Abstract A total of 320,000 granular particles with a radius of 6 mm were injected into the mixer tank to evaluate the mixing performance of the pan-type concrete mixer and the wear behavior on the mixing blades. Based on the mixing mechanism, the discrete element method was used to numerically calculate the mixing performance in a pan-type concrete mixer and to determine the erosive wear rate on the scraper blades. The Finnie model was used in open-source DEM particle simulation software (LIGGGHTS) for 60 s, representing the duration of concrete production during a single mixing cycle, for wear that could be caused by erosive-abrasive particles. The mixing mechanism was evaluated based on the homogeneity of granular particles and the sweeping action of the mixer’s interior by the rotating mixing blades. The mixing of granular particles was performed using particle interaction models by applying the Hertz–Mindlin contact law, constant directional torque, and simplified Johnson–Kendall–Roberts (SJKR) models. All mixing blades showed a rapid increase in wear at the beginning of the mixing process, followed by a steady change in wear. Erosive wear intensity increased, particularly on the outer and lower edges of the mixing blades.
Salamat et al. (2026) studied this question.