PROGRESS IN ROLLER PRESS DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

Since the introduction of roller press technology to the cement industry in the mid eighties, its range of application and the capacity of the machines used has increased significantly. Fig. 1 illustrates the average size of machine supplied in 1986 versus the machine of today. Roller presses are now being supplied with throughput capacities of over 1000 mtph for clinker and cement raw material processing with drive capacities of 3000 kW. As roller press technology continues to gain acceptance for the closed circuit finish grinding of cement processes and products, this trend will undoubtedly continue. Realizing this need, several significant design changes and developments have taken place to allow the construction of larger, more reliable machines. These developments were essential if the machine was to be able to meet the ever-increasing process demands being made upon it. This paper will discuss the most significant of these advancements for large roller press design, and in particular discuss the state of the art design for the following major components: Roller design, new autogenous wear surface Bearing design Bearing housing/roller alignment Bearing oil lubrication Hydro-pneumatic system. The paper concludes by briefly discussing how these design advancements will influence future roller press application possibilities as related to the US cement industry.