Chemineer Greerco User manual

COLLOID MILL I. O. & M
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION 2
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION 2
ADJUSTABLE GAP SETTING 3
MOUNTING CONFIGURATION 3
COLLOID MILL SET-UP 4
WIRING 4
DIRECTION OF ROTATION 5
SHAFT SEALING METHOD 5
COLLOID MILL ELASTOMERS (SEALS & O-RINGS) 6
JACKETED STATOR HOUSING 7
PRODUCT PROCESSING GUIDELINES 7
DAILY MAINTENANCE & CLEANING 8
3-WAY VALVE MAINTENANCE & CLEANING 9
RECOMMENDED LUBRICANTS 9
COLLOID MILL EXPLODED VIEW (W250H-B EXAMPLE) 9
COLLOID MILL DISASSEMBLY 10
COLLOID MILL RE-ASSEMBLY 12
GAP SETTING CALIBRATION 17
NOTES ON MACHINE REBUILDS 19
SPARE PARTS 20

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EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
You have just purchased a Greerco ® Colloid Mill. The Greerco ® Colloid
Mill is a high speed, high shear mixer capable of batch or in-line processing.
Although a “colloid m ill” is comm only considered a particle destruction
unit, it is actually a dispersion piece of equipment. The machine will blend,
emulsify, de-agglomerate and produ ce a thorough wetting of dispersed
substances resulting in a com pletely homogeneous product. However, the
colloid mill will NOT dry grind.
For example, assuming that the basic p article size in an agglomerated slurry
is 1 to 3 m icrons, a colloid mill set w ith the proper gap clearance is capable
of destroying all the larger agglom erates of those particles to produce a
distribution of that basic particle size . The proper gap se tting, which refers
to the ope ning between the tapered plan e faces of the rotor and stator, can
only be determined by pilot plant or production test runs.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Like most high shear devices, the Greerco ® Colloid Mill employs a high -
speed rot or runni ng in close proxim ity to a fi xed stator to perform its
shearing operation. In this colloid m ill, the gap between the rotor and stator
is adjusta ble. Product is processe d as it passes t hrough t he shear zone,
where intense hydraulic and shear forces result in a product that has been
broken down into i ts prim ary particle size and/or the dispersion of the
dispersed phase throughout the carrier phase.
The Greerco® Colloid Mill consists of a hi gh-speed, hardened rotor turning
inside a matching, fixed, hardened stator, which is surrounde d by a jacket.
As the rotor turns, t he upper blades for ce the m aterial into the first she aring
zone of sharp teeth m illed into the st ator. The m aterial then passes through
the second shearing zone where fine serra tions in the rotor channel the fluid,
with increasing velocity, towards th e adjustable gap between the ult ra-
smooth, lapped, hardened surfaces of the rotor and stator. Finally,
centrifugal force impinges the fluid against the stator-housing wall for
further refinement.

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ADJUSTABLE GAP SETTING
On this colloid mill, the rotor-stator clearance is continuously adjustable and
may be done “on-t he-fly”. Gap adjust ment m ay be m ade by turning the
handwheel on the unit. This wheel acts as a gap s etting micrometer. Three
precision-machined gears regulate shaft movement that resul ts in the gap
setting adjustm ent. On the gear case of the hand wheel, you will find
indicator markings provi ding the appr opriate turning dire ction for gap
adjustment. Clock wise rotation will cl ose the gap while cou nter-clockwise
rotation will open the gap.
The colloid m ill also com es com plete with an index wh eel. A Plexiglas ®
window allows the operator to view the index wheel. The m arkings on this
wheel are unit-less. They are a nominal number scale that may be correlated
to gap setting of the unit.
NOTE:
The “ZERO” designation is a nominal value.
When your machine left the factory, zero was a 0.003-0.005” gap setting.
Your machine is configured to prevent against metal-to-metal contact.
MOUNTING CONFIGURATION
A Greerco® Colloid Mill is available in one of two configurations, horizontal
or vertical. There is no difference in the milling head or mixing processes in
these configurations, merely the machine’s orientation.
Horizontal Configuration – “H” Model Designation
If you have purchase a W H model colloid m ill, you will be receivi ng
a horizontal colloid m ill. Intended as an in-line piece of processing
equipment, this configuration will allo w for “hard plum b”, directly to the
mill as with other system com ponent. The m ill is equipped with standard
Tri-Clamp Ferrules for quick disconnect and sanitary services.
Vertical Configuration – “V” Model Designation
If you have purchase a W V model colloid m ill, you will be receivi ng
a vertical colloid m ill. Intended as a batch-processing device, v ertical
models come complete with stainless steel hoppers and recirculation pi ping.
A three-way valve on the recirculation tu be allows for flui d discharge at the
conclusion of the processing cycle.

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COLLOID MILL SET-UP
All colloid mills are shipped completely assembled and ready to connect and
operate. Prior to operation ensure the following
• Check that the rotor turns freely and that no fore ign objects have
lodged in the mixing head during transport or storage.
• Do not couple the motor and mill until proper rotation is established.
• Since the gap setting is achieved thro ugh axial movement of the shaft,
be certain there is a 1/8” sepa ration between the coupling halves when
the gap-setting indicator is at zero.
WIRING
Unless otherwise specified by you, the cu stomer, at the time of quote/order,
your m ill has been supplied with a 230/ 460V/3φ/60Hz explosion-proof
motor with a nominal speed of 3600rpm.
ALL WIRING SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY A QUALIFIED
ELECTRICIAN FAMILIAR WITH THIS MOTOR, ITS
ENVIRONMENT AND ITS INTENDED FUNCTION
Consult m otor nameplate to confirm act ual specifications of the m otor on
your mill. Motor wiring diagram is located within the motor conduit box or
on the motor nameplate.
See the next section for concerns regarding motor rotation.
W250V-B/H-B models are supplied in a be lt driven configuration. The m ill
was shipped to you with the transm ission belt l oose. Motor height/ belt
tension shoul d be adjusted via th e m otor m ounting bolts provided.
Personnel familiar with the tensioning of transmission belts should perform
the installation of this com ponent of the mill. Errors in belt tensioning may
lead to premature failure of moving parts.

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DIRECTION OF ROTATION
Proper rot ational direction is vital to continued operation of the m achine.
The colloid m ill rotor is threaded ont o its shaft. Im proper direction of
rotation will result in catastrophic es calating damage to the m ixing head
components and possibly the entire mill depending on the duration of
improper operation.
OPERATING DIRECTION IS COUNTERCLOCKWISE WHEN FACING THE INLET
PORT OF THE MILL (MOTOR IS AWAY FROM YOU).
The proper shaft rotation required by your colloid mill is indicated by the red
arrow affixed to the mill head support just forward of the motor coupling.
SHAFT SEALING
A Gr eerco® Colloid Mill is available with a num ber o f shaft seal
configuration options. Consult the asse mbly drawing at the back of this
manual for confirmation of the scope of your machine.
Double Lip Seal – All Greerco® Colloid Mills are stocked at the factory in a
double lip seal configuration. The lip seals used are m ultiple layer radial
shaft seals consisting of a Teflon ® anti-friction element an d a
fluoroelastomer sealing element bonded to a metal shell.
Single Mechanical Seal – A standard factory option, your c olloid mill may
have been purchased with a John Crane Type 21 single mechanical seal .
Factory st andard faces are Carbon vs. Silicon Carbide. Alternate faces are
available however they must be requested at the time of quote.
Reconfiguration of a colloid mill with lip seals to allow for the use of
a mechanical seal (or vice versa) is an easy field retrofit. This requires
the purchase of the new style seal(s ) and a new seal plate. Consult
your l ocal Chem ineer representativ e for a quote on the appropriate
parts and field retrofit procedure.

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Double Mechanical Seal – This configuration is not a field retrofit. It
requires special part s and assembly that must be specified at the ti me of
quotation. Contact your local sales repr esentative if you wish to consider a
factory retrofit.
COLLOID MILL ELASTOMERS (SEALS & O-RINGS)
All Greerco colloid m ills utilize co mmonly accepted elastomeric materials
for the seals and o-rings. The co mmon construction materials are listed
below. Shoul d the products you are pr ocessing require alte rnate materials,
we would be happy to source these components for you.
Shaft Seals
See above section detailing shaft sealing options.
Should your seal leak, you will see process material discharge from the weep
hole located in the underside of the mill housing.
Seals should be replaced at the first sign of leakage or more costly
failures may result.
O-Rings
Your colloid m ill is equipped with fi ve (5) o-ring gaskets. All o-rings
supplied by the factory are Viton ®, unless alternate materials were requested
at the time of quote. There are three (3) wetted o-rings; seal plate, stator OD
and stator face. The o-rings that are not wetted are the duplex bearing o-ring
and radial bearing o-ring.

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JACKETED STATOR HOUSING
Considerable heat build-up may o ccur through operation of t he m ill,
particularly at close gap settings and es pecially with thicker fluids. Because
of this, water-cool ing jackets are standard equipment on all Greerco ®
Colloid Mills. Should your process requi re it, these jackets may be used to
heat or insulate your product as well.
• Stainless steel hose barb connections are provided on the jacket.
• Not all applications require use of th e jacket and use of the jacket is
not m andatory for proper m ill opera tion. Water jacket provided
around the stator need only be used as required by your process.
PRODUCT PROCESSING GUIDELINES
• Insure that foreign materials are not introduced into the m ixing head
of your colloi d m ill. Tram p meta l or rigid sol ids m ay severely
damage the mixing head and its components.
• When determ ining the appropriate gap setting, the m ill should be
started at a fairly open gap setting, approximately 30 on the indicator
dial. The gap should then be gradually decreased until a suitable
sample is obtained.
• Some applications will require the product to be recycled to achieve
the desired refinement; others may be processed after a single pass.
The nature of the fluid, rate of throughput and mill gap setting will all
play a part in determining the amount of processing required.
• Processing through a colloid m ill requires prior preparation of a
suitable pre-mix to prevent non-lubricated solids from settling into the
small clearances between the rotor a nd stator. A co lloid mill will not
dry gri nd. Be sure that produc t carrier phase is pre sent to
appropriately lubric ate the seals a nd wearing faces in the unit at all
times.

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• Do not consider this Colloid M ill a “pum p”. While there is an
inherent pum ping capability, the f unction of the m ill is to produce
shear. A positi ve pum p feed to the mil l is recommended for most
systems and required by systems with fluids exceeding 5,000cPs.
When using a pump, it is neces sary to limit the inlet pressure seen by
the m ill to avoid overloading the b earings. Nameplate lim its are as
follows.
W250 100psig Max Inlet Pressure
W500 90psig Max Inlet Pressure
W750 45psig Max Inlet Pressure
DAILY MAINTENANCE & CLEANING
To prevent damage to seals, it is esse ntial that the m ill cavity be clean ed
before the mill is allowed to stand idle for a prolonged period of time.
Aqueous dispersions and emulsions will only require a hot water rinse. With
the m ill operating, the gap should be op ened and closed several tim es to
dislodge any material buildup around the seals.
More severe materials such as o ils, waxes and greases may require a
detergent and hot water rinse. Materials such as oil paints, inks and pigment
dispersions may require a solvent rinse. If solvents are used it is esse ntial
that you confirm chemical compatibility or effect of solvent on the Teflon ®
and Viton® Lip Seal elements or your mechanical seal faces/components.
The outside surface of the mill may be periodically cleaned with soapy water
or washing with a suitable solvent. (The mill housing is cast alum inum and
standard bases are epoxy coated carbon steel.)
Should your application require that the milling com ponents (wetted parts)
be disassem bled for cleaning, refer to the first four steps found in the
disassembly procedure section that follows.

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3-WAY VALVE MAINTENANCE & CLEANING (FOR “V” MODELS ONLY)
The three-way valve on you recirculat ion pipi ng should be periodically
disassembled for thorough cleaning and inspection. The tapered body and
plug of t he valve are precision ground and extreme care s hould be taken to
insure that these surfaces are n ot damaged. Nicks on the surface of the plug
must be rem oved with a fine fi le or stone to prevent scoring t he body a nd
eventual leakage. Valve bodies and plugs are mated during manufacture and
must not be interchange d with parts of other valves. Each body and
matching plug is identified with identical numbers.
COLLOID MILL LUBRICATION
Motor Follow motor m anufacturer’s guidelines for proper m otor
maintenance.
Bearings All mill bearings are of the shielded type and are packed in high
temperature grease f or long life in high-speed operation. No
lubrication required.
Grease Dow Corning 44 High Temp Bearing Grease Medium
Consistency or similar
Valve Valve supplied requires no lubrication.

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COLLOID MILL DISASSEMBLY
1. If your mill is horizontal skip to step 2. If your mill is in the
vertical configuration, disconnect the clamps at the junction
between the m ill outlet pipe and the three-way valve.
Remove the recirculation pi ping from the outlet port on t he
mill. Disconnect the clamp at the m ill inlet and re move the
hopper.
2. Loosen the four (4) swing-bo lt knobs that secure the m ill
cover plate to the m ill head, retract the swing bolts and
remove the cover plate.
NOTE: Stator housing is now loose. If you are working on a
horizontal unit, do not allow stator housing to fall.
Lay the mill head plate on flat surface to prevent damage to
the OD of the plate.
3. The stator housing assem bly can now be lifted out of the
mill.
Complete disassembly of the stator housi ng and stator
assembly is not necessary for most routine maintenance.
Inspect the condition of the st ator m illing surfaces. There
should be no burrs, gouges or scuffing on its face. Should o-
ring or stator need replacement, stator may be slipped from
stator housing with an arbor press.

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4. Secure the m otor end of th e shaft just above the coupling
and unscrew the rotor in a counterclockwise direction. A
strap wrench may be necessary to secure the shaft.
5. Inspect rotor for damage . [Burrs, gouges and scuffing
should be noted.] Rotors with deep gouges or nic ks should
be replaced.
6. Loosen the three thumbs crews in the housing that retain the
seal plate.
7. The seal plate may now be removed for seal replacement.
8. If the bearings and/or the sh aft need replacement, follow the
following procedure consulti ng the equipment drawing in
the back of this manual for part identification.
a. Remove the m ill from the base by loosening the
lower nut on the front support stud unde r the base
plate and rem oving the four nuts that secure the
lower support to the housing support.
b. Remove the coupling ha lf from the m otor end of
the shaft.
It is now possible to support the m ill on wooden
blocks for stability during the rebuild procedure as
needed.
Spin mill shaft by hand to inspect bearings. Shaft
should spi n sm oothly with no rum bling and very
little play. Be sure to replace/ grease any bearings
exhibiting evidence of wear.
c. Disassemble the safety stop plate fro m t he lower
support by loosening the two large square head cap
screws.
i. Check the condition of the lip seal. Lip seal
should be flexible and dark in color.

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d. Remove the large, upper bearing l ocknut, slinger
and retaining snap ring.
e. The shaft with bearing intact may now be gently
slipped from the upper end (m ill side not m otor
side) of the bearing sleeve.
(A rubber mallet may be required.)
f. Remove the lower locknut and press the upper and
lower bearings from the shaft.
9. Further disassem bly is not required for sta ndard
maintenance. Gear housi ng and adjustm ent gearing
failures are not typical. Shoul d you need to disassem ble
the shaft adjustmen t gearing, please con sult the factory
for guidance.
COLLOID MILL RE-ASSEMBLY
Reassembly may be completed by reversing the above procedure.
1. Shaft, Bearing and Bearing Housing Configuration
a. There are two o-rings located withi n the bearing housi ng,
replace if necessary.
b. Lightly grease the shaft bearing seats.

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c. Press the radial bearing on t he motor end of the shaft (end wit h
keyway).
d. Press the duplex bearing on the mill end of the shaft (end with
threads).
e. Thread the sm all locknut on t he motor end of t he shaft unti l it
bottoms out.
f. Fill the area between the two bearing assemblies with grease.
Dow Corning 44 Medium Consistency is factory standard.
g. Slide the shaft-bearing asse mbly into the bearing housi ng.
(Threads on bearing housing OD should be at m otor end of
shaft when assembled.)
h. Replace the retaining ring, i nsuring that the retaining ring is
well seated in the groove provided.
i. Replace the slinger on threaded end of shaft with flat side ou t
and it sits against the bearing housing.
j. Thread the large locknut ont o the m ill end of shaft until it
bottoms out.
Once secure, the assembly is now a single component.
2. Replace the Gap Setting Adjustment Nut
a. Adjustment Nut is the large br onze gear with a threaded ID and
the red, numbered indicator wheel on one surface.
b. Thread the adjustment nut onto the sha ft assembly so that the
teeth of the gear are toward the m otor end of the m ill and the
numbered wheel faces the shaft end with threads.
Do NOT bottom out the adjustme nt nut. Leave approxim ately
¼” of the thread exposed.
3. Install Shaft Assembly in Housing
a. Grease exposed surfaces of the bearing housing

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b. Stand housing on m ill end so that the end resem bling a
truncated circle with four bolt holes is facing up.
It may be useful to support housing on wooden blocks for ease
of handling.
c. Slide shaft assembly into the housing with threaded end down.
Be sure to keep the bearing housi ng keyway in the center of the
flat area in the housing before seating the bearing housing in the
mill housing.
Tolerances between housing ID and bearing housing OD are
very tight. You may have to ease the assembly into place. If
force is used, be careful where that force is applied. Swing bolt
mounting ears may be damaged by percussive forces.
4. Install lower support
a. Place key in bearing housing keyway.
b. Lower support is t he cast iron com ponent that resem bles a
flange and mates directly to the bottom of the housing.
c. Grease the ID of the lower support
d. Place a bead of silicon sealant around the edge of the housing
and boltholes.
e. Align low er support key way with key and Sli de the lower
support down over t he shaft a nd bearing housing, i nsuring that
all edges are aligned.
The lower support should sit com pletely flush against the
housing. If lower support has been lowered into place and there
is still a space between the two com ponents, the adjustment nut
was threaded onto the bearing hous ing too far and will need to
be backed off in order to allow support to sit and seal properly.
f. Secure lower support with four (4) ½ -13x1-1/4 socket head cap
screws.
g. Wipe away excess grease or s ealant that may have seeped o ut
during assembly.

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5. Motor End Lip Seal
a. Press motor end lip seal (black rubber ring without metal edg e)
into the safety stop plate (sm ooth disc with 2 large and 4 sm all
holes).
b. Seat the stop plate on the moto r end of the housing (lip edge
facing out ) and secure with tw o (2) 3/ 8-16 x 1” long square
head set screws and 3/8-16 jam nuts in the two large threaded
holes provided.
c. Position four (4) #10-32 x 1” Hex Head Cap Screws in the
small stop plate holes.
6. Reattach Gear Housing Hand Wheel Assembly
It is unlikely that routine maintenance or a machine rebuild will
require the disassembly of this component, so the assembly is treated
as a single item. Should the gears need replacing, consult the factory
for information on factory rebuild services or advice on how to
proceed.
a. Be sure that the hand wheel and gear assembly spins freely.
b. Place a bead of silicon sealan t around the edge of the square
opening on the m ill housing/lower support assem bly where the
adjustment nut gear is exposed.
c. Align the gear housing hand wheel assembly with four (4) 5/16-
18x1-3/4” square head cap screws.
This component also has a brass setscrew for the locking of t he
hand wheel position.
7. You may mount the mill head back on the base now or after attaching
the rotor.
a. Secure the m ill housing to the base plate by fastening the four
bolts that attach the housing to the housing support bracket.
b. Tighten the jam nut that secures the head of the m ill housing to
the base.

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8. Invert mill housing and wipe all exposed surfaces to remove any dust,
particulate or grease that may have accumulated.
9. Install Seal Plate
a. Lip Seal Configuration
i. Press two lip seals into the seal plate with the lips facing
up until top lip is flush with th e raised, wetted face of the
seal plate.
ii. Slide seal plate down over shaft ( It may be necessary to
lubricate the sealing surface with mineral oil for ease of
installation.).
iii. Replace seal plate o-ring around OD of plate in groove
provided. Do not st retch the o-ring to fit the oute r edge
of the seal plate, merely la y it on the out er most section
of the seal plate face.
iv. Secure plate in place w ith the three locking screws
provided.
b. Mechanical Seal Configuration
i. Press the stationary seal face into the seal plate.
ii. Slide seal plate down over shaft
iii. Replace the seal plate o-ring around OD of plate in
groove provided.
iv. Secure in place with the three locking screws provided.
v. Install the rem aining mechanical seal com ponents in
accordance with standard protocol.
10. Install rotor by threading it onto the shaft.
11. Stator
a. If stator or stator o-ring has b een replaced, the stator must be
pressed back into position within the stator housing.

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b. The angled stator face and o-ring groove should be down as you
press the stator into the housing.
Take care not to pitch the o-ring during the pressing operation.
12. Reposition the stator housing ove r the rotor and position the outlet
port in accordance with piping requirements.
13. Replace the stator face o-ring in the groove provided.
14. Replace the inlet cover and reposition the swing bolts to secure.
15. “Hand Tighten” swing bolts.
DO NOT USE A WRENCH. Over tightening and torquing the
swing bolts will flatten o-rings, limit the life of o-rings and damage
the machines ability to seal properly and may lead to
misalignment of mixing head.
GAP SETTING CALIBRATION
1.0 Getting Started
1.1 Disconnect the electricity to the unit.
1.2 Rem ove Coupling Guard
1.3 Disconnect Motor Coupling so Shaft may be Turned by Hand
1.4 Turn Gap Setting Dial to Zero
1.5 Remove Inlet Cap and Visually Inspect Rotor and Stator
2.0 Findi ng Zero
When the zero is set at the factory, a dial indicator is placed on the
shaft to ensure that t here is a 0. 003-0.005” gap between the rotor and
stator when the indicator is at “zero” . A modified version of the head
plate is used to sim ulate assembled alignment and to properl y seat the
stator housing while m ounting a dial indicator on the shaft. If the
stator housing i s not properly pos itioned, there is a tendency for the
gap setting to be much greater than 0.003-0.005” when the machine is
properly assembled. A modified spare i nlet cap is not neces sary for
use in gap-setting adjustm ents. Pro per assembly can be mi micked to

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insure alignm ent and stator seati ng by using a drilled pie ce of bar
stock as shown in the following photo.
Procedure is as follows.
2.1 Loosen the lock screws located just above the
shaft/coupling at the rear of the mixing head. (Note: This
allows the rotor to “bottom out” in the next step, and the
gap to be a true zero.)
2.2 Turn the shaft counter-clockwise by hand while slowly
decreasing the gap between the rot or and stator.
Continue decreasing the gap until a slight rub of the rotor
and stator is felt.
2.3 Begin to open the gap by turning the gap adjustment
hand wheel until you no longer hear or feel co ntact
between the rotor and stator.
2.4 Continue widening the rotor-stator clearance until there is
a 0.003-0. 005” clearance between the rotor and st ator.
This is theoretical zero on a Greerco Colloid Mill. Use of
either a dial indicator or Mylar feeler gauge for gap
setting measurement will provide the best results.
2.5 Re-tighten the lock screws un til they make contact and
lock them in place with lock nuts.
2.6 Reset the gap setting indicator dial per section 3.0