interesting. There were many new entrepreneurs, new companies with new food products.

Our All Stainless Steel Portable Mixers attracted a lot of attention. Some folks didn’t know that this type of product existed: paint-free, USDA approved (3-A Certification pending), and easily cleaned.

David had only one concern after the show. How can he respond to all the “hot” leads in a timely fashion.

Submitted by Fred DeCicco

In-line Mixing for Water Treatment

2011-01-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Sharpe Mixershas been providing in-line mixers for a leading process equipment manufacturer for many years. It's a business relationship that has grown and prospered as a culmination of the technical knowledge and experience our partnership offers.

The mixing process is referred to as flash mixing. Due to the minute amounts of solutions added to the relatively large amount of raw water treated, flash mixing coagulants and other chemicals is necessary. Instant diffusion of the coagulant solution is required, or many particles will be missed, resulting in an overall higher turbidity or excessive use of coagulant. This is because rapid chemical reaction starts the instant alum or other coagulant is blended with raw water.

In this application, Sharpe mixers are mounted to a pipeline where they provide continuous, instantaneous blending of coagulant water prior to flocculation. This is done by (2) impellers mounted to the mixer shaft, pumping towards each other at high speed. Of course, other technology comes into play here as well!

How can our flash mixer arrangement help you? Contact us today to find out!

New Web Site for Sharpe Mixers!

2011-01-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Sharpe Mixers starts the 2011 year off with a brand new web site! We've received many compliments over the navigation and overall layout of our previous web design. But designs are meant to be improved upon!

Continuing with the easy navigation concept, our new design gets rid of javascript for better search engine optimization (SEO), and incorporates many, many other SEO features. What does this mean for you? Better search ability and easier to find topics.

Some of the new features includes a multimedia page, streaming videos of various new products, awards and even installations.

There is by no means a finished product. There will be more additions soon - stay tuned!

Revisiting History and Our Founders

2011-01-03T08:37:00.001-08:00

What better way to begin the new year than to revisit an important part of our past here at Sharpe Mixers?

This image was forwarded to us by our good friends at the Mellema Co., our sales representatives in Minnesota. It is from a Pulp and Paper Sales Conference that took place in June of 1965, and includes our founders Charlie Burhans and Phillip Sharpe.

Charlie Burhans and Phillip Sharpe founded The Burhans-Sharpe Company in 1953 as a sales organization with equipment and engineering services for the chemical process and pulp and paper mills in the states of Washington and Oregon.

In 1970, The Burhans-Sharpe Company became mixer manufacturers and rest is history. Now known as Sharpe Mixers, we continue to be innovators and leaders in the mixing industry. How can we help you? Visit our web site today at http://www.sharpemixers.com/ to learn more!

Happy Holidays from Sharpe Mixers!

2010-12-27T07:09:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays from everyone at Sharpe Mixers!

Washington International

2010-12-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

Mike Crowley, founder of Washington International, recently paid a visit to our Seattle facility. Washington International is Sharpe Mixers' authorized sales representative for China, and has been a large reason for Sharpe's success in the China market the last several years.

Mike is currently working hard to combat fake Sharpe mixers and parts being sold in China, as well as misrepresentation by other companies and individuals claiming to represent Sharpe Mixers.

"They say that copying is the sincerest form of flattery. So, we at Sharpe Mixers, should be really flattered by all the attention, and the number of companies and individuals that are copying our products and spare parts. Unfortunately, the companies and individuals that are copying our products, are having our customers confusing them with us, and that is just no good.", Mike explains.

"The down side is our customers are paying high prices for mixers and spare parts, that are not authentic high quality Sharpe Mixers products."

To aid Mike in his quest, Sharpe Mixers has created an Authenticity Form where customers can check the authenticity of quotes, mixers and purchased parts. We think this will be a great tool in curbing the problem of fake parts and misrepresentation in China.

Jeremy Higginson Promoted to Vice President of Engineering

2010-11-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

Jeremy has been with the company for twelve years, beginning in August, 1998 when he hired on as a starting level design engineer. Based on his competence in the various duties associated with engineering, he was promoted to Director of Design Engineering in 2002. In the years that followed Jeremy created a very organized Engineering Department, improving the efficiency and accuracy of the daily tasks, created several computer programs that improved our engineering capacity a great deal. While many of these advances can also be attributed to the other engineers on board, Jeremy has certainly set a good example of how a manager should run their department.

Jeremy has also been elected as a member of Sharpe Mixers’ Board of Directors, joining Steve Drury, Tiffanie Tatick, and Jay Dinnison, helping set the goals for Sharpe Mixers’ future. His attention to detail and organization will help our company grow in a controlled, planned way towards success. We have full confidence that this position will serve the company well.

Breaking Down Process Applications

2010-10-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T12:52:00.001-07:00

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!

Sharpe Mixers Meets with U.S. Secretary Gary Locke

2010-09-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

In 2004, Sharpe Mixers participated in then Governor Gary Locke's "Governor's Mission to China". The trip was a success and paid immediate dividends as Sharpe quickly became a leading provider of fluid-gas desulferization absorber mixers in China.

Now holding the title of U.S. Commerce Secretary, Locke recently returned to Washington state to discuss the progress of the president's National Export Initiative. A select handful of small and medium-sized business owners from the Seattle area were invited to his keynote address and a roundtable discussion. Amongst the attendees was our CEO/President, Jay Dinnison.

Dinnison said, "I was honored to have been included in this small roundtable discussion with Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke. Sharpe Mixers received help on several occasions in years past when he was Governor Locke of Washington State, and he remembered us as one of the success stories from his Trade Mission to China in 2004. He also met with one of our customers in 2005 to help seal a pending order that was key in our success in China. Sharpe Mixers has since sold around a thousand mixers into China and continues to do business in the region."

He further explained, "Secretary Locke was visiting Seattle to discuss President Obama’s National Export Initiative and get input from businesses on how to better serve this purpose. He explained that US manufacturing exports have increased 22% in the past year; showing that President Obama’s goal of doubling US exports over the next five years is currently on track. I made a number of contacts at the meeting and received information on how to further promote Sharpe Mixers in other countries as well. While I can’t say our exports have increased recently as a direct result of this initiative, there is no disputing that Gary Locke’s assistance in the past has resulted in many millions in business for us overseas. Sharpe has also seen an increase in business in 2010 as a result of Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; a welcome boost to our business which had seen a drop after the financial meltdown in 2008. I am very excited for the future of Sharpe Mixers under the current administration."

Shear vs. Viscosity

2010-09-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

What is shear vs. viscosity?

A Pascal second is 1,000 cp (most viscosity is reported as mPs; milli Pascal seconds these days) So 0.5 Pascal seconds is 500 cp

Inverse second is the shear rate. So this result would imply that the viscosity is shear dependent (non Newtonian)

By taking a minimum of three readings of viscosity at different shear rates we calculate the shear rate dependence using the least squares method of curve fitting. As the relationship is exponential it can be plotted on log/log and calculated for any shear rate. Note that we use different spindle speeds for this method, we know (or can calculate) the so called shear rate constant for the known geometry of the specific spindle. Also note that only cylindrical spindles can be used for this method because the geometry is well defined. Disc spindles are not appropriate.

For mixer design the “apparent” viscosity is dependent on the impeller speed and the impeller’s own shear rate constant. Although Sharpe has not determined the shear rate constant for our impellers we do use published values, which are fine as the margin of error is no big deal when working with power law fluids.

For the HF218 the constant is 10

For Axial it is 11

For anchors and double helix it is 20

So the “apparent” viscosity of a HF218 at 350 rpm would be determined from the viscosity vs. shear rate at a shear rate of 350rpm/60 X 10 = 58/sec

Baffle recommendations need to be determined at low shear rates (as at the tank wall the viscosity is by definition infinite; the shear rate would be zero and dividing the shear stress by zero is infinite)

Typically a shear rate of 2/sec is used for baffle design. In most cases baffles need to be small or not used. For example a lime slurry may have a viscosity close to the tank wall of over 10,000 cp. Standard baffles for this would simply create dead zones and effectively reduce the tank diameter for mixing by the baffle width x 2. So for stuff like fruit slurries (ketchup, pop tart fillings, etc.) with very high “shear thinning index” on center, no baffles, slow speed to minimize cavity formation is the correct design.

By Jeremy Higginson, P.E.
Direct of Engineering

RD Dry-Running Mechanical Seal Update

2010-09-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

In our original post about our dry-running RD seal we mentioned that the next generation would be fully ASME BPE compliant as a standard, unlike seals from other manufacturers: http://sharpemixers.blogspot.com/2009/07/next-generation-dry-running-mechanical.html. We introduced new grades of elastomers for specific use in high end biopharm applications. These elastomers meet or exceed the requirements of USP grade materials. The seal elastomers have the following properties:

Available in EPDM (standard), FPM (Viton®^aequivalent⁾, Silicone, & FFPM (Kalrez®^aequivalent⁾.

Full traceability

Properly postcured

Contain no ingredients derived from animals

Free from melamine and mercury

Complies with the FDA Code of Federal Regulations for rubber and rubber-like materials under Title 21, Paragraph 177.2600.

Complies with the 3-A Sanitary Standards for rubber and rubber-like materials used as product contact surfaces in dairy equipment, number 18-03, Class II.

Compound has passed testing in accordance with the current USP section <87> and <88> Class VI – 121°C or ISO/AAMI/ANSI 10993-5, 6, 10 and 11.

The seal has gone through some design changes as well to better meet the requirements of BPE:

· The ID of the debris well is tapered for drainability.

· The debris well flush ports are angled for drainability.

· Debris well gasket has been replaced by an o-ring which mounts close to the flange hole.

· Heat number for wetted metal parts are etched on the parts.

· Silicone Carbide (standard) and Tungsten Carbide static faces are available, as well as Hastelloy®^b C-276 & AL-6XN®^c metal parts.

· Various finishes, including electropolish & passivation are available.

a - Viton® & Kalrez® are the registered trademarks of DuPont Performance Elastomers.

b - Hastelloy® is a registered trademark of Haynes International, Inc.

c - AL-6XN® is a registered trademark of Allegheny Ludlum Corp.

Spare Drives for Municipality

2010-08-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Down times are often not an option for many of our customers. Does this hold true for you?

Recently, a water treatment facility recognized that their floculator mixers had been in service for over a decade. Due to the critical nature of their operation, they realized they should have spare drives on hand to minimize any possible down time.

Sharpe Mixers received an order for 22 spare mixer drives, and went to work immediately to provide them in the best possible delivery time. Not only did we meet the delivery date, we beat it by 10 days!

How can we help you with your spare part needs? Contact us today and let us know!

Electric or Air Powered Stainless Mixer Stands

2010-08-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Our line of electric and air powered stainless mixer stands have really taken off in popularity. These stands are a result of uncompromising demands for quality and versitality. The modular construction offers simple and precise adjustment for various applications. The stands are constructed in SS316, and available in 36", 48" and 60" sizes.

Be sure and check out our latest product release in Processing magazine. Brochures can be downloaded directly from our web site at www.sharpemixers.com.

Excluder Seal Kits

2010-07-01T08:19:00.001-07:00

Excluder seals are a type of lip seal that actually rotates with the shaft. The skirt extends out and slightly downward to seal small tank openings.

Sharpe Mixers' excluder seal kits have really gained in popularity over the last couple of years, especially in the food industry. Seals are are available in almost any size from 1.0" to 6.63" as a standard. They are available in both Buna N and Viton material.

Buna excluder seal kits are our most popular, and suitable for most applications. They are stocked and available for quick shipment (excluding large quantity orders).

Viton excluder seal kits are designed for higher temperature applications, and can ship in 1-2 weeks.

For more information, visit our web site at http://www.sharpemixers.com/!

Expedited Shipments

2010-06-15T07:37:00.001-07:00

At Sharpe Mixers, we enjoy the flexibility to work with our valued customers in expediting important ship dates when necessary. Let's face it, even with the best planning, emergencies can still pop up from time to time. Suddenly a standard shipment schedule isn't good enough to meet our customer's needs.

How do we help our customers to meet critical deadlines in such emergencies? We expedite! Most often, we can improve ship dates with an additional fee. This allows us to authorize overtime in engineering and production to get the job done, without affecting other jobs in house.

The mixer pictured here is going into a crystalizer feed tank. It's a special impeller and includes Hasetelloy C276 wetted parts. Special alloys can add to lead times, and require longer fabrication times. Standard delivery on such a mixer would be 10-12 weeks.

In this case, we promised delivery in 6 weeks - and delivered in 5! That's right, we beat our own estimate by a full week!

How can we help you?

Impellers, Impellers, Impellers!

2010-05-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Recently we accepted a large order for impellers and steady bearing assemblies from a large food producer. However, it wasn't without its challenges. The task? To manufacture 30 large hydrofoil style impellers and 6 steady bearing assemblies in only 10 days. This would require over 140 hours of blade forming and fabrication hours - a huge task! We completed the job in just 9 days - one day sooner than promised!

Pictured here are the first 12 completed impellers. They will next be cleaned up for appearance and go through a rigorous inspection process by an engineer before being released for final packaging and shipment.

How can we help you with your RUSH needs? Let us know!

Agitation in the Water & Wastewater Treatment Industry

2010-03-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

The water & wastewater treatment industries offer many applications for agitation equipment. Both industrial and municipal plants require mixing equipment for many of their treatment processes. Potable water, boiler water, process water, wastewater are some examples.

Sharpe Mixers offers mechanical agitators for use in the many applications where liquid mixing is required.

The wide-ranging scope of products can handle mixing volumes from 50-gallon drums through multi-million gallon holding tanks.

Some examples of applications include
Chemical make-up and storage
Polymers, Lime slurry, Magnesium Hydroxide, carbon slurry, process water aids
Influent-Effluent Rapid Mixing
Chemical addition in high rate continuous systems
Sludge Blending and Storage
Polymer-sludge blending with the patented SimFlocc high-speed in-line blender
Slow speed low shear mixing for sludge storage
Equalization
Side entry agitators installed on large influent equalization tanks
Neutralization & pH control
Rapid addition and blending of pH adjustment chemicals
Anoxic and Anaerobic Mixing
Provide mild agitation without aeration using Up-Flow HYLFO hydrofoils
Flocculation
Slow Speed top entry agitators equipped with low shear HYFLO hydrofoil impellers and variable speed drives are the state of the art for municipal water treatment plants.
Filtration Backwash
Filtration media is washed for re-cycle.

The Sharpe Mixers product line ranges from fractional horsepower clamp-on portable mixers up to 300 hp top and side entry agitators. A wide variety of drive configurations are offered, including helical and worm gear reducers and v-belt drives. Various motor types and variable speed drive options are available. Wetted parts are available in a wide variety of materials such as SS316, Duplex Stainless Steels, plastic and rubber coatings.

V-Series Mixers for Asphalt Agitation

2009-12-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Sharpe V-Series Side Entry Mixers for asphalt service are engineered for dependability with steel housing, rigid motor mounts, oversize shafting, piloted dual-tapered roller bearings, and belt drives with "QD" style bushings. Featuring high-efficiency HYFLO 4-blade impellers and seals that are configured to match user requirements, most mixer wearing parts are available from local supply houses to minimize maintenance downtime.

Designed with large, open access areas for easy servicing, the Sharpe V-Series Side Entry Mixers for asphalt service have all grease fittings and lube ports accessible from one location and all seal parts, shaft bearings and belt drive components are replaceable without removing the mixer or draining the tank. Sizes range from 1.5 to 300 HP motors, 1.5" to 6" dia. shafts, and 12" to 48" dia. impellers providing maximum flow per unit horsepower.

Contact us today for sizing and pricing for your application!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T07:06:00.000-08:00

Everyone at Sharpe Mixers would like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Folding HYF-218 Impeller

2009-11-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here is an eye-catching demo of our folding HYF-218 impeller. Small tank opening? No problem!

Sharpe and the Bioprocessing Equipment Committee

2009-10-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Bioprocessing Equipment Committee, got together under the aegis of ASME Codes and Standards back in 1989. The committee issued its first standard for bioprocessing equipment in 1997. Sharpe Mixers has been working with the Bioprocessing Equipment Committee for the past five years.

Our chief engineer, Jeremy Higginson, is on the committee for agitators and shaft seals. Committee guideline updates include new standards for wetted parts finishes and new definitions of polishing standards. New guidelines for mechanical shaft seals have been developed, with seal construction better suited for CIP and SIP clean-ability.

The work of the BPE was featured in an article in the October 2009 edition of Mechanical Engineering magazine.

Find out what the BPE committee is up to now!

Process Expo in Las Vegas, Oct 5-7

2009-10-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

PROCESS EXPO provides the newest developments in processing technology to meet the challenges faced by the industry's food and beverage manufacturers. So it should be of no surprise that Sharpe Mixers will be there to showcase our latest offerings for the food and beverage industry!

Come see us at the at Booth #S7137. Our President/CEO Jay Dinnson and Applications Engineer Kyle Sides will be on hand to answer all your questions and share close-up examples of our industry leading products!

Our Air-Lift Stainless Mixer Stand

2009-09-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

Haven't seen enough of our popular ALS Mixer Stand? Watch it in action!

Sharpe Mixer Install

2009-08-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

This video shows how a mixer can be designed to be the perfect solution for an application. How can we assist you?

Sharpe Heavy-Duty Portable Mixers

2009-07-29T08:05:00.001-07:00

Sharpe Mixers offers heavy-duty portable mixers to meet the toughest applications. Our direct drive drive portable mixers provide high-speed mixing for those jobs where greater shearing action is required and for smaller batch mixing. The high speed of the impellers (1750 rpm) create localized high-velocity eddies (high shear) necessary for many applications such as dispersing and dissolving dry powders into a solution.

Our gear drive portable mixers are the best choice for larger volume and higher-viscosity applications. The slower speed (350 rpm) provides the high torque necessary to mix higher viscosity fluids and the higher flow required in larger tanks. Large diameter HYF-218 impellers produce much more flow per horsepower than other mixers on the market.

Both mixers come with standard NEMA 56C frame motors, providing "off the shelf" availability and a wide range of motor options.

The alloy mixer housings are powder coated for maximum durability.

The shaft coupling is protected from corrosion, safely located inside the sealed housing. No exposed coupling means a safer mixer as well.

Oversize 3/4", 1" and 1-1/4" diameter shafts are used for maximum stability & strong life.

Finally, all standard mixer components are stocked on our shelves and available for immediate shipment!

To find out more, contact us today with your mixing needs!

Next generation dry-running mechanical seals

2009-07-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Sharpe Mixers has partnered with Roplan AB of Sweden, a leading supplier of sanitary and industrial mechanical seals, to develop our RD line of dry-running mechanical seals. The Sharpe Mixers Dry Running RD Mixer Seal has been designed specifically for use in mixers, agitators and reactors where possible product contamination from barrier fluids is not allowed. The design is capable of handling 0.15” total run-out. A proprietary Carbon blend virtually eliminates the face squeal that is common with other seal brands. The seal is available with a plain mounting flange or with a debris well.

The first generation of the seal was similar to existing products in the market such as Flowserve’s VRA or John Crane’s Type 32 mechanical seals. We are now releasing the next generation of this product which surpasses anything currently in the market in its adherence to ASME’s Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE) standard. Both Sharpe Mixers and Roplan are working with the BPE committees on seal design. The design has been updated to enhance cleanability. Internal surfaces have been sloped to facilitate drainage, including the debris well flush ports. All non-metal wetted components are either FDA approved or USP Class VI rated, standard. Internal metal surfaces have been polished to a minimum 20 Ra finish, standard. For the same cost as another supplier’s basic, non-pharmaceutical seal you could have a fully BPE compliant seal!

The seal comes as a cartridge assembly (see image below) for easy installation and the proper running height is pre-set with the cartridge clips. No more measuring! Just bolt the seal plate down, slide the shaft through, and tighten the setscrews. Wetted metal parts are etched with a heat number which is traceable to a mill test report to verify proper alloy to help simplify your system validation.

Seals can be made with special materials as well to accommodate your needs. If you want the most BPE compliant dry-running mixer seal on the market, come to Sharpe Mixers.

Materials of Construction

Rotary Seal: FDA approved Carbon

Stationary Seal: FDA approved Silicone Carbide
Metal Components: 316L Stainless Steel

Elastomers: USP Class VI FPM or EPDM Standard

Performance Capability

Temperature: Up to 300F (149C)

Pressure: Full vacuum to 200PSI (13.8 bar)

Speed: Up to 350 RPM

Sizes: 5/8” – 3”

Mechanical Seals

2009-06-17T09:51:00.001-07:00

The majority of mixers operate in an "open" tank, or a vessel which is vented to the atmosphere. However, many mixers must operate in a "closed" tank, which requires a seal to contain the contents of the vessel. This may be required for various reason such as a pressure differential within the tank, product toxicity, flammability, environmental reasons, or in the case of side-entering or bottom-entering mixers, simply to stop the product from leaking out of the tank. Mechanical seals are used where very little or no tank emissions are allowed.

The family of shaft seals known as mechanical seals is the most advanced type of seal used in the mixing industry. They can handle the highest pressures, maintain nearly leak free operation, and require minimum maintenance if installed and operated properly.

Mechanical seals are increasing in popularity due to the growing environmental restrictions regarding leakage from process tanks.

There are hundreds of mechanical seal designs, but they all are variations of a basic layout consisting of a collar mounted on the shaft which usus springs to push a ring (which also rotates with the shaft) against another ring which is held stationary. The rings rotate against each other riding on a thin layer of lubricant, and the springs hold them so tightly together that leakage through the seal is reduced to an immeasurable amount.

The mating surfaces of the rings must be perfectly flat to seal properly, and are manufactured to tolerances measured in "light-bands". The rings must also be extremely hard to endure the pressure and wear, so they are usually mede up of ceramic, carbon, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide or similar material.

The stationary "seat" is held in place and maintains a static seal with the mounting housing using gaskets or o-rings. The rotating elements of the seal must attain a static seal with the shaft using o-rings, wedges or packing.

There is a type of mechanical seal that requires no lubricant. These "dry running" seals use a carbon ring rotating against a harder ring so the carbon ring is that sacrificial part. Any debris shed by the seal can be captured by an optional "debris well", which is flushed during a cleaning cycle. These seals are common in the pharmaceutical industry.

- Jeremy Higginson

New HYF-218 Impellers!

2009-06-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

Sharpe Mixers now stocks 22" dia. HYF-218 impellers with both 1.25" and 1.5" bore sizes in SS316 material!

These impellers join our standard line of HYF-218 impeller sizes 7" thru 18" dia. in 0.75", 1.0", and 1.25" dia. bore sizes.

All impellers are offered in SS316 material, solid hub with set screw design as our standard. Additional coatings such as rubber or halar can be offered at an additional charge. Impellers can also be specially manufactured in special alloy materials.

How can we help your mixing needs?

Mixer School: Agitator Shaft Design

2009-06-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

Agitator shafts are required to transmit the power from the mixer drive to the impeller(s). The shaft must handle the loads occurring including the transmission of torque, overhung moment due to hydraulic impeller forces, and thrust. The shaft must also be stiff enough to limit vibration and deflection to acceptable levels. Improperly designed, a mixer shaft may fail and cause catastrophic damage. Agitator shafts are commonly built from solid round bar, hollow shafting, or a combination of both.

Shaft strength is determined by the section modulus of the shaft.

SOLID SHAFTING has been the most common choice among other mixer manufacturers for many years because of availability, ease of construction and the fact that many impeller hubs require a key to transmit torque. These hubs slide onto the shaft and are held in place with a key and set-screw. The disadvantage of keyed one-piece hubs is that they can be difficult to service, steady bearings must be disassembled to allow clearance for impeller removal, and the impeller will usually weigh more due to the required thickness at the bolted blade attachment area. This extra weight coupled to the heavier solid shaft equates to a greater thrust load on the mixer bearings, limiting bearing life.

HOLLOW SHAFTING is Sharpe Mixers' preferred choice due to the design advantages offered, increased availability, and innovative methods of attaching impellers to the shaft without the use of key-ways, like our split hub design. Comparing a solid shaft with a hollow shaft of equal section modulus, both will transmit torque with equal stress levels, but the hollow shaft will be stiffer, or rather will deflect less under the same overhung moment. This translates to longer allowable shaft lengths at a given stress level, and less weight at a given shaft length. Less weight means less thrust transmitted to the drive bearings, and a longer expected bearing life. Less weight and higher stiffness also helps avoid critical speed, frequently a limiting factor in mixer design.

Regardless of the style of shafting used on a mixer, the important concern is that it is designed correctly for the application. Many factors regarding the tank and process enter into the design of a mixer shaft. Let us determine the best design for you today!

Sharpe Side Entry V-Series Mixers

2009-05-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here at Sharpe Mixers, we are promoting our Side Entry V-Series line. And why not? These heavy duty mixers are robust and easy to maintain. They are designed with easy access to all bearings and seals - a maintenance person's dream! They feature steel housing, rigid motor mounts, over-sized shafting, premium Dodge Type "E" piloted dual-tapered roller bearings, belt drives with "QD" style bushings, and our industry renouned HYF-218 impeller.

These mixers are suitable for a wide range of applications and are designed to be maintained using off-the shelf commercial components to minimize user costs and downtime.

Find out more today!

Now Accepting American Express!

2009-05-13T07:46:00.001-07:00

That's right, we've listened to our customers and now have this exciting news to offer! In our continued effort to make your purchasing experience as easy as possible, Sharpe Mixers now accepts American Express in addition to VISA and MasterCard.

In a hurry? Pick up the phone and call with your credit card order today!

Interphex New York a Success

2009-03-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sharpe Mixers exihibited at Interphex New York, March 17-19, 2009.
While attendence was done from previous years, the quality of the sales leads was very good. The folks that visited the Sharpe Mixers exhibit were quite taken with our ALL STAINLESS STEEL MIXERS AND LIFT STANDS.

New ELS-Series Mixer Lift Stand

2009-02-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

Sharpe Mixers announces the newest entry into their line of of mixer stands. The ELS-Series of Electric Lift Stands joins the Manual-Lift and Air Lift Stands to compliment Sharpe's full line of Portable and All-Stainless portable mixers. The ELS Stands illustrate Sharpe's commitment to build, without compromise, the highest quality equipment available on the market. The ELS Electric-Lift stands
include all the features of the popular ALS Lift Stand, including All-Stainless construction for Wash-Down operation. Sharpe Mixer's new ELS-Series stands use precision machined SS316 components and a 1/2 hp All-Stainless worm gear drive to power the lift cylinder. Available with 36" 48" & 60" stroke length. Other options available for ease of operation include tank positioning arm, tank support strap and mobility options like casters and gliders. The all stainless steel construction meets USDA paint-free equipment mandates for food and beverage plants. Stands can be polished to meet the clean-room demands of the bio-tech and pharmaceutical industries. Complete validation documentation can be provided per ASME-BPE Specifications.

SHARPE MIXERS introduced this new product to the market at Interphex 2009 San Juan Puerto Rico Jan 29-30, 2009