History of Fristam Mixing & Blending
Hygienic mixing expertise built on more than a century of process engineering
Our Roots – Hygienic Pumps to Mixing & Blending:
For more than 115 years, Fristam has shaped the way hygienic products are handled, moved and refined. What began with cheese and cream vats for dairies evolved as Fristam branched out to specialize in hygienic pumping technologies from 1931. In the decades between, Fristam became a dominant force in the hygienic pumping industry – dedicated to quality, durable designs that are built to last. In the 1990’s the first Fristam Shear Blenders were developed and sold, marking a new direction for the Fristam brand as it entered the Mixing & Blending space. The rest as they say, is history…
The Shear Blender: Fristam’s Window into Mixing
In the 1990s, Fristam further developed its pumping expertise by designing the Fristam Shear Blender. By utilising an intermeshing rotor–stator system, it enabled the production of stable, homogeneous suspensions following tank mixing.
As a result, these systems quickly became industry staples. Consequently, Fristam gained direct insight into the ‘powders into liquid’ challenges faced by producers.
Early Fristam Shear Blender – 1990’s
Engineering the First Fristam Powder Mixer: Solving Process Challenges and Meeting the Demands of Modern Regulations
As Fristam shear blenders became established in customer processes, Fristam gained deeper insight into ‘powders into liquid’ challenges facing the industry. In particular, manufacturers were increasingly frustrated by traditional tank-based powder mixing, citing long processing times, high operating costs and inconsistent batch quality.
At the same time, health and safety regulations across Europe and the United States were becoming significantly more stringent. As a result, producers were required to drastically reduce worker risk. In practice, concerns around working at height, heavy lifting, and the containment of airborne powder clouds and product spillage quickly shifted from best practice to legal necessity.
In parallel, Fristam’s experience with liquid ring pumps proved critical. Their strong suction capability and ability to handle air–liquid mixtures in hygienic processes revealed clear potential for efficient powder induction. Consequently, as both manufacturer and application specialist, Fristam was uniquely positioned to translate this insight into a new inline mixing approach.
Taken together, these process and safety challenges led Fristam to rethink powder mixing entirely, ultimately resulting in the release of the company’s first inline mixer in the early 2000s.
Continuous refinement through customer collaboration
Fristam continued to work in close partnership with manufacturers across the industries it serves and through this ongoing collaboration, the company listened carefully to evolving process demands. This helped them to refine its inline mixing technology accordingly.
As a result, this sustained, application-driven development led to the creation of hundreds of tailor-made mixer designs. Each mixer engineered to meet precise production requirements. In turn, this approach progressively improved efficiency, safety and product consistency in hygienic manufacturing.
A dedicated identity for the future of hygienic mixing
In 2025, Fristam established Mixing & Blending as a dedicated division with its own identity, thereby recognizing the growing importance of hygienic powder-into-liquid processing in modern production. At the same time, while firmly rooted in Fristam’s engineering heritage, this focused structure enables more specialized development and closer application collaboration.
As a result, it supports continued progress in mixing and blending technology, while also benefiting from the strength and global presence of the wider Fristam organisation.
Do you have any questions so far?
Please don’t hesitate to contact our customer support. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our case studies or similar challenges, and we will provide effective solutions tailored to your needs.