Industrial Probe-Type Sonicators: The Ultimate Solution for Challenging Processes

Industrial probe-type sonicators use ultrasonic energy to create intense mixing, disruption, extraction and emulsification for industrial applications. Commonly used in chemical processing, pharmaceuticals, food production, and nanotechnology, they perform essential functions like particle size reduction, cell lysis, and dispersion. Key considerations for selecting the right sonicator include power, amplitude, probe and reactor geometry, temperature control, and automation options. Ideal for scaling up production, Hielscher sonicators offer precision and efficiency for challenging industrial processes.

What Are Industrial Probe-Type Sonicators?

Industrial probe-type sonicators, sometimes called ultrasonic homogenizers, use ultrasonic energy to perform intense mixing, dispersion, and disruption of materials in a solution. These powerful tools are specifically designed to handle challenging processes at industrial scales. Unlike bath sonicators that use a tank to apply ultrasonic waves, probe-type sonicators employ a specialized probe (or horn) that emits ultrasonic waves directly into a targeted solution, delivering high-intensity cavitation directly to the materials.

How Do Industrial Sonicators Work?

The core of a probe-type sonicator is an ultrasonic transducer, which converts electrical energy into ultrasonic vibrations. These vibrations are then amplified and delivered through the probe tip into the solution, creating intense cavitation – the formation and collapse of microscopic bubbles – within the liquid. This cavitation effect generates powerful shear forces, mixing, and material disruption, all highly valuable for various applications where consistency, speed, and scale are crucial.

Advantages of Industrial Probe-Type Sonicators

• High Power Output: Industrial sonicators typically operate at power levels well above laboratory versions, often reaching several kilowatts to handle large volumes and dense materials.
• Precision and Control: They offer controlled intensity, amplitude, time, temperature and pressure, allowing for tailored processing of various materials.
• Scalability: Their modular design means they can scale up to meet production requirements, making them ideal for moving from lab-scale tests to industrial production. Ultrasonic flow cells facilitate the uniform processing of large liquid streams.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Industrial Probe-Type Sonicator

Selecting the right sonicator for industrial applications involves several key factors to ensure that the device meets the specific demands of the process and material. Here is a comprehensive look at what to consider:

• Power Requirements
  The power output of a sonicator, measured in watts, is a critical factor. Higher power is necessary for processing larger volumes or denser materials effectively. Many industrial applications require sonicators with power levels in the range of 500 to 5000 watts or more to achieve consistent and thorough processing.
• Ultrasound Frequency
  The frequency of the sonicator affects the type of cavitation it produces: For ultrasonic processes such as dispersion, wet-milling, lysis, extraction, emulsification or sonochemical reaction, low frequency ultrasound is required. Low-frequency ultrasound in the range of 20-30 kHz generates intense cavitation needed for challenging applications that require strong disruption, such as particle size reduction, emulsification or extraction.
• Probe Material and Design
  Hielscher Ultrasonics manufactures its probes (sonotrodes) from durable materials like titanium, which resist corrosion and withstand cavitation erosion. The tip size and shape also matter:
  Smaller Probe: Provide high-intensity cavitation focused on a smaller area, suitable for cell disruption or small volume applications.
  Larger Probe: Cover a broader area with less concentrated energy, making them better for larger volumes.
• Batch or Inline
  The capacity of the sonicator batch or flow cell should align with the volume of material you plan to process. Continuous processing using an ultrasonic flow cell allow liquid to pass through a channel, facilitating highly uniform processing at large scales. Hielscher sonicators are ideal for the linear scale-up of your sonication process.
• Temperature Control
  Like all homogenization processes, ultrasonic processing generates heat. In order to protect temperature-sensitive materials, Hielscher industrial sonicators come with integrated cooling systems like water jackets or external chillers, ensuring that the sonication process remains at a stable temperature for optimal results. All Hielscher digital sonicators come with a pluggable temperature sensor PT100. The smart menu of Hielscher sonicators allows the programming of an upper temperature limit. When reaching the upper set temperature limit, the sonicator automatically stops sonicating until the lower set limit is reached.
• Process Control and Monitoring
  Precision is essential in industrial applications. Hielscher’s advanced sonicators offer real-time monitoring of parameters such as power, temperature, and amplitude, giving operators full control over the sonication process. All important sonication parameters are automatically written on a built-in SD-card so that production processes can be easily revised.
  Automated Options: For large-scale production, automated systems maintain consistent processing conditions, reducing manual oversight and increasing efficiency.
• Customization and Scale-Up Capability
  Hielscher industrial sonicators are versatile facilitating the scale up as production grows. The modular installation of Hielscher sonicators allow for the gradual expansion of evolving production requirements.

Why Choose Hielscher Industrial Probe-Type Sonicators?

Hielscher Ultrasonics specialize in delivering state-of-the-art sonication solutions that are tailored to meet the rigorous demands of industrial applications. With our extensive range of customizable options, robust power, and precision engineering, our sonicators are built to excel in even the most challenging environments. Whether you are in pharmaceuticals, food production, chemical processing, or nanotechnology, our team can help you find the perfect sonicator to enhance your production process.

Design, Manufacturing and Consulting – Quality Made in Germany

Hielscher ultrasonicators are well-known for their highest quality and design standards. Robustness and easy operation allow the smooth integration of our ultrasonicators into industrial facilities. Rough conditions and demanding environments are easily handled by Hielscher ultrasonicators.

Hielscher Ultrasonics is an ISO certified company and put special emphasis on high-performance ultrasonicators featuring state-of-the-art technology and user-friendliness. Of course, Hielscher ultrasonicators are CE compliant and meet the requirements of UL, CSA and RoHs.

The table below gives you an indication of the approximate processing capacity of our ultrasonicators:

Applications of Industrial Probe-Type Sonicators

Industrial sonicators find applications across many fields where precise, high-power ultrasound processing is required. Here are some of the most common uses:

• Chemical Processing
  Emulsification: Used to create stable emulsions, essential in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.
  Deagglomeration & Dispersion: Helps break up agglomerated particles, such as nanoparticle clusters, ensuring they are evenly dispersed in solutions.
  Catalysis and Reaction Acceleration: Ultrasonics can enhance reaction rates, reducing processing times and increasing yields.
• Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology
  Cell Disruption & Extraction: High-intensity sonication breaks open cells to extract proteins, DNA, or other cellular components, a process essential for many biotech and pharmaceutical applications.
  Particle Size Reduction: Smaller particle sizes in drugs enhance bioavailability and consistency in dosing.
  Nanoemulsions & Liposome Formation: Creates nano-sized emulsions or liposomes, commonly used in advanced drug delivery systems.
• Food and Beverage Industry
  Homogenization: Ensures uniform texture and appearance in products like sauces, dressings, and beverages.
  Flavor Extraction: Intensifies flavor extraction from natural sources, enhancing taste without synthetic additives.
  Preservation: Reduces microbial load for extended shelf life and improves food safety.
• Energy and Environmental Applications
  Biofuel Processing: Enhances the breakdown of biomass, making biofuel production more efficient.
  Water and Waste Treatment: Assists in breaking down contaminants and pollutants, making water treatment processes more efficient.
  Desulfurization of Fuels: Reduces sulfur content in fossil fuels, an important step in meeting environmental standards.
• Nanotechnology
  Nanoparticle Synthesis: Facilitates the production of nanoparticles by ensuring uniform size distribution.
  Dispersion in Solutions: Essential for creating homogeneous suspensions of nanoparticles, vital in industries from electronics to biomedical engineering.