Online control and optimization of the grinding process in ball mills

The grinding process in cement plants is very energy-intensive, consuming a substantial proportion of a factory's total electrical energy requirement. This paper describes a program package for optimizing mill operation that can monitor and control all types of mill/separator circuits in a cement plant. The most import characteristics of this software are described and the operating results at a ball mill for cement grinding in the Bhatinda plant of Grasim Industries Ltd. (VBCGU) are presented. Implementation of the software resulted in a considerable increase in output together with a reduction in the specific energy requirement. Furthermore, fluctuations in the important process parameters, such as mill filling level, amperage of the discharge elevator and finished product fineness were reduced.