At Dynamix we focus on torque as opposed to horsepower when designing our mixers. Torque is a parameter which is preferable in mixing. By using larger diameter impellers and higher gear ratios, higher torque is produced, and more efficient mixing can be obtained. This can be done without using a high horsepower motor and high mixer speeds (RPM).
What is torque and horsepower? Horsepower is equal to the RPM times Torque, divided by 5252. Therefore, lower RPM gives higher torque at the same power.
A simple way to think about torque versus horsepower, is to imagine a Semi Truck and a Formula 1 racing car.
These vehicles, the truck and car, are known to have the largest towing capacity, and the highest top speed, respectively. With both vehicles parked at the bottom of a 10% grade paved hill, who will win in a race to the top of the hill? The racing car will. However, what if attached to the hitch of each vehicle, was a large boat and trailer. Let us say this adds an additional 10,000 lbs. This will put a huge load on the engine. Now, who will win in a race to the top?
The Semi Truck is rated for 440 Horsepower, and 1550-pound feet of torque at 1500 RPM. The F1 car is rated for 1000hp, and 350-pound feet of torque at 15,000 RPM. The larger gear ratios in the truck add to this torque rating, resulting in a better towing capacity. Now, if both vehicles raced from the bottom of a hill, the truck would win without a doubt. The mechanical advantage of torque, and its definition of force times distance, with regards to larger diameter gears, wins in a towing battle.
To bring this back to mixing, Dynamix offers a wide range of impeller diameters and gear ratios, to achieve similar results as the truck vs. racing car. You can think of the viscosity, (how thick a fluid is), as a “boat and trailer”, or a load on the engine. To overcome this load on the engine, a higher torque must be obtained. We can achieve optimal mixing, using a lower horsepower motor, to reach product uniformity quicker. This in turn also saves the cost, by not buying a higher horsepower motor, and increases mixer portability by having a lighter motor.
Another good resource to understand more about torque read this video by the blog Mixing 101: Torque and the Art of Mixing,.
