Ball mills
Load control, trunnion bearing monitoring and shell vibration
Solutions for ball mills
We match the right system to your site goals and budget
SDT Ultrasound Solutions
Ultrasound + VibrationThe key tool for trunnion bearing monitoring. Detects early wear 6–10 weeks before mechanical failure.
- SDT340 — multi-channel recording and long-term trunnion bearing trends
- LUBExpert — precise grease dosing to trunnion bearings (−30–45% consumption)
- Ultrasonic inspection of girth gear and mesh engagement
- SDT270 — fast rounds without stopping the mill
- SoundPrint integration for shift-to-shift route comparison
Artesis e-MCM
AI · ContinuousContinuous motor current analysis reflects mill mechanical condition without shutdown and without sensors on rotating parts.
- Ball and ore load imbalance — detected via current changes
- Load profile — indicator of liner wear
- Motor bearing and gear mesh defects
- Abnormal modes: overfill, blockage, no-load running
- 1–2 hour installation in the cable cabinet without shutdown
Bently Nevada Orbit 60 / DCM
Permanent MonitoringPermanent 24/7 monitoring for the most critical mills. Automatic shutdown when vibration thresholds are exceeded.
What the system monitors
Critical nodes and detectable defects with lead-time indicators
Trunnion support bearings
Load 200–800 t, operation 24/7. Catastrophic failure — $500K–$2M and 2–4 weeks of repairs.
Girth gear and gearbox
Ultrasonic inspection of gear teeth and mesh engagement. Detects pitting before crack formation.
Motor and mill shell
Artesis e-MCM via motor current; shell vibration sensors for load and liner wear control.
Recommended products
Bently Nevada, SDT and Artesis products for this application
Bently Nevada vs SDT vs Artesis
| Criterion | Bently Nevada Orbit 60 | SDT Ultrasound | Artesis e-MCM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trunnion bearing monitoring | Vibration 24/7 | Ultrasound (better) | Indirect via load |
| Trunnion lubrication control | No | LUBExpert | No |
| Girth gear monitoring | Partial | Ultrasonic gear teeth | Via load |
| Load / liner control | No | No | Via motor current |
| Continuous monitoring | Yes | Online4US option | Yes |
| Shutdown for installation | Brief | Not required | Not required |
| Lead time to failure | 3–6 mo | 6–10 wk | 4–8 wk |
Successful deployments
Systematic ultrasonic trunnion bearing monitoring with SDT340. No catastrophic failures in 5 years. Grease consumption reduced by 45%.
Artesis identified an abnormal current profile indicating critical liner wear and uneven loading. Planned liner replacement prevented a breakdown.
Orbit 60 / DCM installed on the highest-loaded mill. System 1 tracks trunnion bearing trends in real time with plant SCADA integration.
Measurable outcomes
Risk reduction
Productivity gains
Frequently asked questions
Estimate savings for your equipment
We will recommend a monitoring system for your asset type, operating conditions and budget.