Mixer Maintenance Guide

We designed our industrial mixers to require minimal maintenance over the lifespan of their operation. Here’s our suggested maintenance schedule to keep your mixer running reliably for years.

Mixer Maintenance Schedule

DAILY

Your mixer should be checked daily for things out of the ordinary: looking for leaks, unusual noises or vibrations. If your mixer is operating differently than normal, it can be an indication that something is wrong. Mixing should cease immediately for further investigation.

WEEKLY

Every week perform a visual inspection of any seals, bearings, and couplings on your mixer.

Bearings can be checked by hand by removing the shaft and inspecting the shaft for wear or worn grooves from the shaft bearing. This inspection can also be done with direct drive mixers by spinning the shaft by hand and feeling for any place that feels rough as you spin. Bearings that have gone bad typically make a grinding when the shaft is spun. Mixers that have gearboxes may have too much torque to turn by hand.

Seals that show cracks or damage should be replaced immediately.

It may be difficult to check these components weekly, but one hour of maintenance checks can save weeks of downtime if problems are not discovered before it is too late.

MONTHLY

Check the alignment of your mixer and perform a shaft straightness check.

Check the condition of your impeller. Impellers can wear out over time, and if damage is discovered, it might be time to replace them.
Conditions to look for include:

• Chipping on impeller blades
• Large pits forming on the surface of the impeller
• Severe rounding of the angled edges
• Cracks forming in welds

Cleaning Your Mixer

Mixers should be cleaned regularly to prevent material buildup. Unless you have a clean-in-place (CIP) mixer, take care when cleaning non-wetted components to avoid ruining them with liquids.

Wear Item Life Expectancy

Seals and bearings tend to last between 6 and 12 months, but their life span drastically varies depending on use and mixing environment.

Shaft Sleeves

If your mixer has a hardened seal, you may have been provided with a shaft sleeve. Shaft sleeves are wear items that protect the shaft from the seal. This item should be checked every 6 to 12 months and replaced accordingly. If the sleeve is worn out and there is galling on the shaft, a shaft sleeve can still be placed over that damaged area. Shaft sleeves and hardened seals, like our SB40 lip seal, should be replaced together.

Economy Gearboxes

Our helical and worm gearboxes are economic and reliable. They generally do not require lubrication or maintenance. If any problems are discovered with one of these gearboxes, reach out to MXD product support. If the gearbox is not in warranty, generally you would just want to replace these gearboxes.

Nord Premium Gearboxes

Nord gearboxes tend to require minimal maintenance depending on the model type. Refer to the Nord manual for more information on maintenance. These gearboxes have seals that can be replaced. MXD can help you ID and source these parts but replacing parts on Nord gearboxes are performed at your own risk.

Air Motor Maintenance

MXD Provided Air motors must be lubricated during use. It is suggested that you use an in-line lubricator. This is a device that connected into your air line and provides adequate lubrication for your air motor.

Every 6 months, it is suggested that you disassemble your air motor to inspect gaskets and vanes. Air motor rebuild kits can be purchased from MXD Process and will provide all the components to replace vanes and gaskets for you air motor.