Both recipe and mechanical action must be adapted to the type of raw hide / skin and to local conditions. TFL's technicians will advise on adjusting the mechanical action by adapting the speed of rotation of the drum.
Typical speeds for drums used for liming will be from 1-1.5 rpm = slow up to 3-4 rpm = fast. Mixers may run from 1-9 rpm while paddles generally have one speed but the action in a paddle is more gentle than either drum or mixer. It should be noted however required to pick up all skins from the bottom of a paddle when restarting and this should be taken into account when short stop start running periods are being used.
The amount of mechanical action required in lime is always a compromise, too much will induce draw or scuff and too little will not ensure distribution of process chemicals. To ensure even distribution even of liquid chemicals throughout a large drum e.g. a 4.25 x 4.25 metre drum with a 12 tonnes load plus 100% float requires a run of at least 30 minutes and may be more depending on drum speed.