Abstract This article presents a mathematical model to analyze balanced factorial designs with nested mixed factors, in which levels of random factors are nested under the levels of fixed factors. The proposed model uses the mixed general linear model and the cell means model, which is clearer on the hypothesis considered for the fixed factors. In this way, the benefits that are individually obtained by each of them are potentiating. Likewise, the development of estimators of the parameters associated to the fixed and random factors of the model is presented. Finally, an application is provided for an experiment conducted within the industrial field. Keywords: Balanced factorial modelsCell means modelInteractionsMixed modelsNested designMathematics Subject Classification: Primary 62K15Secondary 62J10 Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments and suggestions of the anonymous referees that helped to improve this article immensely.