Crushing or milling refers to the process of reducing the particle size of solid raw materials, while the shredding of initially fine raw ingredients is commonly known as grinding.
Particle size reduction within the product takes place through technological operations like crushing, impact, milling, and splitting, or a combination of these processes. The selection of processing parameters and equipment is contingent on the raw material's hardness and the desired characteristics of the final product. In the food industry, various types of equipment are employed, including melangeurs, mills with an abrasive-crushing effect, and grinders that function on the basis of impact force.
Industrial mills are crucial for dispersing solid raw materials into fractions, particularly in the production of different types of flour. Modern colloid mills extend their applications beyond rye and wheat, encompassing rice, peas, corn, and a range of food products like salt, spices, coffee, chocolate, mayonnaise, peanut butter, curd mass, jam, pâtés, and vegetable puree. Additionally, by-products of grain processing such as fodder and bran find significant demand.
Classification of equipment for grinding raw materials:
| Type | Application |
| Pin Screenless Mill | Grinding of granulated sugar, nuts, cocoa mass |
| Hammer mills | Grinding of crystalline sugar, production of powdered sugar |
| Ball mills | Chocolate production |
| Disc Mills | Production of cocoa mass and cocoa powder (best for precise grinding and cell rupture) |
| Colloid Mills | Production of nut pastes, processing nuts, coconut, seeds, beans, dried spices, sesame; sausage and pâté production; cottage cheese homogenization |
| Five roll mill | Production of nut and chocolate confectionery masses |
| Eight roll mill | Grinding cocoa nibs, oilseeds, or nut kernels |
| Melangeur: Rotating/Fixed Bowl | Grinding of granulated sugar, wafer edema, cocoa beans, nuts; used in chocolate production and mixing components |
