Page 1 of 10

Function:
The main function of mill housing is to:
Take into a count roller position
Take up the load during crushing

Material of construction:
The mostly used material now a days is cast steel U. T. S. 62 65 kg/mm2

Design aspects:
The following aspects should be taken into a count, when designing or selecting mill
housing:
The apex angle (top angle) should be minimum

Fig. (1): Top angle of mill roller

Page 2 of 10
In mills of standard design, the angle varies from 70o to 85o. A good value for modern
mill is 72o.Designers aim to reduce the top angle (apex angle) as far as possible. The
smaller the angle , the narrower is trashplate, the lower is the friction of this trashplate,
the power loss due to this friction becomes lower.
Simplicity,

balanced

load,

symmetrical

design,

interchangeability

and

maintenance
Height of top roller centre
Floating of top roller

Types of housing
1. King bolts type
2. Bolts less mill housing
i.

Pin type

ii.

Pin and key type

iii.

Key type

3. Triangular type / squire type

4. Trash plate less type / tow rollers type
5. Inclined mill housing
6. Walker type
7. Integral four roller type

1. King bolt type

The king bolt type of mill housing is classic design carries two long bolts set near the
vertical, called king bolts, which oppose the lifting force of the top roller, transmitted
to the mill caps by the hydraulic plunger and the oil pressure used for rates , more over
it has the following disadvantage:
1. Slippage of bolts
2. Bending, Breaking of bolts & housing
3. Apex angle is higher 84o 86o
4. More difficulties in removing top roller

Page 3 of 10

1
2
3

4
5

6
7

Mill Housing King Bolt type

NO.

Item

NO.

Item

Vertical king bolt

Side cap

Top cap

Feed roller

Top roller

Foundation bolt

Horizontal king bolt

Discharge roller

Fig. (2) Mill housing king bolt type

2. Bolt less Mill Housing

In this design (fig (3)) the top cap embraces the mill housing and this detail will give
additional strength against any lateral thrust of the top bearing, which tends to open the
top bearing gab.

Page 4 of 10

3
4

Fig.(3): Boltless Mill Housing(Both sides of the drawing are symmetrical)

Boltless Mill Housing
NO.

Item

No. Item

Light bolts

Thrust bolts

Short bolts

Thrust bars

The boltless housings have to carry all the working stresses of the mill, so they
necessarily have to be of substantial design, and cast steel should be used throughout. The
function of the bolts and thrust bars in the boltless mill housing is:
The light bolts (1) are only for securing the cap in its working position
The short bolts (2) will carry the reduced part of the lower roller thrust.
The thrust bars (4) and short bolts (3) are for holding the side caps.

3. Triangular Mill Housing / Squire Type.

In figure (4) is shown triangular mill housing. The special feature of this housing is
that:
There are no top and side caps

Page 5 of 10
bottom rollers are adjusted in inclined plane
Less time for assembly / dismantling

3
4
6
5
(Both sides of the drawing are symmetrical)
Triangular Housing / Squire
No. Item

No

Item

No

Item

Frame

Discharge roller

Foundation bolts

Top roller

Link

Tightening wedge

Fig. (4): Triangular Housing /Squire

4. Trashplate Less Mill Housing

In fig. (5) Mill housing without trash plate is shown. The three rollers are placed in a
slanting position, each on top of the other, the angle of inclination being about 30o with
the vertical. The lack of trash plate will reduce the friction and thus the power
consumption of the mill and, what is more imbibition can be applied between the second
and first pressing. The juice of both these pressing is collected in separate juice trays (5)
and (6), so that can be kept separate for imbibition purposes. The top and the lower
rollers have separate hydraulic rams

Page 6 of 10

Feed
1

3
4

Fig. (5): Mill Housing without Trash plate

Mill Housing without trash plate

No. Item
1
Top roller hydraulic ram
2
Top roller
3
Lower roller hydraulic ram

No.
4
5
6

Item
Lower roller
Juice tray
Juice tray

5. Inclined Mill Housing:

Certain designers take into account the difference between the reactions at the delivery
and feed rollers by constructing housing with inclined mountings for the top roller fig. (6)

Page 7 of 10

1
5

Fig (6): Inclined Housing

Inclined mill housing
No. Item
1
Top cap
3
Feed roller
5
Top roller
7
Trashplate

No.
2
4
6
8

Item
Side cap
Foundation bolts
Discharge roller
Frame

6.Tow roller mill housing

The tow roller mill housing is shown in fig (7), the features of this housing are:
No conventional trashplate
No closed pressure chute
Top roller configured in swinging arm
Drive can be given either to top or bottom roller. Bottom roller drive makes the
mill truly Auto Set.
Most easy for dismantling and assembly

Page 8 of 10

TRF1

Swinging
Arm

TRF3
TOP

TRF2

BOTTOM
Hydraulic
Cylinder
Fig (7): Tow roller housing

Page 9 of 10

7. Auto Setting Mill Housing:

Much more effort is made in a mill to establish a certain ratio m between the feed and
delivery openings while operating. This ratio is varies according to the position of the
mill in tandem, but is generally not far from the value 1.9 or 2.
This ratio, in other words the mill setting, must be based on the tonnage, however, is
fixed; it varies between fairly wide limits from one minute to the next, and these changes
are expressed in a repeated rise and fall of the top roller. Now the ratio m chosen is valid
only for a given position and one position only, of the top roller.
In a mill of classical design with symmetrical housings, if the setting has been established
for a ratio of 2, with a delivery opening eA = 15 and the feed opening EA of 30 mm, the
mill will oscillate continually, for example, between eA = 5, EA = 20 (m = 4) and eA = 20,
EA =35 mm (m = 1.75).
In a mill with inclined housing, the feed opening will alter to a smaller extent than the
delivery opening; it will increase or decrease by about 70% only of the delivery opening.
For the same setting as above, the mill will oscillate between eA = 5, EA = 23 (m = 4.6)
and eA = 20, EA = 33.5 mm (m = 1.675).
Instead of allowing plunger to rise and fall in a straight line, Fives has conceived the idea
of loading the top roller by means of a cap which pivots about an axis situated on the
delivery side of the mill and located in such a way that the feed opening opens or closes
by an amount approximately double the change in the delivery opening (Fig. 8). Sine the
ratio m is equal 2, or in the neighborhood of that figure, it dose not vary, or varies much
less than with classical hosing, where the displacements of the two rollers are equal, or
with inclined housings, where the displacements are in the ratio 0.70. The hydraulic
plunger is at the same time located on the feed side of the housing; thanks to the benefit
of the lever arm, this permits of a reduction of its cross section by half, but obviously
means that its movement is doubled.

Page 10 of 10