VERTICAL ROLLER MILL FOR CEMENT GRINDING

Traditionally, the closed circuit ball grinding mill with high efficiency separator has been the most common system for cement grinding. However, as happened with raw grinding over the last 25 years, the vertical roller mill (VRM) is now successfully being used for many clinker grinding applications and is rapidly becoming the standard for new grinding mill installations. The first such vertical roller mill installation in the United States was part of a total plant expansion and began operation in August of 2002.

Phoenix Cement Company modernized their existing three kiln plant to a state-of-the-art high efficiency operation by incorporating the newest technology available in the cement industry. Spurred by a growing demand for cement, the cement producer increased their clinker capacity from 1700 STPD (1590 MTPD) to a capacity of 3000 STPD (2700 MTPD).

For the new VRM cement grinding system, the cement producer contracted with an equipment supplier based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for a proven grinding mill design that was originally developed in Japan during the early 1980’s. FIGURE blow shows the VRM installed in the plant.