If you have ever bought paint you know that it can be very important to mix the contents of a paint can before you use it. The same can be said of the content of many large 55 gallon drums, however; these larger drums are not nearly as easy to shake as a can of paint. This is where the Morse Series of drum handling equipment can come into play. If you need to ensure that the material in your large 55 gallon drums is mixed before use, then Douglas Equipment has the equipment you need.
We have been in the material handling equipment business for almost 60 years and have a dedicated service team to help you with any questions you may have when it comes to drum tumblers. We carry two different varieties of equipment that can mix the content of your drums to suit your needs, both built by Morse Manufacturing, a leader in the manufacturing of drum handling equipment.
Two Ways To Mix Your Drum Contents
There are two ways to accomplish the task of mixing the content of your 55 gallon drums. The first is to roll the drum, and the second is to provide a more vigorous end over end rotation to the drum. At Douglas Equipment we sell both varieties of drum mixing equipment, and have the experience to help you discover what you need for your unique situation.
Below you will find explanations of the two types of equipment and some information to help you better understand what you may need.
How Drum Rollers Work
The action of the drum roller is much like setting the drum on its side and rolling it along the floor. This will mix the contents inside the drum, but there may be limited motion of the contents from one end of the drum to the other. These units have rotation speeds from 5 rpm to 30 rpm, and can handle 500 pound to 1,000 pound liquid loads or 250 pound to 400 pound dry loads.
These units are more light weight than the alternate tumblers, but can include easy load features such as the Hydra-Lift Drum Roller (weighs 625 pounds) which allows you to insert your drum in the upright position at floor level then use the hydraulic system to lift the drum in place thus eliminating the hazards of manual drum loading. There is also a portable drum roller available that will allow you to mix drums at the point of use if desired (at a weight of 168 pounds.)
How Drum Tumblers Work
If you need to provide a greater shaking motion than simply rolling the drum, then you will want to look into drum tumblers. The tumblers can provide a mixing motion to better allow contents to move from one end of the drum to the other during agitation. Drum tumblers are useful for heavy materials like thick liquids, powders, coarse pellets or wet grains. Drum tumblers, unlike the drum rollers above, are larger and therefore stationary machines, so the drums will need to come to the tumbler.
Drum tumblers come in two styles, but both provide thorough mixing to put valuable ingredients back into suspension within your drums. The end-over-end drum tumbler holds the drum at the center and spins the drum end over end as the name implies. The tilt-to-load drum tumbler provides a thorough mixing with a corner-over-corner tumbling action using an ergonomic power-lift to rotate the drum.
End-Over-End Drum Tumblers
The Morse End-Over-End Drum Tumbler rotates a 55-gallon steel drum to provide a vigorous mix. The drum rotation speed is 13 RPM, and variable speed models are available that adjust from 3 to 20RPM. This tumbler is ideal for very viscous substances, wet grains, dry powders or course granules. Options for this unit include factory installed load cranes (one or two), a clamp screw kit to hold a 55 gallon plastic drum and a guard enclosure kit with safety interlock. Capacity is 800 pounds for a full drum or 400 pounds for a half full drum. The unit weight is 621 pounds.
Tilt-To-Load Drum Tumblers
The Morse Tilt To Load Drum Tumbler allows you to load a 55-gallon drum upright at floor level, secure the drum in the holder, and then use one handle to lift the drum and a second handle to control drum rotation. Drum rotation speed is variable from 5 to 20 RPM (50Hz models have 20% reduction in drum RPM). The unit is able to rotate steel, plastic or fiber drums of various sizes (29” to 37” tall by 18” to 23.5” diameter.) Options available on these models include explosion-proof motor or air motor for hazardous areas and a guard enclosure kit with safety interlock. Capacity is 800 pounds for a full drum or 400 pounds for a half full drum. Half full capacity is for a bottom heavy, unbalanced or shifting load, which is harder to tilt than a full drum. Unit weight is 1,240 pounds.
We Are Here to Serve Your Drum Tumbler Requirements
So if you need to mix the contents of your 55 gallon drums and are located in the United States, South America or the Caribbean, our experts can help you meet your unique needs from our South Florida location. Our team of expert service personnel can work through your specific needs and questions and help find the drum handling equipment that is right for you. Contact us today.
