Mix
Mixing in the context of mix-and-blend systems means bringing together the right proportions of ingredients to create a particular recipe. A mix-and-blend system allows IQF ingredients arriving in 2,500 or 1,000 pound totes to be loaded into bin cradles, where the contents of the totes can be dumped into the primary hoppers as needed. Specialized equipment below the primary hoppers prepare and measure the ingredients into a collection system that delivers the blend to the next stage in the process.
  • Mix-and-blend systems are usually either entirely volumetric systems or weighing systems, although hybrids can be designed
  • Most mix-and-blend systems are comprised of sanitary design dumping cradles, primary hoppers, cluster breakers, some kind of metering device, and a collection conveyor
  • The food products most commonly associated with these systems are IQF vegetables or fruits, but they can also be tailored to work with snack foods and even some trail mixes
  • Pin-style or star-wheel cluster breakers reduce baseball sized clusters of product to smaller size clusters or individual pieces
  • The smaller sized product is accurately metered into the flow via a combination flow control/metering device such as a metering unit or electromagnetic conveyor or other device
  • A collection system delivers the measured ingredients to the next step in the process which could be a scale head, mixer, cooker, etc.
  • Automated controls can run the system post-dumping
  • Our mix-and-blend systems offer far too many options to be explained in any web page; it is best to consult with our knowledgeable distributors and agents