How Does

a Hammer
Mill Work?

The basic principles

of particle size
reduction
Crush, grind, pulverize, shred…
Size reduction is amazing!

But how does it work?

Hammer mills work
in the principle that
most materials will
crush, shatter, or
pulverize upon
impact.
 The Process:
Material is fed into the mill grinding chamber through the feed chute,
typically by gravity.

It repeatedly is struck by ganged hammers which are attached to a shaft

which rotates at high speed inside the mill chamber.

The material is crushed or shattered by a combination of repeated

hammer impacts, collisions with the walls of the grinding chamber, and
particle on particle impacts.

Perforated metal screens or bar grates covering the discharge opening of

the mill retain coarse material for further grinding, while allowing
properly sized materials to pass as finished product.
 Mill Evacuation

Gravity Discharge Pneumatic Discharge

 Mill Evacuation

Ideal for hard, heavy,

and/or abrasive materials
such as :
•Glass
•Stone
•Metals
•Aggregates

Gravity Discharge
 Mill Evacuation

Ideal for light, low density

material such as :
•Planer shavings
•Paper
•Carpet
•Biomass

Pneumatic Discharge
 Finished Particle Size
Regardless the evacuation method, the same factors determine finished
particle size:

Varying the:

Screen Size
Shaft Speed
Hammer Configuration

can dramatically alter the

finished particle size of the
material being processed.
 Finished Particle Size
Regardless the evacuation method, the same factors determine finished
particle size. Generally speaking:
 Particle Size Distribution

Appropriate screen size is determined

by the desired finished particle size,
and the properties of the material
being processed. Characteristics such
as friability and moisture content
have an effect on how easily a
material is reduced. As a result, using
the same screen to process materials
of different properties will result in a
range of different particle sizes.
 Particle Size Distribution

Example: Glass is very friable, and will shatter

easily upon impact.

Green wood chips are fibrous, with a

moisture content up to 50%, both
effecting the ease at which they are
reduced.
Computer hard drives are very hard,
comprised mostly of metals. As a
result, they are reduced to a size just
slightly smaller than the screen size
installed.
 Thank you.
We welcome your questions and comments:

Contact Us
www.hammermills.com
1-800-447-4634
716-855-1555
Request a Quotation 61 Depot Street
Buffalo, New York 14206
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©2014 Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill, LLC