VAK KIMSA
Optimising Inline Shear Geometry for Superior O/W Emulsification Performance
Achieving consistent emulsification is not simply a matter of spinning faster.
Achieving consistent emulsification is not simply a matter of spinning faster.
Many formulators chase rotational speed or tip velocity, only to find that droplet size distribution remains unpredictable and unstable. The real variable is shear exposure — how much of the product experiences effective shear, how often, and under what flow conditions.
At Vak Kimsa, we engineered the Micelvak inline emulsifier around this principle: geometry drives performance, not speed alone.
Shear is a field, not a number
When discussing emulsification, the industry tends to reduce shear to a single figure. CFD analysis tells a different story. Shear rate is not uniform across the rotor domain — it concentrates in discrete zones defined by tooth height, channel number and channel width. A rotor producing extreme local shear in a small volume can underperform against one that delivers slightly lower, but far more evenly distributed, shear across the full flow.
This is the core design challenge for any inline emulsifier: maximising the fraction of the product that experiences shear sufficient to overcome interfacial restoring forces, on every pass.
Come and read this and other technical articles in our LinkedBlog:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/vak-kimsa-sa
https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/mixing-with-you-7371066451119554561/
https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7371066451119554561
Other news
Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Live
We understand that attending a FAT in person requires time, travel and coordination — costs that do not always fit within project budgets.
Mixing Carbopol or Xanthan Gum
Mixing Xanthan gum? Carbopol? Both at the same time? In the cosmetic industry, thickening agents are as commonplace as they are notoriously difficult to disperse. Depending on the concentrations used, the manufacturing process can become a real headache.
The Importance of Viscosity Data In an Agitation Process
In the design and optimization of industrial processes with agitators, one of the most critical and yet most misunderstood parameters is product viscosity.
How smart dilution cuts costs and CO₂
Each year, companies across the personal care and detergency industries lose thousands of euros on something they don’t even realize: transporting water.
Real confidence before you scale: Pilot Plant
An incorrect selection of the agitator or mixer forces production stoppages and costly redesigns.
Evaluation of Process Efficiency via CFD
The real issue: An operation that seems to work, but conceals critical inefficiencies.
When you want to run mixing trials in a real plant
When a company in the chemical or food sector works with complex formulations, process validation is critical. Lab and pilot-plant trials provide a baseline, but they often don’t capture all real production variables: piping, temperature, pressure, etc.
Why incorrect agitator installation is critical for your plant
When it comes to keeping industrial equipment in optimal condition, correct machinery installation is fundamental. This principle becomes especially evident when we talk about industrial agitators, which play a key role in production processes.
Scaling Up Industrial Mixing: From Lab Trials to Full-Scale Production
Creating 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 remains one of the most challenging transitions in chemical manufacturing.
Why Planning Industrial Maintenance is Key to Reducing Costs and Avoiding Emergencies
The consequences of reactive maintenance are multiple and often invisible until they're quantified.