Industrial Grinder – Complete Guide : Solutions and Technologies

Introduction to Industrial Grinding

The choice of an industrial grinder is crucial to optimising your production processes, improving the quality of your products and reducing your operating costs.
This comprehensive guide will help you understand the different grinding technologies available and identify the one best suited to your industrial needs.

What is the principle of grinding ?

Industrial milling involves reducing the particle size of various solid materials for specific applications. Whether grinding or micronisation, this operation is found in many industries, including chemicals, food, healthcare (pharmaceuticals, cosmetics), minerals, recycling, and advanced materials.

These technologies may be referred to by a variety of terms such as grinder, microniser, mill, granulator, pulveriser, etc.

Equipments used upstream for crushing / shredding or downstream for nanogrinding / wet miling are not included in this guide, but you can find these topics in our support offerings.

The 7 types of grinding technologies you need to know about

Here is an overview of the different types of industrial grinders and their specific characteristics :

Note : The brands mentioned are provided as examples and do not reflect any partnership or recommendation.

1. Knife or Cutting Mills

• Operating principle : Sharp blades cutting materials.
• Applications : Fibrous or plastic materials such as waste, textiles, resins or polymers.
• Features : Suitable for materials that are difficult to grind and require minimal heat.
• Examples : SM100 to SM300 from Retsch, SecoMy® from Netzsch

2. Stone or Roller Mills

• • Operating principle : Particles are crushed between two cylindrical or flat surfaces.
• • Applications : Food products such as cereals, coffee or oilseeds.
• • Advantages : Preservation of organoleptic characteristics and reduced energy consumption.
• • Examples : Roller Mill Dolomit from Bühler, Roller Mill series from Bauermeister

3. Roller or Pendulum Mills

• • Operating principle : Intense compression and shearing actions are exerted by rollers.
• • Applications : Hard and abrasive materials, energy efficient grinding.
• • Advantages : Significant reduction in energy consumption.
• • Examples : Pendulum Mill PM from Poittemill, Roller mill LM from Loesche

4. Hammer or Flail Mills

• • Operating principle : High-speed rotating or oscillating hammers strike the particles and project them against the walls of the grinding chamber.
• • Applications : Soft to medium-hard materials, such as spices or cereals.
• • Features : Easy to maintain and versatile.
• • Examples : Hammer Mill HM from Neuman&Esser, Pulverizer MP from Hosokawa Alpine

5. Impact Mills

• • Operating principle : Uses the impact of grinding tools (pins, blast rotor, weag beater) to reduce particle size.
• • Applications : Medium-hard to hard materials, very fine particle sizes.
• • Advantages : Versatility, homogeneous particle size distribution, and low contamination.
• • Examples : Condux® from Netzsch, FPX and FNG from Poittemill

6. Ball and Bead Mills

• • Operating principle : Balls or beads in motion inside a rotating drum, or agitated using a rotor.
• • Applications : Mineral and ceramic industries, ultra-fine grinding in the case of beads.
• • Advantages : Precision and adaptability to different materials.
• • Examples : Super Orion S.O. and Pulvis from Hosokawa Alpine, ESM from Siebtechnik Tema

7. Air Jet Mills

• • Operating principle : Uses jets of compressed air to fracture particles.
• • Applications : Contamination-free grinding, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
• • Features : Excellent surface quality of particles.
• • Examples : MJS Mill from STM Microtec, Micronizer® Jet Mill from Sturtevant

Type de broyeur : Application et performance

Légende :
⭐ Fineness : 1=Coarse to 5=Extra Fine
€ Energy Consumption : 1=Low to 3=High
🔧 Maintenance : 1=Simple to 3=Complex

Criteria for selecting an industrial mill

Each industrial grinder technology has specific strengths and weaknesses, requiring a multi-criteria analysis to identify the optimum solution.

Technical Criteria

The choice of an industrial mill is based on five essential criteria :

Essential Selection Criteria / Key Decision Factors

• • Nature of the Material : Hardness, abrasiveness, initial size and moisture content.
• • Desired particle size : Final particle size required.
• • Production capacity : Volume to be processed per hour.
• • Energy consumption : Importance of energy efficiency.
• • Easy maintenance : Simple maintenance and availability of spare parts.

6 steps to choose the right industrial mill

To ensure the selection of the most suitable mill for your industrial needs, you should follow this methodology :

• • 1. Needs analysis : Identify the characteristics of the material to be processed(hardness, abrasiveness, moisture, ATEX risk), the desired particle size and morphology.
• • 2. Constraint evaluation : Consider space, available energy, and cost constraints.
• • 3. Laboratory testing : Conduct sample tests to evaluate the performance of different technologies.
• • 4. Solution comparison : Analyse the available options based on performance, cost, and maintenance criteria.
• • 5. Consulting experts : Seek advice from specialists, such as POUDRES DURABLES, for tailored recommendations.
• • 6. Pilot phase : Carry out a test under real conditions before the final acquisition.

Cette approche permet de minimiser les risques et de garantir que le broyeur sélectionné répondra efficacement aux exigences de votre processus.

Comparative Case Study : Two Industrial Applications

Case Study 1 : Food Industry

Context : A company producing icing sugar wants to increase its production capacity while maintaining a fine and homogeneous particle size distribution.

Chosen Solution : Fine Impact Mill (Sugarplex SX from Hosokawa Alpine).

Results :

• • Production capacity increased by 30%
• • Reduction in particle size variations of 15%
• • Stable energy consumption.

Benefits : High precision, reduced maintenance, and low contamination.

Case Study 2 : Mineral Industry

Context : A mining company wants to process an abrasive ore to achieve a particle size suitable for a leaching stage.

Chosen Solution : High-Pressure Roller Mill.

Results :

• • Energy consumption reduced by 25%
• • Adjusted granulometry to improve efficiency of subsequent process
• • Special coatings to control rollers wear

Benefits : Cost-effective grinding, well suited for abrasive materials.

Industry 4.0 : Innovations and Advanced Technologies

Recent developments in industrial grinding integrate solutions aligned with Industry 4.0. Online instrumentation and measurement systems enable real-time process monitoring, enhancing both performance and product quality.

Innovative Solutions and Emerging Technological Trends

Industrial mills are evolving towards :

• Integration of networked systems : Real-time monitoring solutions
• Energy optimisation
• Noise emission reduction
• Process automation
• Eco-friendly approaches
En savoir plus :

POUDRES DURABLES – Milling Expertise and Consultancy

Specialised in milling processes, POUDRES DURABLES offers a comprehensive range of services to support industries in selecting and optimising their milling equipment. Our services include process audits, assistance in equipment acquisition, customised training and the development of innovative solutions adapted to each industrial sector.

Our Commitments

• • Personalised diagnostics
• • Precise technological recommendations
• • Training courses

Do you need expert advice or an in-depth analysis of your milling requirements ?

Contact our technical team :

Phone : (+33) 6 15 370 186

Email : contact@poudresdurables.fr

Do you need specific training on milling and industrial mills ?

Conclusion

The choice of an industrial mill should be based on an in-depth analysis of your specific needs and the characteristics of the materials to be processed. By working with industry experts, you can optimise your grinding processes, improve the quality of your products and reduce your operational costs.

For more information and personalised support, please contact us.