31 MER VRM Inspections - Rev JSJ 120507

VRM inspections
Cement Manufacturing Services

Maintenance & Equipment Reliability
© Holcim Group Support Limited 2011

Objective
• To understand function of main components
• To understand impact of abnormalities in these components

on mill operation and reliability
• What to inspect and how to inspect
• Mill parameters - typical range
Only important inspection points are included in the

presentation. For detailed inspection points refer to
suppliers manual
2
© Holcim Group Support Limited 2011 P34 Vertical roller mill inspections
Inspections
Why
•To improved equipment reliability and availability
•To ensure efficient mill operation
When
•Daily during operation (first level inspection)
•During maintenance stops (weekly, monthly, quarterly…)
3
Safety During Inspections
• Wear necessary PPE during inspections
• Follow all laid down safety instructions and procedure

during inspection while mill is in operation
• Follow all laid down procedure and take necessary
permits before doing inspection on stopped mill or
entering inside mill.
4
What to inspect
• Foundation frames
• False air, material leakage

• Ducts, bellows, doors, seals
• Casings
• casing liners, liner bolts, wear
• Mill internals
• Water injection system
• Separator internals
• Drives
• Gear reducers, motors, couplings
• Hydraulic system
• Lubrication system
5
Foundation Frames
• Looseness of bolts
• Cracks in foundation frames
• Feel the Vibration
• Hear for knocking sound
• Breathing between concrete and

foundation frame concrete
Cracked Foundation frame
Broken foundation bolt
6
False Air
• False air must be reduced to the minimum since it negatively affects
the power consumption of the fans
(Total loss per month = Increase in kwh x Monthly hrs of operation x power cost per kwh )
• Lowers the gas temperature inside the mill.
• In many instances it limits the kiln production, if fans are operating at

the capacity limit
• For an accurate determination, a false air measurement campaign
has to be made where the O2
content is measured at different
location along the gas flow
7
False Air, Material Leakage
• Listen for air leakage (suction draft inside the mill sucks the air in
from leakages), check sealing of roller arms/rods, inspection doors,
inlet and out let duct joints and bellows
• Look for material leakages
8
Casings
Mill Housing, separator casing, feed chute, separator cone
•Check the liner plates or tiles for general wear (thickness loss) and for
loosening or falling off from bolt or anchor attachments. Base plate
should not be exposed to avoid any wear on it.
9
Mill Internals - Dam ring
• The dam ring controls the material bed height
• Increase or reduction in bed height affects grinding efficiency and mill vibration
• Check for wear, looseness, missing bolts and protection caps

• With the grinding tool wear the dam ring height increases, however with the
wear on dam ring itself bed height reduces, therefore it is very important to
check and control the condition of the dam ring
• When wear parts (table/roller liners) are replaced, the dam ring needs to be
adapted accordingly
10
Mill internals – Dam Ring
roller
• Increase the bed height on the
table through an increase of
Controls material flow
leaving the grinding
zone
the dam ring height
dam ring
• Optimum dam ring height to be grinding
Controls material bed
thickness
bed
found through trial & error
• Modify dam ring height in roller
steps of 10 [mm] each time
• As the table wears the dam
nozzles Vibrations [mm/s] Low dam ring
ring height should be reduced table liner
3.5
accordingly Medium dam ring
dam ring
• In Loesche & Fuller mills
3.0
High dam ring

possible additional solution is: 2.5 grinding
10 [mm] bed
100 115 Op. pressure [%]
11
Mill Internals - Nozzle ring
• The nozzle ring produces the air flow which goes to the separator
• By proper positioning of the nozzle ring, it is possible to bring a maximum
amount of material to the upper level
• The gas velocity trough the nozzle ring must be between 30 and 50 m/s
• Nozzle ring adjustment – setting the area for air velocity control, setting the
inclination for air spin control to effect pre separation.
Nozzle ring
12
Mill Internals – Nozzle Ring
• Due to the high air velocity, the nozzle ring and the louvers
in the nozzle ring are subjected to heavy wear
• Check the condition, wear and positioning of nozzle ring
13
Mill Internals – Grinding table
• The grinding table is protected against wear with wear resistant liners
• The liners can be reconditioned or replaced depending on the type
and extent of wear.
• Indication of excess wear - increased power consumption, reduction
in output, increase in vibrations
• Monitoring wear pattern of table liners is important for efficient
operation and mill reliability.
• All threaded connections on the inside of the mill, nuts and
threaded stud ends are protected
by caps. Inspect their condition and
check whether any parts are missing
• Check liner bolts for looseness
• Check condition of material scraper
in air distribution chamber
14
Mill Internals – Grinding Table Wear Measurement
• Maintain record of wear pattern using a
template for wear measurement
• Replace or recondition liners as per
Suppliers recommendations
• Excess wear can cause breakage of liner
Matching surfaces between

table and liner must be clean
before liner fitment
Polysius Mill
Atox Mill
15
Mill internals – Grinding Rollers
• VRM`s have three kinds of roller design
• Swing out rollers (Loesche)
• Rollers interconnected by triangular beam (Pfeiffer) or
central connecting yoke (Atox)
• Horizontal external supporting frame (Polysius Quadropol)
Loesche G.Pfeiffer FLS Atox Polysius 16

Grinding Rollers - Characteristics
• The rollers move independently

from each other, they are
installed with pre-tensioned
bearings since the thermal
expansion will provide the
clearance needed for the
operation
• The lubrication is provided by a
bath or circulation system
• The grinding force allows a
movement in the 3 freedom
degrees (rotation, lifting,
lowring)
17
Grinding Rollers-Hydraulic Tensioning Systems
• ATOX - three stationary rollers that are pressed hydro-
pneumatically against the material on the grinding
table. The grinding force is transferred directly to the
roller shaft via three tension rods.
• Due to double action hydraulic cylinders the rollers can
be lifted for start-up.
• DOROL – two set of two rollers each is connected with
a yoke. The yokes are pressed down by two hydraulic
cylinders for each roller sets.
• QUADROPOL - Rollers have basically rocker arm
design. Each roller has two hydraulic cylinders which
press down the roller shaft.
18
Grinding Rollers-Hydraulic Tensioning Systems
• LOESCHE - Hydro-pneumatic spring system with counter pressure
• PFEIFFER MPS – grinding rollers are connected to a frame which is

pulled down by hydraulic cylinders connected to frame with pull rods19
Grinding Rollers Swing Out Type-Inspection during operation
• Look for abnormal positions or movements of the rocker arms and leaks through the
roller shaft seals with the housings.
• Look for abnormalities on the rocker arm suspension bearings and lubrication
connections.
• Look for leaks from the hydraulic piping system and cylinder seals.
• Look for anomalies in the hydraulic cylinders and accumulator suspension parts.
• Look for the proper position of any physical indicators or locking arrangements for roller
position.
• Look for proper hydraulic or gas pressure on the pr. gauges of the hydraulic circuits.
• Look for leaks or oil circulation abnormalities
in the roller lubrication system/pump station.
• Listen for abnormal sounds, pitch or level
(vibrations or knocking sounds):
• Internally from the mill.
• From the hydraulic system.
• From air conduits or fans.
20
Grinding rollers Non Swing Out Type-Inspection in operation
• Look for abnormalities in the tie rod connections to the cylinders (loose bolts,
openings in the flange assemblies).
• Look for anomalies in the hinge bearings between foundation blocks and cylinders.
Only first two inspection points related to roller arrangement are

different, other inspection points are same as for the swing out type
21
Grinding Roller – Inspection when stopped
• Bolt condition and torque.
• Cracks in shafts and main bolts, using NDT methods (magnetic particle test,
ultrasonic test, dye penetration test, etc.).
• Condition of hydraulic power equipment: Cylinders, piping, pipe holders and
connections including rubber hoses, leakages, looseness, seals.
• Necessary replacement of filter cartridges and replacement of or sampling of fluids
for detailed condition analysis.
• Overall checking of instrumentation, electrical as well as mechanical:
•
Pressure transducers and manometers
•
Temperature indicators and transducers
•
Flow meters with local indication
•
Level indicators
•
Position switches, contact and non-contact
•
Electromotors, electric actuators
•
Vibration monitors
• Condition of lubricating equipment, oil or grease, pumping stations, piping,
monitoring systems, distributors, spillage, seals etc.
22
Roller Wear Measurement
• Roller wear and profile change affect mill output
and power consumption
• It is important to record the wear profile using a
template and replace the liners or recondition
the rollers depending upon the type
• Follow manufacturer´s recommendation on total
wear in mm allowed.
• Excessive wear can cause liner breakage
Atox mill
Polysius Mill
23
Wear profile, example
GEBR. PFEIFFER AG
24
Wear parts problems - Guide pin (Polysius)
• Maximum clearance 15 mm
Wear at the guide brackets and guide pins can
lead to vibrations and increased wear at the
sides of the grinding table liner segments
and the grinding rollers.
• Rod weld
1. SA1750 Sure Alloy
2. 6006 Eutectic + Castolin
25
Pressure frame (Pfeiffer)
• Visual Inspection
• Magnetic particle test on critical areas of the pressure frame
Crack on the frame
26
Water injection / Operational inspection and requirements
• Inject water onto the table • Adjust the water spray impact
before the roller point to the estimated material
trajectory on the table to
• Water should be sprayed
minimize the amount of
before the rollers necessary water
• Position a water spray before
each roller
• Too low water injection Water injection Excess of water
injection might
cause vibration reduces the drying
capacity increase power
consumption
• Too high water injection
increases power
consumption and liner
wear
• Check for proper
positioning of pipe Water injection slows
the material on the Water injection onto
table and increases the the table and before
• Check for wear or mill stability the rollers
leakages 27
Separator Inspection during operation
• Drive inspection: temperature, sound, vibrations (motor, gear unit),
resonance, lubrication, oil level, oil treatment plant
• Drive shaft inspection: coupling, temperature, lubrication
• Separator vibration: Caking on the rotor blades, Uneven wear on
the blades may be so unevenly distributed that the resultant
differences in weight give rise to the vibrations. If required, the rotor
must be balanced.
Grease lubrication
Elastomeric bushing Grid spring
28
Separator inspection - Stopped
Dynamic seal
3
Guide vanes:
position, wear
pattern
Rotor plates: wear

pattern, fixation
29
• Separator rotor and louvres – check for clearance and wear
• Wear
• Sealing not tight
• Wear
• Guide vanes not

correctly adjusted
• Bearing
• Wear
lubrication
• Breakouts
30
The angle affects

the size of the
particle
The rotor affects the
particle fineness
The rotor seal

affects the separator
efficiency
31
Separator Inspection - Solutions evaluation
 Inspect regularly the dynamic
seal
 Replace, adjust the dynamic
seal to meet the manufacturer
guidelines regarding gaps
between moving parts (rotor)
and static parts (separator
housing)
 Close openings that allow
coarse product to bypass the
rotor
Bad Not bad Better
32
Fans inspection
2
33
Gearbox Inspection – During operation
• Check the temperature of the oil in the pump station.
• Check the filter by checking the filter blocking monitors visually.
• Check the oil level by visually inspecting the dipstick or the oil level glass for
oil. The check should be made once a week at a time when the equipment is
stopped.
• Check the lubrication system for oil leaks.
• Check the pump station for abnormal noises, cavitation of pumps or noises in
the pump/motor couplings.
• Check the oil pressures on the local pressure gauges.
• Check the pump station and gear unit for loose bolts.
• Monitor vibration and temperature levels and carryout periodic Vibration
analysis.
• Study all the online vibration, torque and temperature trends and alarms for
any developing abnormality, in line with the Holcim VRM gearbox protection
guidelines.
34
Gearbox inspection – stopped
Casing
•The casing must be tight

to prevent oil leakage.
•Check for oil leakage at
joints and seals at input
and output shafts.
•Check for cracks in the
gear casing.
•Check air breather
35
Teeth
•The condition of the teeth is the most important aspect for proper and
long-lasting operation.
•Check each tooth for cracks, wear. pitting and contact pattern.
36
Figure 1
37
Gearbox inspection – Stopped
Check the internal

couple with
endoscopes or mirror
Such marks mean damage and

therefore replacement
38
Bearings
•Inspect the rollers and raceways in order to detect any change in the
wear pattern, pitting or corrosion.
•The cages should also be inspected for damage.
•Bearings which are not accessible, bearing failure can be detected by

vibration analysis or bearing temperature.
39
Oil
•Oil level should be correct to ensure the most effective lubrication of
bearings and gearings.
•Check the oil circulation oil must reach all lubrication point inside
gearbox. No choking in pipelines and spray holes
•Visual appearance of the oil - dirty, foam, water, colour.
Oil Analysis – Carry out regular oil analysis. It is one of the most
important way of early detection of an abnormality.
•Physical tests – Viscosity, Acidity, contamination, specific gravity
•Tests for wear metals and additives (spectrographic) – contamination

by particles and solids, water or coolant.
•Ferrographic analysis – Shape, size and type of metal in lubricating oil
Normal temperatures: 50 - 60C or less. Max. 85C for EP gear oil

40
Gearbox Inspection - Stopped
With a magnet device

look for metallic
particles in the bottom
of the gear box
Take an oil sample

(100ml)
41
Gearbox - Monthly inspection
Raw Mill 2
Clean the filters looking for
5
4
metallic particles
3
gr
2
1
0
Molino de Rodillos 2
42
Hydraulic and Lubrication units
• Check for oil leaks from seals, pipelines
and tanks
• Check for oil pressure and temperature
• Check oil level
• Check filter conditions, choaking,
contamination
• Any abnormal sound from pumps,
pressure fluctuation.
• Check oil cooler condition
• Periodic oil analysis
• Check nitrogen pressure in hydraulic
accumulators
43
Mill parameters and its consequences
• Maintaining correct parameters have direct impact on mill efficiency

and reliability
• Some typical ranges are given in the next slide for understanding.
• For exact values refer to the suppliers manual.
44
Mill parameters and its consequences
Parameter Typical Range Remarks
Vibration 2-3 mm/sec
Bed depth 50-80 mm Depends on material to grind
Dam ring height 50-150 mm Poly/Loesche/FLS, Measuring Reference point depends
Pfeiffer 0-50 mm on type (Usual range 2.5-4% of table
diameter)
Mill drive power 80-90% of installed High torque
Hydraulic pressure Loesche 80-90 bar Not directly comparable depends on
Polysius130-150 bar system eg. Cylinder size, number of
Pfeiffer 120-150 bar cylinders
FLS Atox 110-120 bar
False air < 15% of fan volume
Pressure drop 50-60 mbar external circulation
70-85 mbar no external
circulation
Nozzle ring velocity 25-60 m/s for reciculation of 50-
100% fresh feed
> 70 m/s with no
recirculation
Nozzle ring Inclination inclined at 60˚ To direct larger mat back
N2 pressure in hydraulic accumulators 50-90% of working hydraulic
pressure
Water addition table 1-3% of mill feed Not too high, not too low
Roller liner wear 50-150 mm Depends upon the type of liners,
rebuilding is generally done 40-60 mm
Table liner wear 50-150 mm Depends upon the type of liners,
rebuilding is generally done 40-60 mm.
Casing liner wear Mother plate shoud not expose,
Liner shoud not fall
Pressure in low pr. lubrication system < 16bar
Pressure in high pr. lubrication system 30-50 bar
Mill temperature inlet/outlet 325-350 ˚C/80-110 ˚C Inlet Temp. Depends on feed moisture,
Out let temp. Should be 20-30 ˚C
above dewpoint
Lubrication oil temperature Normal 50-60 ˚C Max 85 ˚C
45

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VRM inspections

Cement Manufacturing Services

© Holcim Group Support Limited 2011

• To understand impact of abnormalities in these components

• Mill parameters - typical range

Only important inspection points are included in the

•To ensure efficient mill operation

•During maintenance stops (weekly, monthly, quarterly…)

• Follow all laid down safety instructions and procedure

• False air, material leakage

• Water injection system

• Cracks in foundation frames

• Feel the Vibration

• Hear for knocking sound

• Breathing between concrete and

Cracked Foundation frame

Broken foundation bolt

• Lowers the gas temperature inside the mill.

• In many instances it limits the kiln production, if fans are operating at

• Check for wear, looseness, missing bolts and protection caps

High dam ring

Matching surfaces between

Loesche G.Pfeiffer FLS Atox Polysius 16

• The rollers move independently

• PFEIFFER MPS – grinding rollers are connected to a frame which is

Only first two inspection points related to roller arrangement are

• Magnetic particle test on critical areas of the pressure frame

Crack on the frame

Elastomeric bushing Grid spring

Rotor plates: wear

• Sealing not tight

• Guide vanes not

The angle affects

The rotor seal

Bad Not bad Better

•The casing must be tight

Check the internal

Such marks mean damage and

•Bearings which are not accessible, bearing failure can be detected by

•Tests for wear metals and additives (spectrographic) – contamination

Normal temperatures: 50 - 60C or less. Max. 85C for EP gear oil

With a magnet device

Take an oil sample

• Maintaining correct parameters have direct impact on mill efficiency

• For exact values refer to the suppliers manual.

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