Tetra Pak has launched its next generation high shear inline mixer, promising unparalleled ingredient mixing performance and lower operating costs.

Featuring a new design that produces finer, more consistent and more stable emulsions, the new R370-1000D reduces the need for downstream homogenisation, delivers a better quality end product and cuts energy bills, the company says.

Crucial to the mixer is the restructuring and integration of a built-in deaerating system, a flexible powder introduction system and a newly designed mixing head. This allows the machine to handle the highest viscosities for a recirculation mixer at up to 2,000 cP and break the size of the droplets to 1 micron (0.001 mm), significantly smaller than the industry average of 7 microns.

The output of a much finer, more consistent and more stable emulsion reduces the need for downstream homogenisation, a highly energy-intensive step in food processing. This means that it is now possible to eliminate the homogenisation step altogether in the production of certain types of ice creams, cutting energy consumption by up to 50% in the overall process.

The new mixer can also handle ingredients with up to 65% dry matter, the highest concentration for infant formula production.