Ball Mill Vessel Identification for Safe Speed Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Ball mills, particularly laboratory-scale planetary and centrifugal mills, face challenges in reliable operation due to the risk of incorrect speed settings for grinding tools, leading to potential damage and inefficient comminution processes, especially when handling materials with different crushing behaviors.

Innovation Solution

A ball mill system with a housing, carrier device, receiving device, and control mechanism that includes a readable storage medium on the grinding vessel providing information about its properties and maximum speed, allowing for automatic setting of permissible operating parameters, including speed limits, to ensure safe and effective operation based on the grinding tools used.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the ball mill operates at high speeds to improve comminution efficiency, then productivity increases, but the risk of damaging grinding tools due to incorrect speed settings increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomminution efficiencyVSAvoidgrinding tool safety
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system reads identification data from the grinding vessel (containing material properties and speed limits) and uses this information to automatically adjust operating parameters. This feedback loop ensures the mill operates at optimal speeds for each specific material while preventing damage from excessive speeds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The grinding vessel itself provides the necessary information about its material properties and speed limitations through an embedded identification system. The control system automatically retrieves and applies this information, making the system self-regulating without requiring external intervention or manual parameter setting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If manual speed setting is used to simplify operation, then ease of operation improves, but the risk of incorrect parameters leading to tool damage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparameter setting simplicityVSAvoidoperational safety
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically retrieves identification data from the grinding vessel and configures operating parameters without requiring manual input. The grinding vessel essentially configures itself by providing its material properties and speed limits to the control system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The identification data including material properties and maximum speed limits are pre-stored in the grinding vessel's identification system. This preliminary preparation allows the control system to automatically configure optimal parameters without manual intervention during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If different grinding tools are used for different materials to optimize comminution, then comminution quality improves, but device complexity increases due to tool identification and parameter matching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomminution qualityVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single identification system embedded in the grinding vessel handles multiple functions: storing material properties, specifying maximum speeds, and providing tool recognition data. This universal approach simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining the ability to optimize for different materials and tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system continuously references the identification data from the grinding vessel to automatically match operating parameters with the specific tool and material combination. This feedback mechanism eliminates manual configuration complexity while ensuring optimal comminution quality for each scenario.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP1945364B1Ball mill comprising means for identifying milling vessels
Publication Date: 2010.09.08 A FRITSCH GMBH & CO KG
  • EP1945364B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1945364B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP1945364B1 patent drawingFigure 2C

AI summary

The aim of the invention is to operate a ball mill in a simple and secure manner and to prevent operating errors occurring on the ball mill. According to the invention, said ball mill comprises at least one receiving device for at least one milling vessel (5), which is rotationally mounted about a receiving axis, a drive (27) for the receiving device, at least one milling vessel (5) which can be filled will milling balls and which is maintained in the receiving device when it is installed in the receiving device. Said milling vessel (5) comprises at least one readable memory device (100) whereon at least information which is specific to the milling vessel, in particular, relating to the volume and/or the material properties and/or the mass and/or the maximum rotational speed of the milling vessel, can be stored. Said ball mill also comprises a reading device (120) which is used to read at least the information from the readable memory device (100) when the milling vessel is arranged in the receiving device of the ball mill, and a control device (150) which controls the operation of the ball mill which corresponds to the read information.