Compact, energy-efficient and robust, the Hosokawa Micron AWM Table Roller Mill is a well-proven piece of specialist size reduction equipment designed for grinding down by compression large amounts of soft to medium-hard minerals and industrial bulk materials. For exceptionally efficiency, the AWM uses the principle of optimised kinematics and the impressive force exerted by the angled grinding rollers and roller table, which are usually made from hardwearing chilled cast iron but can be made from harder cast alloys for processing particularly abrasive products. The integration of the Hosokawa Micron Turboplex ATP Ultrafine Classifier provides additional grinding capability down to d97 = 10µm and offers an extremely sharp top size limitation. The AWM Table Roller Mill is an excellent high-performance choice if production flexibility is required and is conveniently available in no fewer than eight models. The mill offers a number of advantages – such as fast product changeover capabilities, an effortless way of adjusting the fineness of the mineral powder and simple exchange of wear parts – and is integrated with state-of-the-art technology for fully automatic operation.
The new generation AWM-F model offers all the beneficial features of the standard AWM, but the grinding zone, grinding technology and integrated air classifier have been remodelled to significantly improve its energy efficiency by around 25%, while its capacity has increased substantially too, compared with the original AWM models. Minerals processed by the AWM-F can reach fineness levels in the range of d97 = 8-40µm.
AWM Table Roller Mill
The product is subjected to compressive stress between the grinding table and the grinding rollers. The specific grinding force (contact force divided by the cross-sectional area of the grinding roller) is in the range between approx. 0.5 and 1 N/mm², whereby the effective pressures in the material bed are naturally much higher. The grinding table is set into rotation by a motor and suitable gear unit, peripheral speeds of between 2 and 6 m/s are used.
A fundamental feature of Alpine’s Table Roller Mill is the optimised kinematics of the grinding rollers and grinding table to permit the production of large amounts of fines. In combination with a Turboplex ultrafine classifier ATP, this now makes it possible to manufacture end products with a Table Roller Mill that have a fineness of d97 = 10 µm.
Table Roller Mills are robust and time-proven mills for soft to medium-hard mineral raw materials and industrial bulk materials. The advantages are the simple fineness adjustment and fast product change.
AWM Table Roller Mill Specifications
The Hosokawa Micron AWM and AWM-F Table Roller Mills are available in a range of model configurations to suit a variety of soft to medium-hard mineral materials and can be equipped with super hard-wearing components to process very abrasive materials, if required.
Eight models make up the standard AWM range and include options for single-wheel or multi-wheel Turboplex ATP Ultrafine Classifiers or the Hosokawa MS Classifier. Table diameters range from 400mm to 2,400mm and offer a scale-up factor of between 1 and 60.
Typical throughput rates include 1.3 to 23 tonnes per hour for Limestone (when created material between d97 = 10µm and d97 = 40µm). Dolomite has a process capacity of approximately 5.2 to 32 tonnes per hour (when created material between d97 = 63µm and d97 = 90µm).
The Hosokawa Micron AWM & AWM-F Table Roller Mills are very dependable and used for the processing of soft to medium-hard mineral raw materials and industrial bulk materials (including those that are brittle, yet elastic) – such as Limestone, Gypsum, Dolomite, Talc, Petroleum Coke, Bentonite and Quick Lime. Roller Mills create ultrafine mineral powder that can be used to make mass produced fillers for a variety of sectors, including the pharmaceutical industry, as well as glass, ceramics and steel.
Compact, robust design
The mineral, Bentonite is a clay made of volcanic ash and is named after Fort Benton in Montana, USA, where it is found in abundance. In powder form it is known for its detoxifying properties and is used by the healthcare industry to make skincare products such as face packs, body treatments and calamine lotion. Bentonite is also used in laundry detergent, paints and soil improvers, and as a filler for pharmaceuticals.
The Hosokawa AWM Table Roller Mill is an extremely efficient grinder of mineral materials and uses pressure to finely compress the raw material between grinding rollers and a grinding table with a force in the range of 0.5 and 1 N/mm2, resulting in ultrafine mineral powder.
The raw mineral material feeds into the centre of the rotating grinding table, where it is transported to the periphery by centrifugal force at speeds between 2 and 6 m/s. During this period, the three, wear-protected, grinding rollers continually roll over the product, crushing it down as they are forced against the grinding table by their hydraulic cylinders, which produce the necessary compressive force to efficiently grind the material. The rollers are set to 120° for optimal performance efficiency and buffered by an hydraulic gas accumulator – charged with compressed air – to minimise the effects of fluctuations that occur during operation.
The grinding table features a NAXTRA steel weir at its edge, whose height can be adjusted to control how long the product remains in the grinding zone. Incoming air exits at high speed through the weir’s NAXTRA steel nozzle ring, located around the grinding table, which permits fluidisation of the product and affects the amount of energy required to perform the grinding operation. The comminuted material is then conveyed upwards to the integrated air classifier (normally a Hosokawa Turboplex ATP Ultrafine Classifier), which is offered as either a single-wheel or multi-wheel classifier model. Ultrafine material is classified and collected in a downstream collection unit, while the rejected coarse material is returned to the grinding table for additional comminution or can be discharged via an optional discharge screw.
If the product requires drying, a hot gas mode design can be integrated, which utilises a heat recovery system to provide energy savings of approximately 30% for the gas burner. Heat generated by the fan, Roller Mill and Turboplex ATP Ultrafine Classifier is used in collaboration with energy released from condensate to preheat the process air.
The Hosokawa Micron AWM and AWM-F Table Roller Mills can be supplied as standalone equipment, but can also be integrated into a process system, which might include components for drying the material, if required, as well as feed silos, automatic reverse jet filters, conveying screws and a heat converter and Drum & Bulk Container Handling Equipment.
A frequency converter is required to control the peripheral speed of the grinding table if the fineness range is to be produced with one mill. The integration of the latest PLC technology allows for an entirely automatic process.
Hosokawa Micron Ltd is a powder processing specialist and has accumulated more than a century of technical knowledge and practical engineering expertise that drives the success of our industry-leading equipment and systems for powder and particle processing. Our milling equipment is complemented by high-performance containment equipment and specialist technical services, such as particle design, powder testing and feasibility studies.
Working in collaboration with our sister companies in Europe and beyond, our engineering teams offer a highly professional approach to process system design and are adept at collaborating with customers to design, engineer and manufacture the perfect bespoke solution for their specific requirements.
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