Original Design of Werner & Pfleiderer
Universal Mixer and Kneader UMIX and UMIX-L
For mixing and kneading of medium- and highly viscous compounds in batch operation Harburg- Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH/ HF offers the production kneader series UMIX and the laboratory kneader series UMIX-L. The machine sizes range from 0.25 to 4,300 liter useful volume. Their field of application comprises the rubber-, plastics, paint-, adhesives, pharmaceutical-, cosmetics- and foods industry as well as the general chemicals industry. Depending on the application, the treated product is extracted by tilting of the mixing chamber, by a discharge screw or via bottom discharge valves.
Beside new machines HF offers spare parts and comprehensive maintenance packages for mixers and kneaders in operation; also for machines built by Werner & Pfleiderer (W&P), Coperion and Homrich.
The packages are individually adapted to the machine configuration and customer’s production process. HF also carries out modifications to alternative materials.
Further features are (depending on model and/or size):
- Process control by temperature controlled mixing chambers and rotors
- Rotor geometry, materials and drive capacity are adapted to the application
- Profile extrusion via nozzles and pelletizing in connection with discharge screws
History
In 1873, the mechanic Paul Freyburger from Stuttgart (Germany) obtained the patent for his “mixing and kneading machine with two elliptic stirring discs”, intended for kneading and stirring of dough, paints und clay. The principle of the UMIX Universal Mixing and Kneading Machine dates back to this invention by Freyburger.
In 1875 Paul Pfleiderer founded a sales company in London to sell the mixing and kneading machines invented by Freyburger. One year later, Mr. Pfleiderer set up a company in Stuttgart for the same purpose.
Several years later the brothers Hermann and Paul Pfleiderer on one hand and Hermann Werner on the other hand founded their own manufacturing companies.
In 1880, Paul Pfleiderer and Hermann Werner, registered their common enterprise as Werner & Pfleiderer at the court of Bad Cannstatt (Germany). Anticipating success, Paul Pfleiderer had purchased Paul Freyburger‘s patent for the mixing and kneading machine „at a price of 900 German Marks for all times and in all countries”.
Soon, the company became known around the by the acronym W&P.
Since that time thousands of these UK Universal Kneaders were sold for a wide range of applications in the chemical, printing, plastics, colour, adhesives, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries.
In 1969, a hundred years later, W&P acquired Homrich a manufacturing company located in Freudenberg (Germany). Homrich was W&P’s competitor in the field of rubber kneaders as well as universal mixing and kneading machines up to a useful volume of 2000 liters. Even under the roof of Werner & Pfleiderer, universal mixing and kneading machines were produced in Freudenberg until the late 1980’s. Eventually, W&P decided to relocate this sector of their business to their headquarters in Stuttgart.
In 2013, Harburg-Freudenberger Maschinenbau GmbH, the successor of W&P’s branch in Freudenberg (Germany), acquired the mixing and kneading machines business from Coperion GmbH, a successor of Werner & Pfleiderer as well.
Since that time these mixing machines, which are also designated as Sigma kneaders, are manufactured under the name UMIX Mixing and Kneading Machine in Freudenberg again and gain benefit from Harburg-Freudenberger’s extensive know-how in the field of batch mixing.