March 2010 Editor's Picks: Products from Munters and NETZSCH

Munters
Air handlers feature double-wall panel construction
Integrated Custom Air handlers (ICA) from Munters (Amesbury, MA) are designed to help integrate desiccant dehumidifiers into other air-conditioning components. The devices feature double-wall panel construction and an 0.75-in. thermal break that prevents exterior condensation. Models are available with 2.5- and 4-in. wall thickness. The ICA units also include Triple Slope stainless drain pans to eliminate standing water in the cooling sections. The ICA units are available with Galvalume, aluminum, and stainless-steel interiors and exteriors. The devices are suitable for protecting hygroscopic powders during tablet operations such as weighing, mixing, blending, and compressing.

A Siemens programmable logic control enables personnel to operate the dehumidifier and the integrated system. The control is intended to ensure consistent equipment performance and maximize energy efficiency. The air handlers include Munters’s PowerPurge energy-optimization package, which reduces the amount of energy required to reactivate the units by as much as 40%.

NETZSCH Fine Particle Technology
Mills accommodate various grinding media
The updated Mini and Micro series agitator bead mills from NETZSCH Fine Particle Technology (Exton, PA) have a smaller footprint than earlier versions of the machines. The mills’ seal-flush systems and cooling-water hoses are integrated into their machine frames, thus providing installations that are neater and easier to clean than before, according to John Hill, the company’s application and process advisor.

The devices can use grinding media between 50 µm and 2 mm in size, thus allowing operators to grind particles to a size of 25 nm. The units accommodate zirconium-oxide, stainless-steel, and polyurethane grinding chambers for specific applications. The mills perform wet grinding of 0.05–1.5-L batches and yield particles as small as 10 nm. In addition, the mills let users adjust the pump speed and mill agitator speed separately, thus providing complete control over the grinding process, says Hill.