Bead Mill
1. Product Overview
1.1 General Description
The bead mill (sand mill) performs ultrafine grinding and dispersion of slurries using fine grinding beads driven by the agitator shaft, and is widely used in coatings, inks, pigments and battery materials. The dispersion discs on the agitator shaft rotate at high speed, setting the grinding beads and slurry in motion; intense shear and grinding between the beads, and between the beads and the discs, reduce the particles in the slurry to the submicron range. With high grinding efficiency, a narrow particle size distribution and a controllable temperature rise, the bead mill is the mainstream machine for dispersing and grinding coatings and nanomaterials.
1.2 Key Features
- Submicron grinding fineness (0.1-5μm)
- Narrow particle size distribution with excellent uniformity
- Grinding efficiency more than 10 times higher than a ball mill
- Sealed operation — no solvent evaporation
- Controllable temperature rise with the cooling jacket
- Choice of bead materials for contamination-free grinding
- Continuous grinding with high throughput
- Frequency-controlled speed adapts to different materials
1.3 Document Scope
This specification covers the design principle, performance parameters, system classification, selection of key components, application fields, design standards and certifications, custom optional configurations, warranty terms, packaging and delivery, and the information required for an inquiry. It serves as a comprehensive reference for procurement, model selection and technical exchange.
2. Working Principle
2.1 Bead Mill Process Flow
Bead mill process flow: slurry pumped in → grinding chamber → dispersion discs set the beads in motion → shear grinding by the beads → separator retains the beads → slurry discharged → collection. The slurry is metered into the grinding chamber from the bottom by a diaphragm pump, and the dispersion discs on the agitator shaft rotate at high speed (peripheral speed 8-15m/s), driving the beads (0.1-2.0mm) and the slurry together. Strong shear and grinding forces between the beads reduce the particles in the slurry. Qualified slurry leaves through the dynamic separator at the top (clearance 0.1-0.3mm), while the beads are retained in the grinding chamber for continuous reuse.
3. System Classification
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| Laboratory | SM-0.5, SM-2 | Volume 0.5-2L | R&D / lab trials | Bench-top design |
| Pilot | SM-10, SM-30 | Volume 10-30L | Pilot production | Vertical / horizontal |
| Production | SM-50, SM-100, SM-200 | Volume 50-200L | Large-scale production | High-flow continuous grinding |
4. Technical Parameters
4.1 Main Technical Parameters of the Bead Mill
| SM-0.5 | SM-2 | SM-10 | SM-30 | SM-50 | SM-100 | SM-200 |
|---|
| Grinding volume(L) | 0.5 | 2 | 10 | 30 | 50 | 100 | 200 |
| Motor power(kW) | 0.75 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 11 | 18.5 | 30 | 55 |
| Disc peripheral speed(m/s) | 8-12 | 8-12 | 10-15 | 10-15 | 10-15 | 10-15 | 10-15 |
| Bead diameter(mm) | 0.1-1.0 | 0.1-1.5 | 0.2-2.0 | 0.2-2.0 | 0.3-2.5 | 0.3-2.5 | 0.3-2.5 |
| Slurry flow rate(L/h) | 0.5-5 | 2-20 | 10-80 | 30-200 | 50-400 | 100-800 | 200-1500 |
| Cooling water flow(L/min) | 5 | 10 | 20 | 40 | 60 | 100 | 150 |
4.2 Dimensions and Weight
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|---|
| SM-0.5 | 400 | 350 | 700 | 30 | 0.14 |
| SM-2 | 500 | 400 | 900 | 60 | 0.2 |
| SM-10 | 700 | 550 | 1200 | 200 | 0.4 |
| SM-30 | 900 | 700 | 1500 | 500 | 0.6 |
| SM-50 | 1100 | 800 | 1700 | 800 | 0.9 |
| SM-100 | 1300 | 1000 | 2000 | 1500 | 1.3 |
| SM-200 | 1600 | 1200 | 2300 | 3000 | 1.9 |
5. Applications
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| Coatings | Automotive / architectural paints | Fineness ≤15μm | Automotive topcoat |
| Inks | Offset / gravure inks | Fineness ≤5μm | UV inks |
| Pigments | Organic / inorganic pigments | Ultrafine dispersion | Phthalocyanine blue |
| Battery | Cathode / anode slurries | Nano dispersion | Ternary cathode slurry |
| Nanomaterials | Nano dispersions | Particle size ≤100nm | Nano titanium dioxide |
| Pharmaceutical | Suspensions / nano preparations | Sterile grade | Nano suspension |
6. Core Component Selection
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| Grinding chamber | Grinding zone | SS304 / ceramics / tungsten carbide | Wear-resistant inner wall |
| Dispersion discs | Set the beads in motion | SS304 / polyurethane / ceramics | Number and shape affect grinding |
| Dynamic separator | Retains the grinding beads | Carbide / ceramics | Clearance 0.1-0.3mm |
| Agitator shaft | Drives the dispersion discs | 40Cr / SS304 | Dynamic balancing required |
| Grinding beads | Grinding media | Zirconia / zirconium silicate / glass | Filling rate 60-80% |
| Cooling jacket | Cooling | SS304 | Supplied with cooling water |
| Diaphragm pump | Metered slurry delivery | PTFE diaphragm | Adjustable flow rate |
| Control system | Coordinated operation | VFD + PLC | With temperature and pressure protection |
7. Design Standards and Certifications
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| GB/T standards | Design and manufacture | Fully compliant | Type test report |
| GMP (cGMP) | Design, manufacture, documentation | Fully compliant | GMP compliance certificate |
| ISO 9001:2015 | Quality management system | Certified | ISO 9001 certificate |
| CE | Machinery safety / EMC | Optional | CE Declaration of Conformity |
| FDA | Food-grade / pharmaceutical-grade | Optional | FDA compliance documentation |
8. Custom Optional Configurations
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| 1 | Chamber material | Stainless steel / ceramics / tungsten carbide | Stainless steel | Ceramics +3-4 weeks |
| 2 | Disc material | Stainless steel / polyurethane / ceramics | Polyurethane | Ceramics +2 weeks |
| 3 | Grinding beads | Zirconia / zirconium silicate / glass | Zirconia | Zirconium silicate +1 week |
| 4 | Separator | Slot type / screen type | Slot type | Screen type +1 week |
| 5 | Explosion protection | Standard / ExdIIBT4 | Standard | Ex-proof +2-3 weeks |
| 6 | Automation | Manual / semi-automatic / fully automatic | Semi-automatic | Fully automatic +2-3 weeks |
9. Material Property Requirements
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| Working temperature | -40~250℃ | Depends on seals and materials |
| Corrosivity | Mild to moderate | Strong corrosion requires 316L or lining |
| Ex-proof requirement | Selected per site area | Zone1 / Zone2 ratings |
10. Warranty Terms
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| Main equipment warranty | 12 months | All components included | 12 months from acceptance after commissioning |
| Extended warranty (optional) | 24 months | Same as standard warranty | Must be purchased at order placement |
| Wear parts warranty | 6 months | Seals, bearings, etc. | Normal wear excluded |
11. Packaging and Delivery
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| Standard delivery time | 6-10 weeks after order confirmation |
| Delivery with custom options | 10-16 weeks |
| Incoterms | FOB Shanghai / CIF / DAP |
| Packaging | Export wooden case |
| Shipping | Container or break-bulk vessel |
12. Information Required for Inquiry
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| 1 | Material name and properties | Name / viscosity / solids content / particle size |
| 2 | Target fineness | μm or nm |
| 3 | Slurry flow rate | L/h |
| 4 | Bead preference | Zirconia / zirconium silicate / glass |
| 5 | Metal-contamination limit | Yes / No |
| 6 | Ex-proof requirement | Standard / Ex-proof |
| 7 | Material requirement | SS304/316L/ceramics |
| 8 | Installation conditions | Space / power / cooling water |