BioGro Production Equipment Case Study

How BioGro Filled a Processing Need with New Single Pair Mill

BioGro sought a solution to losing material to fine powder using their current material grinding machine. Material lost to fine particles had to be reprocessed to make it into the final product.

Having successfully used an RMS double pair mill for years, BioGro turned to RMS Roller Grinder to learn how to improve efficiency and reduce material loss through fine particles.

RMS took samples from BioGro to perform tests and provide detailed analysis of the type of machinery that could reduce fine particles. This helped BioGro choose the right machine for the job.

Overview:

BioGro is an organic fertilizer and chemical industrial company, They manufacture over 130 different product formulations, with a focus on humic acid-based products and biofertilizers. In addition to their standard products, BioGro also offers clients custom mixes.

Creating these custom blends and standard mixes requires crushing and grinding materials. BioGro has been using an RMS 9 by 18 double pair mill, and recently reached out to RMS Roller-Grinder to purchase a de-lumper and a 12 by 24 single pair mill.

They hoped to get many of the same benefits they already enjoyed from the first mill by applying the second fertilizer grinding machine to their products. Ultimately, they hoped the new equipment could help produce less fine material, and make the production process more efficient with improved cost savings.

Problem:

To make its powder fertilizer products, BioGro relies on machinery that can crush and grind source materials into the desired particle sizes. BioGro worked successfully with a 9 by 18 double pair mill from RMS to grind materials for their standard and custom-blended products.

Their initial purchase from RMS continues to serve the company as a grinder for making final products that go out to customers. Biofertilizer blends require specific particle sizes to be effective. Particles can be too big or too small, and getting it right depends on the equipment.

The problem BioGro faced was losing part of the material to fine powder. For certain processes, the double pair mill worked very well. For others, they needed the machine to more efficiently grind the material to the desired particle size without losing a lot of it to fine particles. Those fine particles need to be reprocessed so BioGro could get more product out of the source materials.

Solution:

To solve this problem, BioGro returned to RMS to find out what could be done, and if another machine would work better for this particular process. “We had quite a few people working on our team with us…and we took [their] ideas and based on their experience, we decided to go with RMS.”

BioGro had great success with the original mill, and was satisfied with what it could do for most of their processes. They also enjoyed good customer service with RMS, receiving initial training and quick responses to any issues or questions that arose with respect to the first machine.

This led BioGro back to RMS to find out which additional machine would solve their ongoing problem of losing material to fine particles. With this ongoing partnership, and RMS’s attention to detail and expertise, BioGro knew they could provide the best advice and solutions.

Results:

RMS responded to BioGro’s concerns immediately, and went to work coming up with a solution that would get results. RMS offered to do some testing and research to provide a well-informed recommendation.

BioGro sent a sample of materials and product to RMS for testing. RMS performed small batch tests, and sent back data and graphs explaining the results. They measured how much of the material was lost to fine powder, and how much final product the company could get using various machines and processes. This helped them determine which piece of equipment would make the process more efficient and solve the problem of lost material.

Based on RMS’s recommendations, BioGro chose to purchase a new 12 by 24 single pair mill and a de-lumper that would better serve their needs. The team at BioGro was very satisfied with their recommendation: “The machine we currently have-it definitely has been able to give us what we were looking for. We are really satisfied with how it works – the tonnage and the sizing – I feel like it’s worked for us!”