Cement grinding – a comparison between vertical roller mill and ball mill

Over the last three decades the vertical roller mill has become the preferred mill for grinding of raw materials. The grinding efficiency of the vertical roller mill combined with an ability to dry, grind and classify within a single unit gives the vertical roller mill a decided advantage over a ball mill system. However, despite these benefits applications of the vertical roller mill for cement grinding are less prevalent.
The two-compartment ball mill, which operate in a closed circuit with a high efficiency separator, is thus still the most preferred arrangement for new cement grinding installations although the vertical roller mill now has emerged as a viable alternative to the ball mill system and has increased its share of the market for cement mills over the last decade.
There are a number of explanations to this situation which relate to issues like cost and ease of operation. cost of installation, cost and ease of maintenance, product quality, versatility, etc. A comparison of vertical roller mill systems and ball mills systems for cement grinding has been prepared with reference to all these issues.

Author: S. W. Jorgensen

Section: Equipment and technology

Keywords: mill flow, product quality, dehydration of gypsum, operating cost, support, cost