Our team would like to optimize our ink production process. Currently, we are using vertical mills, however the production speed is not as fast as we would like it. I recently read about Horizontal Bead Mills and believe that they may be more efficient for continuous processing than vertical mills. Has anyone else compared the two machines?  Additionally, I want to know how easy are horizontal beadmills to clean since color changes will occur. Also, any information on daily maintenance requirements on a horizontal mill would be greatly appreciated by our team.

I am reviewing pigment dispersion process data, and I have found inconsistent discharge temperatures during wet Bead Mill operation. Have any of you experienced a strong correlation between slurry viscosity (it seems) and the effectiveness of the cooling jacket? We are trying to establish if the root cause of the inconsistency is either from insufficient mechanical seal pressure or the total energy input. I would appreciate any technical input on successfully managing residence time without overheating the product (for example, using smaller zirconium grinding media).

When purchasing a machine remember to check with the manufacturer, not just the cost, of when they will supply spare parts. In my experience, the most wear on a machine usually occurs on mechanical seals and disc grinding plates. If the machine manufacturer takes several weeks to deliver parts you will stop making products until parts arrive. You may also want to ask if lab samples of the slurry can be supplied before you purchase full production size equipment from the bead mill manufacturer.

The specific gravity of ceramic grinding media beads in relation to (typically after adjusting bead proportional to viscosity of mill base) viscosity of operating medium is one of the most important aspects to consider when selecting your media type for use in a ceramic grinding application. An example of this would be the use of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) in producing high density media (approx 6.0 g/cm³). YSZ may not be the best option however for very low viscosity materials where the use of aluminum oxide could cause more wear and tear on your mill lining than a heavier media. As part of my observations it would appear that one of the most important aspects to consider when matching the mechanical energy of the media with the hardness of the material being blended is how much kinetic energy the media is producing. Has anyone else gone through the calculation of determining the density ratio of the particular type bead(s) being used with respect to your final product prior to conducting trials?

Hello All, I am currently in the process of setting up a new pilot ink manufacturing facility and we are in the process of determining a number of different milling techniques. My primary concern at this point in time is temperature control due to the materials we would be using as they can be quite sensitive to extreme heat. I have done a fair amount of reading on the advantages of wet grinding and feel wet milling provides much better control over temperature due to the cooling effects of the liquid used to create the slurry. However, I am also concerned about cleanup time from the wet process.