Operation of Ball Mill:
Four barrels are assembled in a row 90° apart by TIG weldments and mounted on a steel 3" channel by ball bearing pillow blocks on either end. It is driven by a 1/3 hp electric motor that is turned on and off by a circuit breaker switch mounted on the rail under the motor.
The cylinders are 11" deep and capped on one end with special shaped bottom plate of SAE 4140 steel welded to the cylinder. A similar plate is secured in place by three clamping bars for quick and easy removal caps the top end. Loosening the screws on the clamping bars, and rotating them to clear the cover, allows easy removal of the cover.
Loading:
The stone may be loaded into the cylinder by removing the top cover. A typical load would be about 2000 carats per cylinder along with about one pound of ball media for each 1000 carats of stone. The size ball media typically used is 1/2", 1/4" and 3/16" diameter steel balls and is used in a mix depending on the desired results. A mixture of 1/2" and 1/4" balls would be typical for reducing the size while a combination of the smaller sizes would be typical for shaping. Upon completing the loading, the top cover is replaced and tightened in place using the "T"bar hex wrench provided.
Running:
After all cylinders are secured the motor starting switch may be turned on to start the rotation of the barrels. It would be advantageous to plug the power cord into an external timer unit to control the length of time. A typical time period would be 4 to 6 hours.
Recovering stone:
Upon completion of the time required for running it is necessary to recover the stone from the milling barrels. The first step in the procedure is tap the sides and top using the plastic hammer provided. This will dislodge the stone from the sides and top cover. The top cover may now be removed. Tapping the under side edge may be necessary to loosen the cover- again using the plastic hammer.
To catch the stone and balls a shallow pan is placed under the barrel with a sieve placed in it, as the barrel is rotated the stone and balls will flow into the sieve. The sieve will catch the balls while the stone will go through the sieve and into the pan. A brush may be used to clean the inside of the barrel to remove any trace of stone before loading a new batch for milling.
For more information please contact
Gallant Associates, Inc.
27 Kreiger Lane
Glastonbury, CT 06033
860.659-5885 (voice)
860.659-5887 (fax)
Gallant Associates, Inc.
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