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Liquid Addition in Blending

Automatic incorporation of liquids

The Matcon Liquid Addition system adds liquids directly to the powder batch during mixing without stopping or opening the IBC.

During each rotation cycle liquid is pumped from a mounted holding tank into the IBC clamped on the blender. Each controlled 'shot' of liquid is dispensed to the tip of the high shear intensifier which rapidly and evenly disperses the liquid throughout the powder mix, preventing the formation of lumps and agglomerates.

Recipe changeovers are quicker than with traditional fixed mixer liquid addition models as the IBC is the blending vessel and is cleaned off-line.

Both High Volume and Low Volume models available.

Liquid is added during powder blending to introduce functional ingredients evenly into the mix while improving product performance and process efficiency. Manufacturers may add oils, flavours, fats or other liquids to improve dispersion, support recipe functionality, and avoid the need for a separate two-stage process.

The challenge is achieving uniform distribution without forming lumps, over-wetting local areas or opening the vessel during blending. Matcon blending equipment addresses this by injecting controlled liquid doses directly into the powder during each rotation and using a high shear intensifier to disperse the liquid rapidly and evenly through the batch.

Adding liquids to powders presents challenges in achieving even distribution without creating lumps, over-wetting, flow issues or unnecessary downtime.

The main difficulties are dispersing the liquid uniformly through the powder mass, preventing agglomerates from forming, and keeping the process contained and hygienic while the blend is in motion. There can also be operational challenges if liquid addition requires the vessel to be opened, extra manual handling, or a separate blending stage, all of which can reduce efficiency.

Matcon IBC blenders are designed to solve these issues by injecting controlled liquid doses directly into the powder during each rotation and using a high shear intensifier to disperse the liquid rapidly and evenly.

Liquid addition is best achieved by metering the liquid into the blender in controlled doses rather than adding it all at once, which helps prevent over-wetting and supports more uniform distribution.

Matcon does this by injecting a measured liquid ‘shot’ during each blender rotation, with pre-programmed recipes that can be repeated for consistent process control. The system also uses loss-in-weight monitoring on the liquid tank to guide the blending stages and confirm that the correct quantity is being delivered. This approach helps manufacturers control liquid addition more precisely, maintain blend quality and scale powder recipes more reliably.