A Nauta mixer is a convective conical screw mixer for gentle, precise, low-shear batch mixing of powders, granules, pastes and slurries. Its conical geometry supports high homogeneity while preserving the integrity of sensitive particles.
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BATCH MIXERS
for Powders & Bulk Solids
Nauta® Mixer
Conical screw mixer and blender
The Nauta conical screw mixer, also known as a conical auger mixer or Nauta blender, provides gentle, low-shear batch mixing of powders, pastes and slurries. It combines high blend homogeneity with careful handling of fragile and segregative materials.
An orbiting, cantilevered mixing screw circulates material through the conical vessel with low power consumption. Available from laboratory to production scale, the mixer can be supplied individually or integrated into a complete batch mixing system. Nauta® is a registered trade mark of Hosokawa Micron B.V.
Key benefits
- Gentle mixing of free-flowing, fragile or segregative powders
- Consistent mixing quality at fill levels from 15 to 100%
- Heating, cooling, drying and humidification capabilities
- Bottom discharge valve for complete emptying
- Optional CIP/SIP cleaning
- Optional operation under vacuum or pressure
- Optional use as a live (agitated) hopper for cohesive or segregative materials
- Low power consumption
- ATEX-compliant configurations for all explosion zones
- Available in sizes from 5 to 100,000 L
Principle of operation
The Nauta mixer is a convective, low-shear batch mixer that combines axial, radial and tangential flow to achieve thorough, precise homogenisation. A rotating, cantilevered (free-hanging) mixing screw conveys the product upward along the wall of the conical vessel, while an orbiting arm moves the screw around the cone. Gravity-driven recirculation delivers uniform, energy-efficient, low-shear mixing while preserving particle integrity.
Product is loaded from the top—manually, by big bag, or via pneumatic/mechanical transfer. Typical speeds are ~70 rpm for the screw and 1–2 rpm for the orbiting arm; screw tip speed can range from 0.5–2 m/s, depending on the product characteristics.
A bottom discharge valve enables complete emptying, reduces manual intervention and cleaning requirements, and minimises cross-contamination between batches. It is standard on most configurations; ball segment valve options are also available. After discharge, product proceeds to packaging or the next step (e.g. tableting, extrusion, sieving).
Beyond mixing, the system can be configured for heating/cooling, drying (including vacuum), and humidification, and can operate as a live (agitated) hopper to feed downstream equipment such as fluid bed dryers—with or without back-mixing.
Process flexibility
Nauta mixers are suitable for a broad range of processing operations. Typical applications include:
- Gentle, low-shear mixing of free-flowing and segregative powders, pastes, slurries and liquids
- Humidification of powders
- Coating of solids with liquids (using an intensifier)
- Granulation
- Heating and cooling
- Drying at atmospheric pressure or under vacuum, with optional solvent recovery
Models and capacities
Indicative values; performance depends on product properties and process parameters. Detailed information is available on request.
| Size | [L] | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 50,000 | 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vessel diameter | [cm] | 145 | 180 | 210 | 285 | 355 | 440 | 570 | 700 |
| Vessel height | [cm] | 175 | 225 | 280 | 380 | 500 | 600 | 825 | 900 |
| Height incl. motor | [cm] | 225 | 290 | 350 | 470 | 620 | 730 | 965 | 1,030 |
| Typical motor power | [kW] | 2.2 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 55 | 90 |
Options and ancillaries
A Nauta conical screw mixer can be configured with options for product feeding, liquid addition, heating or cooling, vacuum operation, discharge, containment and cleaning. The selection depends on the material properties, process conditions and required integration with upstream and downstream equipment.
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Nauta® Minimix lab mixer
The Nauta Minimix applies the same conical screw mixing principle on a laboratory scale. It provides gentle mixing, high mixing accuracy, flexible fill levels and complete discharge, with reliable results from as little as 0.3 litres of powder. The Minimix is suitable for product development, formulation work and initial scale-up studies.
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Batch mixing systems
A complete batch mixing system can combine the Nauta mixer with controlled feeding, dosing, conveying, liquid addition, discharge and process automation. Each system is configured around the material properties, required blend quality, production capacity and integration with upstream and downstream process steps.
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Test before you invest
Run trials with your own materials on lab and production-scale equipment at our 2,000 m² Test Centre in the Netherlands. Our experienced process specialists work with you to determine the right process, equipment or system configuration for your application. Each trial is supported by a detailed technical report, helping you select the right solution with confidence.
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Talk to our experts
Discuss your product and process requirements with our specialists to determine the most suitable Nauta® mixer configuration.
Applications
The Nauta mixer is suitable for a wide range of products and processes. Relevant applications include:
FAQ – Nauta® Mixer
What is a Nauta mixer?
Is a Nauta auger mixer the same as a conical screw mixer?
Yes. For the Nauta mixer, “conical screw mixer”, “conical auger mixer” and “Nauta blender” describe the same equipment. The mixing screw, also called an auger, rotates around its own axis while orbiting along the conical vessel wall. This movement circulates the material to produce a homogeneous blend with low shear.
How does a Nauta mixer work?
A rotating, cantilevered screw conveys product upwards along the wall of the conical vessel, while an orbiting arm moves the screw around the vessel. The resulting axial, radial and tangential product flows provide uniform, energy-efficient mixing with minimal shear.
What materials can be processed in a Nauta mixer?
A Nauta mixer can process powders, granules, pastes, slurries and liquids. Typical products include food ingredients, dairy powders, catalysts, polymers, pharmaceuticals and metal powders. It is particularly suitable where particle integrity, hygiene or temperature control is important.
What are the main advantages of a Nauta mixer?
The main advantages include gentle mixing, low energy consumption, consistent homogeneity at fill levels from 15 to 100%, complete discharge, limited product degradation and straightforward cleaning.
Can a Nauta mixer heat, cool or dry under vacuum?
Yes. With suitable heating or cooling jackets and vacuum or pressure options, the Nauta mixer can be configured for heating, cooling, vacuum drying, humidification, coating and temperature-controlled mixing in a single vessel.
What sizes and scale-up options are available?
Nauta mixers are available in sizes from 5 to 100,000 litres. Laboratory and pilot-scale trials at our 2,000 m² Test Centre in the Netherlands support reliable scale-up to full production.
Is Nauta® a protected brand?
Yes. Nauta® is a registered trade mark of Hosokawa Micron B.V. The conical screw mixer was invented by J.E. Nauta in 1939, and his company, Nautamix, was acquired by the Hosokawa Micron Group in 1982. Since then, Hosokawa Micron has continued to develop and supply the original Nauta® mixer worldwide.
Sustainable process technologies
Hosokawa Micron B.V. is committed to sustainable and responsible process technology. Our environmental management system is certified to ISO 14001, while our EcoVadis Silver Medal places us among the top 3% of rated companies in the special-purpose machinery industry.
