Gone are the days when Millers would grind wheat and other grains with a stone. As the milling process evolved, roller mills replaced millstones as the primary equipment to mill flour. Anyone in the farming industry, or any industry producing seed, is likely familiar with the capabilities of a roller mill. This powerful piece of machinery cracks corn, wheat and milo and is also used for crimping oats and barley. It can process pepper, rice, mustard seeds and soybeans. It truly is a machine for all trades.
From Agriculture to Chemicals – the Milling Process Has Come a Long Way
Today, many manufacturers of the roller mill, design industrial mixers and grinders for several industries including the cosmetic, food, pet food, chemical and agriculture industries. Roller mills come in various sizes to suit the specific needs of each industry, and there are several styles to choose from depending on the particle size of the finished product.
A Simple Concept of Grinding and Pressing
Industrial roller mills are used to press, grind, crack and flake products to a smaller size. The cylinder rolls of a mill can be smooth, corrugated with special grooves or self-matting. Self-matting rolls have a rough surface which remains rough throughout the life of the roll.
While the rotating rolls are in motion on the mill, the product is fed through the rolls which will then shear or cut the product and reduce it in size. Grains such as bran will be cracked to separate the bran and germ from the endosperm inside. The coarseness of the final product once it has made its way through a roller mill is determined by whether or not the roll is smooth or corrugated, the roll differential, diameter and the pitch of the corrugation. Every industry is different and has unique requirements. There are hundreds of roll styles and sizes.
Agitators Ensure Even Wear on the Equipment
Many roller mills have an agitator attached that spreads grain evenly across the rolls to ensure that they wear uniformly. It also prevents foreign materials such as leaves or grain stalks to get caught in the equipment.
For generations, H.C. Davis Sons Manufacturing Company Inc. has been manufacturing state of the art mixing and grinding equipment for the agriculture, industrial and commercial markets.
