Xeros uses Syrris custom parts for commercial laundry

Xeros Technology Group – a company specializing in sustainable polymer solutions to advance the commercial laundry industry – can now produce more of their novel XOrb™ beads in one week than they previously could in two years thanks to a custom stirrer and gearbox for their Orb Pilot scale-up reactor.

Syrris’ Custom Parts Team worked with Robert Bird, R&D Project Manager at Xeros, to develop the custom double-helix stirrer and gearbox, specifically designed to fit a 50 L Orb Pilot scale-up jacketed reactor vessel, to aid research and development of their XOrb beads.

Robert Bird explained: “One of our missions at Xeros is to improve the sustainability of industrial laundry washing by providing technologies that dramatically reduce water consumption. I work within the Polymer Development Team, where we have produced novel XOrb™ beads. These spheroidal balls can be added to a wash load to create a gentle mechanical action, helping to remove dirt and stains using less detergent and at lower temperatures, which saves water and reduces cost.”

“We have been using Syrris’ Orb Pilot – a pilot-scale jacketed reactor – to aid the development of our XOrb beads since early 2018, and it has increased our production capabilities immensely. This system allows us to produce XOrb beads in the volumes required for use in large industrial washing machines, rather than having to manufacture many smaller batches to yield the necessary quantities, as we did previously. In the space of a week, we can now produce more XOrb beads than we could have done in two years without the Orb Pilot system! Syrris also helped with the design of a customized stirrer, as well as adaptations to the gearbox and motor of the Orb Pilot, which gave us confidence that the setup would be suitable for our requirements. We are extremely happy with our current setup from Syrris and the improved scalability it offers for our XOrb bead production.”


The custom stirrer helps to stir 50 kilograms of Xeros’ XOrb beads in a 50 L reactor vessel, while the 5-1 gearbox enables fine motor control at slow speeds. Syrris’ ability to produce custom parts is one of the main reasons chemists and business leads choose Syrris for their chemistry reactor needs. Discover how our Custom Parts Team could work with your lab, and contact us to discuss your requirements.

Robert Bird at Xeros Technology Group standing next to the Syrris Orb Pilot with custom stirrer and gearbox
Robert Bird at Xeros Technology Group standing next to the Syrris Orb Pilot with custom stirrer and gearbox
The custom stirrer helps to stir 50 kilograms of their XOrb beads in a 50 L reactor vessel, while the 5-1 gearbox enables fine motor control at slow speeds

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