Grinder mill choose should consider Mineral, Capacity, Reduction ratio and final size, Power requirements and type of power supply, Cost, Portable or stationary Machine required, Continuous or batch operation.

Some of the characteristics and requirements to be considered when selecting a grinder mill are given below. The grinder mill manufacturer can usually be consulted concerning the application of a particular grinder mill or for sourcing a grinder mill which is suitable for a particular application.

•       Mineral properties. The choice of grinder mill type is primarily dependent upon the properties of the material it will be used process. It is vitally important to match the grinder mill and material characteristics properly.

•       Capacity. The scale of the operation will determine the size of the grinder mill which is required. Throughput or capacity is often given in tones per hour (or kg per hour for small grinder mills). Always check capacities with as many sources as possible as sales information can often be biased to encourage sales.

•       Reduction ratio and final size requirement. This parameter will dictate whether a single grinder mill will be sufficient for final product requirements or if a multi-stage plant will be needed. Generally speaking, the greater the reduction ratio, the larger the likelihood of a multi-stage process being required.

•       Power requirements and type of power supply. Access to a power supply of suitable capacity is essential. Types of power supply for remote applications is discussed in a later chapter in this section. The power requirement for a given grinder mill will be given in the grinder mill specification document provided by the manufacturer. Specific power consumption (eg kilowatt hours per tonne) is often quoted and is a good comparative guide.

•       Wet or dry product. Products which can be accepted in a wet state, such as slurries, can be grinder milled wet which will often save power and reduce dust related problems. As a general rule, only tumbling grinder mills are used for wet grinding, although other grinder mills can be used for wet grinding in certain circumstances.

•       Continuous or batch operation. Some grinder mills can be designed in such a way as to enable continuous grinder milling. This is important where the throughput is high, as well as making loading and emptying easier within the process. Some grinder mills will only accept batch loads.

•       Portable or stationary Machine required. Depending on the nature of the operation, the Machine can be sited permanently or can be portable. Portable Machine is useful for operations which move frequently due to the dispersed siting of the raw material or where a mobile grinder milling service is offered.

•       Classification. When considering a grinder mill for a particular application, one needs to consider the classification mechanism that will be required for the process and whether this will have to be purchased separately or if it will be an integral part of the grinder mill.

•       Cost. Obviously cost is an important factor. It is important to consider all the costs beforehand. For an accurate analysis of the economic viability of a grinder mill to be carried out the following costs need to be considered:

1.      capital costs of grinder mill (and capital depreciation against the useful life of the grinder mill)

2.      capital costs of peripherals, such as feeding and classification Machine, power supply, etc.

3.      transport costs

4.      running costs for fuel or electricity, labour, etc.

5.      maintenance costs