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An air jet sieve is a high tech laboratory instrument for precise particle size analysis and distribution of dry powdery materials. Using air jet technology it separates particles by size and density, giving accurate and repeatable results. The core of an air jet sieve is the testsieve, a mesh screen with precise mesh aperture that separates particles into different size fractions. This is key to determining particle size distribution and average particle size, which is crucial for quality control and research in many industries.
The Mikro Air Jet Sieve consists of several key components that work together to provide accurate and reliable particle size analysis. At the heart of the system is the test sieve screen, available in various diameters, including 200mm Test Sieves, including 200mm ISO and 8in ASTM, to accommodate different testing standards. The air jet sieving action is driven by a rotating slotted nozzle, also known as a slotted brass air nozzle, which supplies positive air pressure to the test sieve. This positive air pressure fluidizes the particles, allowing for efficient separation based on size.
A crucial part of the system is the vacuum system, which is purchased separately. This vacuum system draws the exiting air downward, creating a negative pressure that aids in the separation process by preventing particle agglomeration. The clear acrylic sieve cover ensures that the process is contained and visible, while the cast aluminum housing features, including a built-in pressure differential gauge, provide durability and precise control over the sieving process.The integrated computer system, with touch screen display and electronic controls, makes operation easy and allows for particle size points calculation. Users can choose between basic or advanced versions of the Mikro Air Jet Sieve, with the advanced model offering additional features such as comparative overlay of analyses and USB data backup. This advanced model functionality makes the system even more versatile and user friendly, an essential tool for particle size analysis.
Browse our Air Jet Sieve Shakers, sieves and covers. Our Air Sieves are in stainless steel mesh from 20µm to 4.75mm. Each Air Jet Sieve can be used with testing methods AASHTO M 92 and ASTM E 11. Our Air Jet Sieve products also include the replacement Micron Air Jet 200mm Sieve Cover.
We have two Air Jet Sieve Shaker Machines in the Mikro Air Jet Sieve Shaker and the Retsch AS 200Air Jet Sieving Machine. The Mikro Air Jet Sieve Shaker has additional advanced model functionality, such as software for particle size calculation and USB data backup and comparative overlay of analyses. The Mikro Air Jet Sieve Shaker can handle 10 to 100g of dry powders. The AS 200Air Jet Sieve Shaker is ideal for dispersion and separation of powdered materials like cosmetics, coatings and more that is needed from a Mikro air jet sieve.
Air sieves are a modern version of traditional sieving, with technology added to give precision and speed to particle sizes for analysis of dry powder. This overview looks at the design, functionality and applications of air sieves in material testing and quality control. The ability to determine the particle size of dry powder ranging from 20 µm up to 4,750 µm is crucial for various industries, including pharmaceuticals and food, to ensure product specifications and quality control.
Basic Components and Functionality: Air jet test sieves work on a different principle than traditional sieving methods. Instead of using mechanical agitation or manual effort, air sieves use a jet of air that blows through a fine mesh strainer to dislodge particles from the sieve fabric, separating them by size. A collection canister plays a key role in particle recovery by collecting undersize particles drawn through the vacuum system. The device consists of a sieve frame that holds a woven wire mesh or stainless steel mesh with a system to direct air flow through the apertures in a covered test sieve.
Frames: The frames of air sieves are made of stainless steel or brass, chosen for their durability and wear resistance. Stainless steel frames are preferred for their longevity and corrosion resistance.
Mesh Materials: The meshes in air sieves can be made of stainless steel mesh or woven wire mesh to get the precision needed for fine particle separation and other foreign bodies.
Sieve Design: Air sieves are designed to hold one sieve at a time, where air flow is controlled from below to move the particles using standard sizes like the ASTM 8in (203mm) diameter test sieves. This includes a pan below the sieve to collect the particles that pass through the mesh during the process. The design may also include a rotating plate or skirt to redistribute the particles evenly on the mesh surface to get uniform air flow and efficient sieving.
An integral electrical outlet is part of the design, providing a convenient connection for an external vacuum system, which is necessary for the operation of the equipment.
Mesh Sizes and Openings: Air sieves come in various mesh sizes to accommodate different sizes from fine powders to coarse granular materials. The mesh openings are precision engineered to meet standard classifications to get consistent and reproducible results.
Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals: In pharmaceutical industry, air sieves are used to determine the particle distribution of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients to ensure consistency in drug efficacy and delivery. These sieves can also determine the average particle size below a specified cut point, such as D90 < 50 µm. In chemical industry, these sieves are used to analyze size distribution of various chemical powders and compounds to ensure quality control and compliance to industry standards. It is important to use appropriate vacuum systems, especially when dealing with conductive specimens, to ensure accurate results.
Food and Beverage: The food industry uses air sieves to analyze the granulometry of dry ingredients like flour, powdered milk and spices. Particle uniformity in these ingredients is crucial to get the desired texture and flavor in food products.
Construction and Mining: For construction materials like sand and crushed stones, air sieves and sand sieve sets help in grading the aggregates by size which is essential for the quality and strength of concrete and asphalt. In mining, these sieves are used to determine the granulometry of crushed ores and minerals to get efficient processing and refinement of raw materials.
Sieving Technology: Air jet sieving technology uses controlled air flow which not only separates the particles but also prevents the sieve mesh from clogging, a common problem in traditional sieving of fine powders. For maintaining clean sieves and preventing clogging, consider using ultrasonic sieve cleaner machines. This method is ideal for materials that are too fine for standard sieve shakers and provides a fast and reproducible alternative to manual sieving. Additionally, it calculates particle sizes with high precision, enhancing the accuracy and analysis capabilities of distribution.
Traceability and Standards Compliance: Air sieves are designed to meet international standards including ASTM and ISO. This ensures that the sieves can be used globally in industries that require strict quality control. Traceability in manufacturing and testing process is maintained through detailed records and standard operating procedures. Modern air sieves also feature touch screen controls, providing an intuitive interface for users and offering step-by-step instructions to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of analysis.
Proper maintenance of air sieves is important to ensure longevity and accuracy. Lifetime lubricated bearings provide durability and reduce the need for frequent maintenance. Regular cleaning of mesh and air jet system is required to prevent particle buildup that can affect performance. Calibration and periodic servicing is recommended to keep the system running smoothly.Air sieves are a big step forward in analysis technology. With their ability to separate fine particles and prevent mesh clogging through controlled air flow, they have become an essential tool in industries where particle distribution is critical. The rotating slit wand in models like the Mikro Air Jet Sieve® MAJSx2 ensures accurate size analysis by enabling positive airflow that disperses and deagglomerates powder samples. As technology advances, these devices will continue to get more accurate, efficient and compliant to international testing standards.
Process control is critical in these applications to maintain consistent product quality and verify final product specifications through accurate analysis.
Several advantages over traditional sieving:
Efficient Dispersion: Air sieves disperses particles efficiently for accurate particle size distribution analysis.
High Accuracy: Air sieves are ideal for quality control and R&D applications, gives reliable and reproducible results.
Easy to Use: These sieves are user friendly and requires minimal training, for wide range of users.
Versatile: Air sieves can handle dry powders and wet samples, for various applications.
These benefits make air sieves the preferred choice for industries that require particle size analysis. The external vacuum system plays a crucial role in particle recovery by creating negative pressure to efficiently carry undersized particles to a collection canister, ensuring optimal performance and high recovery rates of fine particles during the sieving process.
Choose the right air jet sieve:
Air Jet Max: What is the maximum air jet pressure and nozzle speed required for your application?
Sieve Stack: How many sieves do you need and how easy is the sieve stack to use for your testing?
Vacuum System: What type of vacuum system do you need for your application and how user friendly is it?
Analysis: What type of particle analysis do you need and how accurate and reliable is the air jet sieve?
By considering these, you can choose the right air jet sieve for you, for accurate particle size distribution analysis, making it a more economical option compared to a laser diffraction analyzer.
There are also separate models configured for ISO 200mm, such as specific testing standards and ASTM 8in test sieves, for more flexibility in laboratory requirements.
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