To grind something solid, many of us might think of a mortar and pestle as the original grinding machine. In fact, that technology goes back at least to 1550 BCE, when one was described in Egyptian writing. Many other hand-powered mills and grinders followed, leading to powered devices in today’s many forms.
Top 5 Signs You Should Service or Replace Your Mill or Grinder
- The mill or grinder is no longer producing accurate and reproducible results.
- The instrument does not have the features/accessories you need, to support new or future applications, or the instrument is unable to grind material to the fineness you need.
- It is becoming too difficult and costly to find replacement parts for the instrument.
- Liquids and powders have built up on the machine to a disgusting degree. Regular cleaning with a mild cleaner or damp cloth should help users avoid this problem. Users should always remember to turn the machine off when cleaning.
- Mechanical components are worn or dried out and may need either replacing or lubricating.
Top 5 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a Mill or Grinder
- Will the mill/grinder be used for wet or dry milling?
- For dry milling, ask how finely the material needs to be ground and what are the properties of the material? Rotor beater, disc, and mortar mills for example, are best for mid-range grinding (final fineness of ~0.01-0.1 mm).
- For wet milling, ask what capacity of grinder you will need. Bead mills are usually best for small capacity applications while rotor-stator homogenizers should be considered for larger scale applications. For very large scale applications, industrial-scale mills are probably the best fit.
- How important is preventing cross-contamination? Bead mills are likely a good choice if you don’t want any risk of contamination.
- Based on the materials you will be milling, how long does the miller or grinder typically last? How much do replacement parts cost and how easy are they to get? What level of support/warranties does the company offer?
Article courtesy of Lab Manager Magazine
View our Mills Category on LabWrench