Large Sanitary SS Mixer

Product Overview

The large sanitary SS mixer is the high-flow member of the sanitary mixer family. It is built in DN100, DN125, DN150, DN200, DN250, and DN300 main-line sizes, with the same polished SS316L housing and tri-clamp ferrule ends as the standard sanitary mixer, but with a much larger internal volume to handle flow rates up to 500 m³/h. The mixing element is the SK helical geometry, which is open, drainable, and CIP-friendly at the larger pipe diameters — the SV corrugated plate geometry becomes impractical above DN100 because the elements are too large to clean in a standard CIP cycle.

The large sanitary mixer is the natural choice for brewery, dairy, beverage, and pharmaceutical CIP/SIP loops where the flow rate exceeds 50 m³/h. A typical brewery CIP loop operates at 100-200 m³/h and uses DN150-DN200 mixers at the chemical injection points. A typical dairy processing line operates at 50-150 m³/h and uses DN100-DN150 mixers for the standard ingredient blending points. A typical pharmaceutical buffer make-up skid operates at 20-50 m³/h and uses DN80-DN100 mixers — the boundary case between the standard and the large sanitary versions.

The unit is rated for the standard PN16 (10 bar) sanitary pressure class and the standard EPDM gasket temperature envelope of -10°C to +130°C. The polished surface is Ra ≤ 0.8 μm mechanical as standard, with electropolish to Ra ≤ 0.4 μm available for bioprocess service. The element pack is removable for cleaning and inspection, and the housing remains in the line. CIP at 1.5-2.0 m/s and SIP at 121-130°C are both supported, with the validation report supplied per EHEDG and 3-A requirements.

Design Features

The large sanitary housing is a fabricated SS316L shell with two tri-clamp ferrule ends. For DN100-DN150, the housing can be a single forging, but for DN200 and above, fabrication from rolled SS316L plate is more economical. The longitudinal and circumferential welds are full-penetration TIG, ground, and re-polished to the same Ra finish as the unwelded bore. The housing is designed for a 1.5× safety margin on burst per ASME B31.3, with a full MTR and ferrite report.

The mixing element is the SK helical geometry, with elements twisted from SS316L flat bar and welded end-to-end to form a continuous helix. The helix is supported at the upstream end by a welded shoulder and is free to slide at the downstream end to accommodate thermal expansion. The number of elements is 4-6 for DN100, increasing to 6-8 for DN300. The element pack is removable as a single assembly, supported on a precision spigot inside the housing.

Inside the housing, the element pack is positioned with a 1-2° slope toward the outlet to ensure drainability. The polished surface (Ra ≤ 0.8 μm) is verified by a surface-finish report per ASME BPE. The housing is passivated per ASTM A967 (citric acid or nitric acid), with a final rinse of WFI for pharmaceutical service. The mixer is then double-bagged in a Class 100 cleanroom and shipped in a sealed poly bag inside a cardboard carton.

For high-pressure service above PN16, the housing is reinforced with a thicker wall and the tri-clamp ferrules are upgraded to higher-pressure ratings. For PN25 service, the ferrules are per the high-pressure tri-clamp tables, and the clamp is a heavy-duty bolt-clamp rather than the standard pinch-clamp. For PN40 service, the mixer is built with butt-weld ends rather than tri-clamp — see the high-pressure tri-clamp mixer variant for the PN25-PN40 range.

Technical Specifications

Parameter	Value
Connection Standard	Tri-clamp per ISO 2852 / DIN 32676 / ASME BPE / BS 4825-3
Pipe Diameter Range	DN100 (4") to DN300 (12") — custom to DN600
Pressure Rating	PN16 (10 bar at 25°C) — PN25 / PN40 on request
Flow Rate Range	DN100: 50-150 m³/h / DN150: 100-250 m³/h / DN300: 250-500 m³/h
Temperature Range	-10°C to +130°C (EPDM) / -20°C to +200°C (PTFE)
Housing Material	SS316L (≤ 0.030% C, ASTM A479) — fabricated plate
Mixing Element	SK helical (default) — 4-8 elements depending on DN
Surface Finish (Wetted)	Ra ≤ 0.8 μm mechanical (default) / Ra ≤ 0.4 μm electropolish
Gasket	EPDM USP Class VI (default), FKM, PTFE, Silicone
CIP Velocity	1.5-2.5 m/s (pressure drop < 0.5 bar at max CIP)
Certifications	ASME BPE, 3-A 18-03, EHEDG Doc 8, FDA, USP Class VI
Packaging	Class 100 cleanroom double-bag for bioprocess service

Connection Options

The default connection is tri-clamp ferrule ends, drilled to ISO 2852 for European and Asian sanitary plants. The ferrule sizes stocked are 4" (DN100), 6" (DN150), 8" (DN200), 10" (DN250), and 12" (DN300). The clamp is a heavy-duty bolt-clamp for DN150 and above, because the standard pinch-clamp does not provide enough clamping force for the larger gasket.

For European sanitary plants, DIN 32676 tri-clamp is available in the same ferrule sizes. For North American sanitary and dairy plants, ASME BPE tri-clamp is supplied with the BPE ferrule dimensions and surface finish codes. For UK and Commonwealth dairy plants, BS 4825-3 is available with the UKAS-accredited surface-finish report.

Weld-end sanitary connections (orbital weld stubs per ASME BPE) are available for permanent sanitary installations. The weld stubs are polished to the same Ra finish as the housing, and the orbital weld is performed in the field by a certified orbital welding operator. This is the standard for high-purity pharmaceutical water systems where the tri-clamp gasket is considered a potential contamination source.

For high-pressure service, the mixer can be supplied with butt-weld ends per ASME BPE instead of tri-clamp. This is used in pharmaceutical water-for-injection (WFI) loops that operate above 10 bar, and in steam-sanitized loops that operate above 3 bar saturated steam. The butt-weld ends allow a higher pressure rating (up to PN40) at the cost of losing the easy-clean feature of the tri-clamp joint.

Applications

Brewhouse and CIP loops in breweries. Large sanitary mixers are used in brewhouse and CIP return loops to inject cleaning chemicals and to blend process streams. The DN150-DN200 sizes match the typical brewhouse flow rates of 100-200 m³/h, and the polished surface supports the brewery CIP cycle (180°C caustic + 80°C acid). The mixer is also used at the hop and yeast dosing points in the fermentation cellar.

Milk processing and standardization. Large dairy plants use DN100-DN200 sanitary mixers for milk standardization, cream blending, and yogurt mix preparation. The 3-A 18-03 certification is required by the dairy regulatory regime, and the polished surface meets the EHEDG hygienic design criteria. The mixer handles flow rates of 50-200 m³/h with CIP at 1.5-2.0 m/s.

Beverage blending and carbonation. Soft drink, juice, and sports drink blending uses large sanitary mixers to combine the sugar syrup, the concentrate, the water, and the CO₂. The DN100-DN200 sizes match the typical bottling-line flow rates of 50-200 m³/h. The polished surface supports the CIP cycle and prevents flavor carryover between batches.

WFI and purified water distribution. Large pharmaceutical WFI loops use DN100-DN200 sanitary mixers to maintain a homogeneous conductivity and to support in-line analytical measurements. The polished surface and the SIP capability are essential for the aseptic boundary. The mixer is typically installed in the loop return, where the flow is always turbulent and the mixing efficiency is highest.

Pharmaceutical buffer and media preparation. Large pharmaceutical buffer and media preparation skids use DN100-DN150 sanitary mixers for buffer concentrate + WFI blending. The polished surface supports the validated CIP/SIP cycle, and the larger size allows the make-up skid to produce 1,000-5,000 L batches in a single shift.

Frequently Asked Questions

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