Roller sugar mill tree is one of the most important parts

by Micheal k. freelancer

The roller sugar mill tree is one of the most important parts of the sugar mill industry. This is because they are used for the separation of juice containing sucrose from sugar cane. This juice extraction is achieved by squeezing the prepared cone through two rollers. It is for this criticality and importance that it requires careful production and testing in order to meet all the stringent requirements in order to be used in environments of continuous wear and fatigue.

Materials used

The material of the sugar mill tree is decided taking into account its strength and rigidity. The conditions under which these trees operate vary over a wide range. This makes it imperative that the bearing material used to make them have certain desirable properties. These include factors such as:

A low melting point and softness

Mechanical resistance

Corrosion resistant

Low elastic modulus

High thermal conductivity

Other economic considerations

However, it is not possible to achieve all of these factors to some desirable extent in a single sugar mill tree, so a compromise must be made regarding some attributes. The commonly used materials are:

White Metal: This term is mainly used for lead and tin based metals, making them highly competitive. They are mostly recommended for applications where the load is not severe. White metals undergo a reduction in fatigue strength as temperature increases, making this reduction a function of thickness. These are not commonly used for sugar mill trees.

Copper-based alloys: These alloys include gun metal, lead bronze, and phosphor bronze. Among them, lead bronze is the cheapest, making it popular for general service bearings. They have a low tendency to seize and have higher fatigue strength to withstand higher temperatures. They are mainly used in the form of a solid single unit. Gun metal is also a relatively inexpensive machine material with good load-bearing properties. They are able to withstand greater loads than lead bronze alloys while having good resistance to corrosion due to sea water. Another metal used is phosphor bronze which is used in heavy loads where high friction and stress are likely to occur.

Aluminum-based alloys

Lubrication

The sugar mill shafts do not have the ability to turn fast enough to promote the formation of a hydrodynamic film of lubricant between the bearing and the pin. Therefore, they require constant hydrostatic lubrication. This is done by providing lubrication to the bearing at the required pressure. Care must be taken to ensure an adequate supply of lubrication under such conditions. This is especially true of the location of the grooves and oil supply holes. Therefore, considering the accurate production standards and testing requirements, the sugar mill trees are considered an important part of this industry. After all, the main reason for the sugar cane industry is to extract the maximum amount of juice per ton / ground cane. This is achieved by ensuring that the right sugar mill tree is used in the right place.