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A hammer mill grinder is designed to reduce bulk material into smaller pieces, either by crushing or shredding. They are an important machine in many industries, including the mining, lumber and waste management industries. However, it is most often found in grain processing facilities, as it can quickly reduce bulk grain to smaller pieces for further processing into flour. One of the oldest forms of grain processing in the U.S., it still uses simple physical forces to do its job.
What is the history of the hammer mill grinder?
The history of this machine is somewhat murky, but its forerunner was believed to have been created in 1830. During this year, a patent was filed for a device that consisted of a wooden box and rotary drum that was attached to several striking rods. It was designed to spin at 350 revolutions per minute and could effectively break any rocks placed inside it. Though it was put into commercial production, most historians believe that this is the earliest known iteration of the technology.
In the 1920s, Gehl produced the first version of this grain processor. The technology was quickly adapted to fit in a truck bed so that it could go from farm to farm during processing. Gehl’s model was the preferred machine for nearly 30 years until other companies began placing their own machines on the market.
In 1990, an expert with Appropriate Technology International, Carl Bielenberg, created the first version of the screenless hammer mill grinder. He created many versions of the machine, but was unable to match the efficiency of screened models. He presented his machine to students at MIT for help and found a team of students headed by Amy Smith. Smith was able to improve Bielenberg’s design so that it could be easily constructed in a simple workshop, something that was a major help to impoverished villages in third world countries. Because screens can be expensive to replace, Smith’s screenless model was a boon to villages that could not afford to lose their ability to process grain.
How does this machine work?
Modern versions can come with different rotating speeds, making it possible to shatter anything from small pieces of grain to huge rocks. Models fitted for agricultural use spin at several hundred rpm and are built with a plate-covered rotor. Hammers attach to these plates and generate impressive amounts of striking force during operation. Grain that’s fed into the machine comes in contact with these strikers, shattering it into small pieces. A screen is fitted along the edge of the operating area and only allows through items of a set size. Once the grains are processed thoroughly, they are tumbled through the screen and carried away for additional processing.
These machines have been around for nearly a century and are still an essential part of the grain processing industry.
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