09/11/2026
Great blending starts with the right approach.
Our own Paige O'Meara recently shared some practical best practices for achieving better blending consistency and performance in Plastics Technology’s latest article.
Thanks to Plastics Technology for sharing Paige’s expertise with the industry.
Check it out: https://www.ptonline.com/articles/follow-these-best-practices-for-better-blending
Inaccurate blending leads to structural defects, wasted colorant, and production delays — challenges that a well-specified gravimetric blender is designed to address.
Material cost fluctuations and shrinking technical staff make precise, automated blending increasingly important. A gravimetric blender should handle virgin resins, regrind, colorants, and additives — each with distinct flow characteristics — using dosing algorithms that adapt in real time and correct mid-batch if a deviation occurs.
Key considerations include:
- Colorants and additives defined as separate material types, dosed as percentages of batch or virgin weight to prevent overconsumption
- Regrind managed through dual recipes that automatically adjust ratios based on hopper levels, narrowing viscosity fluctuation
- Placement decisions — throat-mounted or stand-mounted — that account for conveying distance, which directly affects blend homogeneity
- OPC UA integration with MES platforms for real-time material tracking, recipe management, and inventory reordering
- Sensor-based moisture management when working with dried, hygroscopic polymers
A well-curated, homogenous blend plays a large role in how efficient or inefficient a process is. Full technical details are linked below. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/follow-these-best-practices-for-better-blending
