[VitalikButerin]

I’ll give a short overview, 

There’s a motor ($100), you can connect it to a pole - that’s stainless steel worth $10 at best grade - by using a motor shaft couple ($4) or a drill chuck 

You can buy blades that cut and metals never mind mix liquids for $5 lab size.. 

You need a tap and die set to connect the blade to the pole 

[VitalikButerin]

@Max I feel like making a video on how to make your own stirrers! $1000 is wel over priced 

The industry sells things for expensive due to the low levels of sales, it’s not mass produce 

[VitalikButerin]

@Doreen @Belassi thanks for the heads up.. 

[VitalikButerin]

@Belassi @Doreen 

Thanks both, makes you wonder if china can produce these items and sell them to you at 1/10 of the price of european/american companies (who probably get them made in china)  - we are getting smoked! 

[VitalikButerin]

Thanks Aziz said:

Hi , I am using a ten dollar pH meter . Its name is ATC , china . At first I was in doubt , if it will work or not . I calibrate it as per mannual , now it is woorking fine , Acuracy is + -  .1 pH . 

[VitalikButerin]

CMprocesser said:

You can verify it by using a Brookfield certified known value standard.
Brookfield will have to do the actual calibration. All you can do is a verification. 

Thanks, just found out they charge around $200 - 

You’ll end up spending more on maintainance than on the item if you get it second hand and need maintainance  every 6 months 

Do you know an alternative way of measuring viscosity 

[VitalikButerin]

DAS said:

No. You will have to send it to Brookfield for maintenance, or a trusted local service. In the end sometimes is cheaper to buy a new one considering it’s old and doesn’t include spindles. 

how much will they charge for maintenance ? 

can we not just calibrate it ourselves? 

[VitalikButerin]

MakingSkincare said:

VitalikButerin, @Perry, @SwiftCraftyMonkey and I are running a free online formulation course: http://www.learncosmeticformulation.com which will teach you formulation basics. 

Thanks a lot 

What about mixing? 

- knowing at what speed I need to mix at? 
- knowing the type of paddle or blade? 
- knowing whether to cook under pressure or not? 

[VitalikButerin]

mikethair said:

VitalikButerin said:

mikethair said:

For us, stainless water jacketed tanks made in the USA, commercial mixers used in the restaurant industry.

Nice use of industrial/heavy duty  food mixers! 

Can you regulate tempt specifically using the jacketed tanks? 

Can do, electric heater with themostat. We also  monitor with thermometer. All made in the USA. We steer clear of China made equipment.

Quick question: 

You once spoke about your Chinese homogenizer being rubbish and chucked it away.. 

Did it just stop working? Or was it not doing its job?

[VitalikButerin]

SkinNP said:

Not sure what you are making, but I’ll give what I have learned so far and let others chime in to correct the record if they see fit. Stirring doesn’t mean you have produced a homogeneous mixture, but if you have homogenized then you likely did so by stirring (maybe agitation is possible in other contexts as well). So, when they say homogenize, I think they’re saying disperse ingredients evenly (presumably by stirring). No skin off my back if someone wants to differ with me on this.

Mixing equipment is really important. Bad equipment will frustrate you, and make your results hard to duplicate. Make sure the shaft is true, the range of speeds appropriate, and the propeller shape and size appropriate for what you are aiming to achieve. I try to get the propeller to about 2/3 the depth of the material. The mixing vessel should be at least 3 times the diameter of the propeller, have straight sides, flat bottom, and not react with your ingredients. Mix at a speed that doesn’t introduce a lot of air into the material, or cause foaming. In my experience, you need at least 20 minutes at a speed sufficient to produce a nice vortex (but not much faster).

For what it’s worth. Good luck.

How can you tell if your mixing is going wrong? 

[VitalikButerin]

Dirtnap1 said:

You are correct. Mixing will not break down and homogonize as a high speed/sheer mixer/blades do.

Mixing will keep product in suspension and help with hot spots etc.

Homogonizing will form the emulsion (if making emulsion) and blends the ingredients together. 

Really depends on your formula(s) weather or not you need to homogonize or simply mix. 

Thanks, just a quick question…

For example, i have a formula that says: 

- first use homogeniser until disperse or for one hour..
- continue stirring 
- use propeller blade 
- use paddle blade 

my question is, why the specification on different blade? what do they do differently? 

[VitalikButerin]

mikethair said:

For us, stainless water jacketed tanks made in the USA, commercial mixers used in the restaurant industry.

mike, do you use electric heated ones or you use a steam generator? 

[VitalikButerin]

Hi guys,

just found out that you need a VFD to change the speed of a motor..

@Belassi
 you shouldn’t change the speed on a brushless motor, its not made for it! what are you getting people into 

[VitalikButerin]

@Belassi  Brushless DC Motor? aren’t they very small and weak?

also how is it on controls RPM speed? via voltage? 

[VitalikButerin]

If you are crafty enough you can buy a 

https://www.manomano.co.uk/workshop-crane/2t-heavy-duty-hydraulic-folding-workshop-engine-crane-hoist-lift-stand-wheels-8058993?model_id=8058993

and suit it to fit to your needs

Only part left is the actual mixer head for a shear homogeniser - maybe can request from china through alibaba?

[VitalikButerin]

SkinNP said:

Not sure what you are making, but I’ll give what I have learned so far and let others chime in to correct the record if they see fit. Stirring doesn’t mean you have produced a homogeneous mixture, but if you have homogenized then you likely did so by stirring (maybe agitation is possible in other contexts as well). So, when they say homogenize, I think they’re saying disperse ingredients evenly (presumably by stirring). No skin off my back if someone wants to differ with me on this.

Mixing equipment is really important. Bad equipment will frustrate you, and make your results hard to duplicate. Make sure the shaft is true, the range of speeds appropriate, and the propeller shape and size appropriate for what you are aiming to achieve. I try to get the propeller to about 2/3 the depth of the material. The mixing vessel should be at least 3 times the diameter of the propeller, have straight sides, flat bottom, and not react with your ingredients. Mix at a speed that doesn’t introduce a lot of air into the material, or cause foaming. In my experience, you need at least 20 minutes at a speed sufficient to produce a nice vortex (but not much faster).

For what it’s worth. Good luck.

Thanks, i sought of gathered homogenize is where it breaks down soluble particles into the liquid mixture - stirring alone doesnt do this properly.

You need a strong blade and mechanism that traps in particles to break them quicker. 

[VitalikButerin]

Would help to know what country you’re in 

[VitalikButerin]

mikethair said:

I use a custom made filling machine made by Universal Filling Machine Company in the UK. It is very well engineered, precise, and hand operated. http://www.universalfilling.com

Part of the process was that I sent samples of our liquids to them for testing before they released the machine. To-date, after four years of solid use, the results have been excellent. It covers bottle sizes 30 mL to 250 mL +

Price ex-works in 2004 was £3,450.00. I’m very happy with this machine.

wouldn’t you say thats very pricey ?

[VitalikButerin]

Bill_Toge said:

have a look on ebay and Alibaba - there’s an extraordinary range of machinery for sale

for what it’s worth I’d suggest going with semi-automatic to start with, unless you’re making very high volumes; more heavily automated a machine is (hence, the more complex), the harder to maintain and the more expensive it gets

have you ever tried alibaba machinery? 

[VitalikButerin]

Gunther said:

Did you mean tubes like these?

If so, then there are some sturdy, metal “syringes” that work fine and are cheap.
Make sure you do NOT have an airthight seal, as you want air to be able to escape.
Such “syringes” may need an extension nozzle tube to reach the bottom of the cosmetic tube to begin filling it from the bottom, as to avoid trapping air.

Some of them even have a caulk gun grip
Something like this, only with a longer outlet tube

That’s a lot for both explanations… 

Is there a semi automatic machine that can do it? 

Or will I have to weld a pneumatic semi automatic machine with a syringe haha 

[VitalikButerin]

I found mash kettle should do the job 

[VitalikButerin]

Fekher said:

@VitalikButerin  actually i work in stainless steel tank.
 

how do you monitor temp? and control it

[VitalikButerin]

LisaS said:

If it doesn’t say on the package of jars that it was sanitized, that’s up to you and your confidence in the product’s preservative system. 

Hi Lisa, by law when manufacturing - does the manufacturer have to make sure the product packaging is sanitized 

[VitalikButerin]

Janine said:

Depend on the fill amount but around 28 cents a tube.

Including supplying the tube? 

[VitalikButerin]

Dirtnap1 said:

Stainless water jacketed tanks for me. Simple drill mixers with various blades depending on formula.

do you recommend any brand for the jacked tanks? which country are they ?