What is a kneading machine called? (A comprehensive list of names and explanations)

Regarding equipment like "kneading machines" or "dough mixers," the names used for them vary widely across different fields and industries. Although their core function is to mix materials through powerful kneading, the names people use differ significantly depending on the application.
Here are some common names for this type of equipment in daily life and industrial production:

1. General industrial term: Kneader

In chemical plants, plastics factories, or new materials laboratories, the most commonly used name is kneader.
This name directly reflects its working principle: "kneading" and "combining" materials like human hands.
If it also has a discharge device, it is sometimes called a screw extrusion type kneader.

2. Rubber and plastics industry term: Mixer / Banbury mixer

If you walk into a rubber factory or plastics processing plant, you might hear workers call it a mixer or Banbury mixer.
Mixing: This means both mixing and changing the properties of the material through friction and compression (compounding).
In these places, the kneader is often seen as the "chef" that kneads raw rubber and various powdered ingredients together.

3. Food processing term: Dough mixer / Dough kneading machine

In bakeries, noodle factories, or large central kitchens, the most common name for this type of machine is dough mixer or dough kneading machine.
Although its structure may be slightly lighter than the kneaders in factories, the principle is the same: to knead water and flour into a strong, elastic dough.

4. Laboratory and fine chemical industry term: Stirring mill / Reactor

When processing materials that require mixing and heating for chemical reactions, people sometimes call it a vacuum kneading reactor.
This sounds more formal because it not only kneads but also seals like a pressure cooker, working in a vacuum environment to ensure there are no air bubbles in the material.

5. Informal terms used by experienced workers: Kneading machine / Mixing machine

In many workshops, for convenience or based on the visual action, people call it a kneading machine, or simply a mixing machine. Although "mixer" is a broad category (including those for mixing liquids and powders), for those tough, heavy-duty tasks involving dry or sticky materials, people generally understand it to refer to this type of kneader with powerful mixing blades.