Roller compactors : basic principles and technology overview

Roller presses are used to process bulk solids (powder, granules) in order to perform a dry granulation by compaction. They can typically produce a compacted sheet of material that is later milled, even if some models have specific rollers whose shape allows to produce some briquettes. This page is focusing on the design of roller presses, the mechanisms behind the agglomeration of the material which goes through a roller compactor, and the different applications of this technology.

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1. What is a compaction roller press ?

Roller compactors used for compaction of powders are all using counter-rotating rolls maintained in position by a mechanical or hydraulic system that is typically applying a force to one of the cylinders, called the floating roll.

The material is introduced in between the 2 rollers to be compacted. The compaction can be done in between 2 smooth rollers in which case a film or band / sheet of compacted material is produced, however the rollers can also be made of a specific shape that allows to produce pieces of compacted powder.

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Figure 1 : Roller press working principle

If a band of compressed material is produced, it is often milled afterwards in order to recover a granulated product that can be sold or processed further (for example to produce tablets in a tablet press), thus the machine is often called roller press granulator.

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2. How does the powder stick together when going through a press ?