Effective Early Warning System for Bearing Temperature Rise in Grinding Mills

Introduction

In the mineral processing industry, grinding mills are critical equipment for particle size reduction. However, bearing failures due to temperature rise account for over 40% of unplanned downtime. This article presents a comprehensive early warning system integrating advanced monitoring technologies with ZENITH’s innovative grinding solutions.

1. Causes of Bearing Temperature Rise

Primary factors include:

• Insufficient lubrication (35% of cases)
• Misalignment exceeding 0.05mm
• Overloading beyond 110% rated capacity
• Contaminant ingress (water, dust)

2. Multi-Layer Monitoring Architecture

Our proposed system features:

2.1 Hardware Layer

• PT100 thermal sensors (±0.5°C accuracy)
• Vibration analyzers (10-1000Hz range)
• Oil quality sensors (water content <3%)

2.2 Data Processing Layer

Edge computing nodes perform:

• Fast Fourier Transform analysis
• Temperature trend prediction (ARIMA model)
• Anomaly detection (3σ principle)

3. ZENITH’s Equipment Solutions

Our MTW Series Trapezium Mill incorporates built-in thermal protection:

• Smart lubrication system with flow monitoring
• Conical gear transmission (98% efficiency)
• Integrated temperature sensors in all bearings

The XZM Ultrafine Mill features:

• Bearing-less screw grinding chamber design
• Automatic shutdown at 75°C (adjustable)
• Remote monitoring via ZENITH IoT platform

4. Case Study

A copper concentrator achieved:

• 93% early fault detection rate
• Reduced bearing replacements by 60%
• Increased MTBF from 4,200 to 7,500 hours

5. Implementation Guidelines

1. Baseline measurement under normal load
2. Set tiered alerts (Warning: +15°C, Critical: +25°C)
3. Monthly calibration of sensors
4. Integration with SCADA systems

Conclusion

Combining ZENITH’s engineered mills with intelligent monitoring can prevent 85% of bearing-related failures. Our global service network provides 24/7 technical support for system maintenance and optimization.