GRINDING MEDIA KNOWLEDGE
How to Plan a Reliable Grinding Media Trial
Build a fair mill trial with a stable baseline, traceable batches and purchasing metrics that reveal total cost.
Establish the baseline first
Measure the current media for long enough to cover normal ore and operating variation. Record dry tonnes, media additions, power draw, throughput, product size, recovery, liner condition and broken balls. A trial without a trusted baseline cannot show improvement.
Change one variable
Use one clearly identified test product and keep ball size distribution, mill charge, feed, speed and operating targets as stable as practical. Avoid mixing unmarked supplier batches. If conditions change, document the time and magnitude instead of hiding the deviation.
Set duration and sample size
The trial must consume enough media to separate real performance from inventory measurement error. Agree the minimum tonnes milled or media consumed before starting. Reconcile opening stock, deliveries, mill additions, removals and closing stock.
Decide with total-cost metrics
Compare kg/t, delivered media cost per tonne of ore, breakage, throughput, energy and product quality. Define acceptance limits and who approves the result in advance. Keep batch certificates and daily logs so both buyer and supplier can audit the conclusion.