TL;DR
Worn roller tires increase specific power consumption and degrade product fineness. Measure the tire profile with a profile gauge during a planned stop and schedule replacement when wear reaches the minimum profile depth.
What you might see
- power consumption per tonne increasing
- product quality declining at same settings
- profile gauge showing tire wear beyond tolerance
- mill operator compensating with higher roller force
Likely causes
Normal abrasive wear from hard clinker or raw meal over the tire service life
Localized wear from an off-center material feed distributing the load unevenly
Tire cracking from thermal fatigue if the mill was started with cold tires against a hot table
Operating the mill below the minimum material bed depth, causing roller-to-table contact
Required tools
- Profile gauge for roller tire measurement
- Confined-space entry equipment
- LOTO kit
Safety first
- Confined-space entry into the mill housing requires a formal permit, gas monitoring, and rescue standby.
- Lock out the gear unit and all roller lift hydraulics before any person enters the mill.
Procedure
- 1
Stop the mill and lock out the gear unit and roller lift system.
- 2
Enter the mill housing using the confined-space entry procedure.
Warning: Confined-space entry into the mill housing requires a permit, atmospheric testing, and a rescue standby team. - 3
Measure the roller tire profile at three axial positions (two edges and center) using a profile gauge. Record and compare to the new-tire profile.[1]
- 4
Measure the table track profile at the same radial positions.[1]
- 5
If the tire profile depth at the wear zone has reached the minimum allowed, the tire is at end of life. Schedule a tire changeout.
- 6
Inspect the tire surface for cracks. Cracks at the tire edge or face require immediate attention regardless of profile depth.
- 7
During a tire changeout, also inspect and replace the table segments if table track wear exceeds the specification.
Sources
Loesche Loesche LM Series Vertical Roller Mill (VRM) general technical documentation, Loesche
Loesche vertical roller mill operation manual, roller tire and table wear assessment procedures (general)
More guides for Loesche Loesche LM Series
How to diagnose hydraulic tensioning faults on a Loesche LM Series VRM
Low roller grinding force means the hydraulic tensioning system has a leak or the accumulator nitrogen charge is low. Check the accumulator pre-charge before looking at the cylinder seals.
How to diagnose roller and table vibration on a Loesche LM Series VRM
VRM vibration almost always means the material bed on the grinding table is too thin. Increase the dam ring height or reduce the separator speed to build the bed before increasing feed rate.
Stop fixing the same fault twice.
Dovient turns guides like this into your team's shared playbook, with AI that catches recurring issues before they break the line.