Magnetic agitator has reliable ‘run-dry’ capabilities
Zeta Biopharma
Classic rotor designs use the motion of an impeller in liquid to create lift, reducing friction with the bearing. With this new design, the impeller now rides on a magnetic field, so the lifting function of the impeller blades is no longer needed, and the shape of the blades can be optimized for mixing. Designed for pharmaceutical, food-industry and biotechnology applications, this company’s Zeta-BMRT magnetic agitators feature a levitated magnetic impeller. Fabricated from magnetic materials, it creates a strong magnetic field, and this magnetic force is used to lift the impeller, reducing friction in the impeller’s ceramic bearing, and eliminating the opportunity for potential contamination that can arise when bearing friction may release particles into the liquid. Instead of the traditional, angled blades, the nearly-vertical blades on this agitator help to achieve a shorter mixing time with the same energy input, says the company. Meanwhile, the latest magnetic materials also make it possible to transmit a higher torque to the impeller, allowing an agitator of the same size as before to mix a significantly larger volume of liquid. This agitator is ideal for applications where the user may want to empty the vessel (down to the last drop, says the company), while still keeping the agitator running, says the company. — Zeta Biopharma, Graz, Austria