Industrial impellers, also know as agitator blades, can be split into two main categories based on the type of fluid motion they generate during operation. The two categories are axial flow impellers and radial flow impellers.
In fluid motion, axial flow is the movement of the fluid in an up and down, cyclic pattern. The rotation of axial flow impellers makes the fluid move downwards and later upwards before being pushed down again to repeat the cycle.

Different Designs of Axial Flow Impellers：
1. Pitched axial flow blades: These are impellers with blades that are pitched at an angle, typically 45 degrees. These impellers produce a good balance between shear and fluid flow when rotated, making them suitable for a wide variety of applications. Examples include blending and solid suspension.
2. Propeller blades: These types of blades also generate axial fluid flow. However, they generate less shear stress compared to pitched blades. Propellers are generally used for mixing applications due to their efficiency. They are also more commonly found in portable mixers.
3. Hydrofoils: These axial flow impellers generate the least amount of shear stress in fluids. Their design is great for producing high flow. They can be used for general blending applications but they are also used as an alternative for large scale mixing applications because large propeller blades are expensive.