Equipment for fine powder grinding
Published: October 26, 2023
Fine powder grinding represents one of the most critical processes across numerous industrial sectors, from power generation and building materials to mining, chemicals, and advanced materials development. Shanghai SBM Machinery Equipment Co., Ltd. stands at the forefront of this technology, providing comprehensive grinding solutions that address the evolving demands of global industries. With equipment serving over 180 countries and regions, SBM has established itself as a trusted partner for operations requiring precision, efficiency, and reliability in powder processing. This article explores the company's advanced grinding technologies, focusing on their European Trapezium Mill, Vertical Roller Mill, Ultrafine Mill, Ultrafine Vertical Mill, and optimized Ball Mill, each engineered to overcome specific production challenges while delivering superior performance across various applications.
The MTW Series European Trapezium Grinding Mill (often referred to as MTW Raymond Mill) embodies SBM's commitment to innovation through its advanced international technological level. Developed from extensive research and incorporating feedback from over 9,500 customers, this mill features several proprietary technologies that set it apart from traditional grinding equipment. The cone gear's whole transmission system represents a significant advancement, delivering higher transmission efficiency while saving space and reducing investment costs. This integrated approach to power transmission eliminates many of the inefficiencies found in conventional systems. Additionally, the inner oil absorption lubrication system ensures consistent performance while minimizing maintenance requirements.
One of the most notable features of the European Trapezium Mill is its unique wear-proof perching knife design. The combined-type shovel blade significantly reduces wearing parts costs, as only the blade requires replacement during maintenance operations. The curved shovel blades are engineered to optimize the feeding angle, thereby extending the service life of both the roller and ring components. This design innovation directly translates to reduced operating costs over the equipment's lifespan. The arc air duct design further enhances efficiency by minimizing air energy loss and ensuring optimal transportation efficiency, while the high-strength guard plate protects the working face of the air duct from wear and tear.
For operations requiring even greater efficiency and integration, SBM's LM Vertical Roller Mill presents a compelling solution. This newly-launched product specifically addresses common industry challenges such as low output and high energy consumption that plague ordinary grinding systems. By integrating crushing, drying, grinding, powder separation, and transportation functions into a single compact unit, the Vertical Roller Mill offers substantial space savings—approximately 50% of the footprint required by traditional ball-milling systems. This integrated approach not only reduces initial investment costs but also simplifies the overall production process.
The operating cost advantages of the Vertical Roller Mill are particularly noteworthy. The grinding system is designed so that the roller does not directly contact the grinding plate, and both components are manufactured from high-quality materials that significantly extend their service life. This design, combined with the direct grinding action on the grinding plate, results in energy consumption that is 30-40% lower than comparable ball-milling systems. The equipment's expert automatic control system enables free switching between remote and local control, facilitating easy operation while reducing labor costs. From an environmental perspective, the system operates with minimal vibration and low noise levels, while the wholly sealed negative pressure operation prevents dust spillover, ensuring compliance with stringent environmental standards.
As market demands for finer powders continue to increase, conventional grinding equipment often falls short. SBM's SCM Series Ultrafine Grinding Mill was specifically developed to meet these escalating requirements, offering adjustable fineness ranging from 325 to 2500 meshes, with disposable fineness reaching D97≤5μm—performance metrics that rank at the leading level within the industry. This capability makes the Ultrafine Mill particularly valuable for applications requiring extreme precision, such as in the production of advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, and high-value chemicals.
The technical advantages of the Ultrafine Mill extend beyond its impressive fineness capabilities. The system delivers high output with remarkably low energy consumption, with capacity more than twice that of jet mills while consuming 30% less energy. The automatic feedback system ensures fast and stable conversion of finished products, while intelligent control features directly save on labor costs. The efficient vertical turbine powder classifier achieves high efficiency with accurate cutting size and prevents spillover of coarse powder. From a durability perspective, the heavy rotor design and specialized materials for the roller and ring components provide several times higher durability compared to conventional systems. The grinding chamber's innovative design, featuring no bearing screw and proper balance treatment, ensures stable operation free from vibration.
Building upon the vertical mill concept, SBM's LUM Ultrafine Vertical Mill represents the next evolution in ultrafine grinding technology. This equipment integrates powder grinding, separation, and transportation while incorporating Taiwan's grinding roller technology and Germany's advanced powder separating technology. As a professional medium and high-end processing equipment, it serves specialized applications in plastic master batch, PVC, artificial stone, electric cable, non-woven fabrics, and other industries requiring ultrafine grinding of non-metallic mineral ores.
The LUM Ultrafine Vertical Mill distinguishes itself through several key innovations. The grinding curves of the roller shell and lining plate are uniquely designed based on ultrafine pulverization principles, facilitating easier formation of material beds that improve grinding efficiency and increase the proportion of finished products from primary grinding. The multi-rotor powder classifiers enable customization of finished product fineness within selected ranges, eliminating low-grade material from the output. The intelligent control system, featuring PLC/DCS automation, ensures precise control of grinding pressure, rotating speed of the grinding disc, and classifier speed, resulting in highly efficient and stable operation. Environmentally, the special structural design and operating principle guarantee small vibration and low noise, while the sealed system operating under negative pressure prevents powder and dust from escaping, meeting stringent environmental protection requirements.
While newer technologies have emerged, the ball mill remains a vital component in many grinding operations, and SBM has undertaken significant optimization to address its traditional limitations. Recognizing common concerns about rapid wear of metal balls and high energy consumption, SBM has improved both structural design and material selection to substantially reduce spare parts costs. The company offers various types of ball mills to meet different requirements, including dry ball mills for common powder production and wet ball mills widely used in mineral dressing applications.
The continued relevance of ball mill technology lies in its versatility and the familiarity many operations have with its principles. SBM's optimized versions maintain the fundamental benefits of ball milling while addressing the historical drawbacks through modern engineering and material science. This approach ensures that customers with established processes can upgrade their equipment without completely redesigning their production lines, providing a practical pathway to improved efficiency and reduced operating costs.
Across all these grinding solutions, SBM maintains a consistent focus on delivering value through reduced operating costs, enhanced efficiency, improved environmental performance, and reliable operation. The company's extensive global experience—serving over 180 countries and regions—informs each equipment design, ensuring that real-world operational challenges are addressed through practical engineering solutions. Whether processing limestone for environmental desulfurization, producing heavy calcium carbonate, preparing coal powder, grinding petroleum coke, manufacturing slag micro-powder, or developing new energy materials, SBM's grinding equipment portfolio offers tailored solutions for virtually any application.
The selection of appropriate grinding equipment depends on numerous factors, including feed material characteristics, required output specifications, production capacity needs, and site-specific considerations. SBM's diverse product range ensures that customers can identify the optimal solution for their particular requirements, supported by the company's expertise as a total solution provider for grinding equipment. From individual units to complete grinding systems, SBM delivers integrated solutions that span the entire mineral processing workflow, backed by comprehensive technical support and service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main advantage of vertical roller mills over traditional ball mills for fine powder grinding?
Vertical roller mills offer significantly higher energy efficiency, typically consuming 30-40% less energy than ball milling systems. They also feature a more compact design, requiring about 50% less floor space, and integrate multiple processes including drying, grinding, and separation within a single unit.
How does SBM address the common problem of rapid wear in grinding components?
Our equipment incorporates specialized wear-resistant materials and innovative designs such as curved shovel blades that optimize feeding angles to extend component life. For example, in our European Trapezium Mill, the unique perching knife design allows for replacement of only the blade rather than the entire assembly, significantly reducing maintenance costs.
What fineness levels can be achieved with SBM's ultrafine grinding equipment?
Our SCM Series Ultrafine Mill can achieve fineness ranging from 325 to 2500 meshes, with disposable fineness reaching D97≤5μm. The LUM Ultrafine Vertical Mill offers similar capabilities, making both suitable for applications requiring extreme precision in particle size distribution.
How does SBM equipment ensure environmental compliance in powder processing operations?
Our mills feature wholly sealed systems operating under negative pressure to prevent dust spillover, integrated pulse dust collectors, noise reduction technologies, and emission control systems that meet international environmental standards. The vertical roller mills particularly excel in this aspect due to their enclosed design.
Can SBM grinding equipment handle materials with moisture content?
Yes, several of our mills, particularly the LM Vertical Roller Mill, integrate drying functionality alongside grinding operations. This allows processing of materials with moisture content without requiring separate drying equipment, streamlining the production process and reducing overall energy consumption.
