UDY Technical Library

There are a few things to check and I'll list them here. However, the most common cause of bog down while feeding sample material into the grinding chamber is -- feeding the material to fast.

The Cyclone Sample Mill (Belt Drive) is designed with a 3/4 horsepower synchronous motor turning at 3450 RPM under normal conditions. Synchronous means the armature turns at a rate related to the line frequency (60 Hz).

The motor can fall behind sync if overloaded - causing the motor to draw more current in order to catch back up. The increase in current causes the motor to heat up and in turn heat the grinding chamber. The max overload is protected by the 15 amp breaker.

For the most consistent particle size and best overall results, consider feeding sample material into the grinding chamber more gradually.

Other causes are parasitic load and product build-up. The parasitic load is caused by worn bearings, either in the motor or in the idler pulley assembly or drive bearing assembly. These are the two sets of bearings the belts ride on. These can be inspected by turning the impeller by hand and observing the drive train as above.

Product material can build up under the impeller and even clog the exit screen. Periodic cleaning is required. See video for between sample mill cleaning.

The most common cause of slower than normal grind is a worn impeller, and or clogged exit screen.

Dissemble as above and inspect impeller for warn edges on the impeller blades. Replace as necessary.

The screen can be removed by sliding it out of its holder. Replace as necessary.

Of course different material grinds at different rates.

The Cyclone Sample Mill is proven to be very sturdy in design. It's our experience that if symptoms are not obvious," meaning: a clear problem", your mill is probably working correctly.

After you have checked the obvious:

1. Mill is plugged in.
2. On/off switch in the on position.
3. Power to the circuit your mill is plugged into.
4. And the circuit breaker on the base is set.

There is another possibility that is not so obvious.

All UDY mills incorporate a safety switch on the top right side of the grinding chamber under the grain or forage cover. Use caution when following this procedure. If unsure return your mill to UDY Corporation for repair.

Procedure: Unplug mill from all power sources. Power on/off switch in the off position. Remove cover (four latches) set aside.

See a small hole on the top right side of the grinding chamber.

Remove Impeller If you can not remove impeller STOP this procedure. The impeller turns at over 12000 RPM. If you don't want it in your face at that speed remove it. I'm being light-hearted here however, running the mill without the cover in place is no joke. Remove the impeller before proceeding. Plugin the mill. Turn on the power switch to the on position -- the mill should not start.

With a pencil or like object press down the plastic actuator in the hole. This activates the safety switch designed to ensure that the cover is in place while in normal operation. Be prepared for the motor to start. If it does you have found the problem.

You'll see the drive spindle turning and hear the motor start. Immediately release the safety switch and turn off the on-off switch and unplug the mill from all power sources.

At times the actuator rod can be bound up by debris -- using compressed air, clear the actuator rod tube.

Also, the actuator rod may be bent so that it can not engage the microswitch it is attached to. One can hear the microswitch click on and off as you press down on the actuator rod ( with the power off.) You can see the stud on the top of the cover that presses down on the actuator rod to activate the microswitch while the cover is in place.

With a small screwdriver, you can try to bend the actuator rod to a more relaxed position. Be careful not to break the rod. If this does not work the mill will have to be sent to UDY for repairs.

UDY Corporation
201 Rome Court     Fort Collins CO. 80524
Voice (970) 482-2060     WWW.UDYONE.COM

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If your mill has been in service for a long time and used heavily it may be time to have it factory serviced. Depending on the environment a mill will require the bearings in the chamber to be replaced and complete cleaning. This is frequently the case. If you are wondering about the cost and your mill does not need the chamber replaced - you can expect between $700 to $1800 plus shipping. The repair cost is based on the placement parts required and a flat fee labor rate. We will quote the repair before the work is done giving our customers the option not to have their mill repaired.

Current Draw

The current draw for a (110 volt and the 220 volt) mill can be categorized into three operational conditions:

1. Peak start-up draw: This current can be large, up to 30 amps, but lasts only about 1 second. After this, the motor settles to run current.
2. Run current (light load): When operating with just the impeller and no sample, the run current varies between 4.7 and 5.25 amps for 110V models. For 220V models, it is around 2.6 to 3.2 amps.
3. Peak current load (normal run): During normal operation with a sample added to the chamber at a normal rate, the current draw ranges between 8.5 and 9.5 amps for 110V models. For 220V models, it is around 4.8 amps.

If a unit draws more current than stated, it may be due to bearing failure or, more commonly, excessive sample feed rate.

If you have questions about our services or questions regarding technical information for servicing the UDY Cyclone Mill yourself, please call. Or email your questions to Bill@udyone.com, we are always happy to talk about the UDY Cyclone Mill.
Thank you from all of us at UDY Corporation