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Economical Grinding Equipment for Small-Scale Gold and Mineral Processing
LIPU wet pan mills are designed for small-scale mineral grinding and gold processing applications. They are widely used where simple operation, relatively low investment, and compact plant configuration are important.
Different models can be selected according to feed size, required capacity, mineral characteristics, target particle size, and downstream recovery process.
A wet pan mill, also known as a wet grinding mill or wheel pan mill, is a mineral grinding machine that uses heavy grinding rollers and a rotating grinding pan to crush and grind ore.
During operation, ore is mixed with water inside the pan. The grinding rollers continuously roll over the material, applying pressure, friction, and shearing force to reduce particle size.
Wet pan mills are commonly used in small and medium mineral processing plants, especially for gold ore grinding and gravity recovery preparation.
They can also be used for grinding selected silver, copper, lead-zinc, tin, and other mineral ores.
Compared with larger grinding systems, wet pan mills are generally easier to install and operate, making them suitable for smaller processing plants and projects with limited initial investment.
Wet pan mills can be configured according to pan diameter, roller size, installed power, capacity, and the required mineral processing duty.
Standard wet pan mills use one or more heavy grinding rollers operating inside a circular grinding pan.
Typical features include:
The 1100, 1200, 1400, 1500, and 1600 models are commonly selected according to required throughput and feed conditions.
For small-scale gold ore processing, the wet pan mill can be used after crushing to reduce ore particle size before gravity concentration.
Typical downstream equipment may include:
The wet pan mill itself is primarily a grinding machine. Final gold recovery depends on ore characteristics and the downstream beneficiation process.
Wet pan mills are mainly used for mineral grinding in small and medium processing plants.
Typical materials include:
Typical applications include:
For gold processing, the wet pan mill is commonly installed after primary and secondary crushing.
A typical upstream crushing section may include a Jaw Crusher or other suitable crushing equipment.
The motor transfers power through the reducer or transmission system to the central shaft and grinding mechanism.
The grinding rollers rotate around the central axis while rolling over the material inside the grinding pan.
Ore and water are continuously mixed in the pan.
As the rollers move over the material, the ore is subjected to:
These forces progressively reduce the particle size.
Material that has not reached the required fineness remains in the grinding zone for further processing, while sufficiently fine slurry can move to the downstream recovery stage.
Grinding performance is influenced by:
A typical wet pan mill includes:
The grinding rollers and grinding pan are the main working components.
During operation, these parts are continuously exposed to ore and slurry, so wear resistance and proper maintenance are important for stable long-term operation.
Wet pan mills and ball mills can both be used for mineral grinding, but they are normally selected for different project scales and process requirements.
| Item | Wet Pan Mill | Ball Mill |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Plant Scale | Small to medium | Small to large |
| Grinding Method | Roller and pan grinding | Grinding media inside rotating cylinder |
| Installation | Relatively simple | More complete foundation and auxiliary systems |
| Capacity Range | Generally lower | Wider capacity range |
| Grinding Control | Suitable for simple circuits | Better suited to controlled grinding circuits |
| Typical Application | Small gold and mineral plants | Industrial mineral processing plants |
| Downstream Process | Often gravity concentration | Classification, flotation, magnetic separation, gravity separation |
A wet pan mill is often selected when the project requires a simple, lower-capacity grinding solution.
A Ball Mill is generally more suitable when higher throughput, finer controlled grinding, or a larger continuous processing circuit is required.
Wet pan mills should therefore not be described as a universal replacement for ball mills. The correct choice depends on plant scale, mineral characteristics, target particle size, and downstream process.
In small-scale gold processing, the wet pan mill normally works as part of a complete crushing, grinding, and recovery circuit.
A typical process can be arranged as:
Feeding → Jaw Crushing → Fine Crushing → Wet Pan Mill → Gravity Concentration → Concentrate Collection
For a simple small gold plant:
Jaw Crusher → Wet Pan Mill → Centrifugal Concentrator → Shaking Table
The wet pan mill performs the grinding stage.
It does not independently guarantee final gold recovery. Recovery performance depends on factors such as:
For suitable free-milling gold ores, gravity concentration can be used after wet grinding to recover liberated heavy gold particles.
For more complex ores, additional beneficiation stages may be required.
LIPU wet pan mills are available in several sizes for different small-scale mineral grinding requirements.
| Model | Feeding size(mm) | Output size(mm) | Capacity(t/h) | Rotation speed (r/min) | Power(kw) | Weight(t) |
| 1100 | <20mm | ＜1mm | 0.5T/H | 11-19RPM | 5.5KW | 4.8T |
| 1200 | <20mm | ＜1mm | 0.5-1T/H | 11-19RPM | 7.5KW | 5.2T |
| 1400 | <20mm | ＜1mm | 1-1.5 T/H | 18-21RPM | 15KW | 9.5T |
| 1500 | <30mm | ＜1mm | 1.5-2T/H | 18-22 RPM | 22KW | 11T |
| 1600 | <30mm | ＜1mm | 2-3 T/H | 18-20 RPM | 30/37KW | 12.5T |
Actual processing capacity may vary according to ore hardness, feed size, feed rate, water addition, operating conditions, and required grinding fineness.
The technical parameters should therefore be used for preliminary model selection.
Wet pan mill selection should be based on the complete mineral processing requirement rather than only the machine diameter.
For preliminary selection, please provide:
Important selection factors include:
Feed Size
The feed should match the allowable inlet size of the selected model. Oversized material should be crushed before entering the wet pan mill.
Required Capacity
For lower-capacity plants, 1100 or 1200 models may be suitable depending on actual feed conditions.
Larger 1400, 1500, and 1600 models are generally selected when higher throughput is required.
Target Grinding Size
Grinding requirements should be determined according to mineral liberation and downstream recovery equipment.
Ore Hardness
Harder ore generally requires more grinding time and may reduce actual throughput.
Downstream Recovery Process
Wet pan mills are commonly used before gravity concentration. The grinding stage should therefore be matched with the concentrator, shaking table, or other downstream equipment.
Plant Scale
For significantly higher throughput or a more controlled industrial grinding circuit, a ball mill may be more suitable.
LIPU Heavy Industry provides crushing, grinding, classification, gravity separation, flotation, magnetic separation, and supporting mineral processing equipment.
For wet pan mill applications, LIPU can assist with:
For complete small-scale gold processing projects, the wet pan mill can be selected together with crushing and gravity recovery equipment according to the ore characteristics and required capacity.
What is a wet pan mill mainly used for?
A wet pan mill is mainly used for wet grinding of mineral ores, particularly in small-scale gold processing and gravity concentration circuits.
Can a wet pan mill process ores other than gold?
Yes. Depending on the mineral characteristics, it can also be used for selected silver, copper, lead-zinc, tin, molybdenum, tantalum-niobium, and other metallic ores.
What is the difference between a wet pan mill and a ball mill?
A wet pan mill uses heavy rollers and a grinding pan and is generally suited to lower-capacity, simpler processing plants. A ball mill uses grinding media inside a rotating cylinder and is better suited to larger and more controlled grinding circuits.
What feed size is suitable for a wet pan mill?
According to the current LIPU models, recommended maximum feed size is generally below 20 mm for smaller models and below 30 mm for larger models.
Can LIPU provide a complete small-scale gold processing line?
Yes. LIPU can configure crushing, wet grinding, gravity concentration, conveying, and supporting equipment according to ore characteristics and required plant capacity.
We provide a variety of mining and processing equipment, including feeders, rock crushers, grinders, classifying and screening machines, washing machines, gravity separators, flotation machines, magnetic separators, electric separators, dewatering equipment and laboratory mineral processing equipment.
