Benefits of Controlled

Particle Reduction:

Particle size affects a number

of characteristics in the
manufacturing process.
Controlling the particle size
helps assure that the milled
material will be consistent and
repeatable with respect to:

Color

- uniform particles assure

batch-to-batch color consistency
Flow-ability - critical to packaging,
tableting, weighing
Uniformity - consistent bulk density
Density - helps control shipping
costs and minimize dust

Reconstitution

- assures the
desired dissolution rate
Chemical reaction - vital for
uniform, controlled chemical
change
Taste - allows precise portion
control for consistent taste

TYPES OF COMMINUTOR
MILLS
a. Cutter mill.
b. Roller mill.
c. Hammer mill.
d. Ball mill.
e. Fluid energy mill.
f. Colloid mills and
homogenizers.

Understanding Comminutor
Cutting Mill Operation
The

Comminutor operates by feeding

material uniformly into a chamber in
which a rotating blade assembly
reduces the particles of the material by
cutting or impacting them.
The material discharges through a
screen which regulates final particle
size at the outlet of the milling
chamber.
The blade and screen act in conjunction
to determine final product sizing.

Comminutor Cutting Mill

Operation

Feed Throat

The

feed throat introduces material into

the milling chamber.
There are several designs of feed
throats.
A gravity feed throat introduces
material tangentially to the rotation of
the blades.
Other throats are available for milling
machines, such as a metered feed
throat, liquid inlet throat, etc.

Blade Profile
The

type, quantity and shape of blade

helps determine the degree of
reduction achieved based on the
material being processed. Some blade
styles offer flexibility of knife on one
side and impact on the other. Knifeedged configuration is for gentle
granulation and impact-edged for more
aggressive reduction. An optional bar
rotor with rasping screen is available for
low energy size reduction.

Feed Rate
Milling

is accomplished most effectively if

the product is fed uniformly to the throat.
Feed methods include metered feed
from Variable Feed System (VFS), rotary
valve, or gravity fed.
Manual feed pans are available where
the operator is responsible for metering
the material to the mill.

Rotor Speed
The

Comminutors rotor
speed directly affects the
particle size range. As a
general rule, and with all
other variables remaining
constant, the faster the rotor
speed, the finer the grind:

Rotor

speeds of 3000 to 7200 rpm are

typically used with flat blades in fine
grinding applications, while speeds of
1000 to 3000 rpm are typically used
with sharp blades in coarse grinding
applications. For general purpose
applications, variable speed rotors are
often specified to accommodate the
physical characteristics of different
materials.

SPEED OF ROTATION

Screen

The

Comminutor sizing screen, located

directly beneath the blades rotation arc,
prevents particles from leaving the grinding
chamber until they are at least as small as
the screen holes.
These holes can have round or square
perforations, diagonal or straight slots, or
wire-mesh openings.
The screen thickness and the total open
surface area of the screen also affect the
comminuting operation.

The

screen size (diameter of the

screen holes) doesn't necessarily
designate the particle size of the
finished product.
The reason is that the impacted
particles follow a tangential
trajectory from the blades and
approach the screen at a shallow
angle.

Therefore,

particles effectively
see an opening as an ellipse.
The higher the rotor speed, the
smaller the angle under which
the particle approaches the
screen and the smaller the
screen openings appear to the
particle.

The figure clearly shows that at higher

rotor speeds only smaller particles will
pass through the screen. Also, the
thicker the screen, the smaller the
particles must be to pass through the
screen..

HAMMER MILL -is an impact mill

employing a high speed rotating
disc, to which are fixed a number of
hammer bars which are swung
outwards by centrifugal force..

Centrifugal Impact Mills

("CIM" or "Pin Mill)

"Pin Mill
Ideal

for:
Fine grinding of friable
materials
Coarse grinding friable
materials
De-agglomerating
Conditioning of cellulose fibers
Wet or dry materials
Tight particle size control

Operation

Metered

material is gravity fed

through the centrally located inlet.
Centrifugal forces accelerate the
material and launch it into the
impact zone.
The action created by the stationary
and rotating pins creates a
"treacherous path" for material to
pass through.

Varying

the rotor speed

between a few hundred rpm
up to 5400 rpm provides the
flexibility to use the machine
as a coarse grinding or as a
fine grinding mill an
inexpensive, compact
machine.

Fluid energy mill