Pug Mill

A pug mill, also called a pugmill, is a machine that mixes clay or other materials into a plastic, workable state, or a similar machine used to triturate ore. In pottery it forces raw clay through a chamber to blend it into a smooth, evenly moistened body ready for throwing or shaping, and equivalent machines are used in brickmaking, cement production, and concrete and asphalt mixing. A typical pug mill is a horizontal boxlike chamber with a top inlet and a bottom discharge, two shafts fitted with opposing paddles, and a drive assembly; a continuous pug mill can produce a thoroughly mixed, homogeneous batch in a matter of seconds. How thoroughly and how quickly the mix is blended depends on the number and size of the paddles, the overlap of their swing arcs, the size of the mixing chamber, and the material being processed.