Creper mill
Rolls and washes coagulum between grooved rolls running at differential speeds.
What this machine does
The creper mill carries out the operation that governs both the cleanliness and the dryability of natural rubber. The coagulum, whether from controlled latex coagulation or from cup lumps collected on the plantation, is drawn between two grooved rolls turning at different speeds. This differential creates a shear that opens the mass, spreads it into a thin sheet and releases the trapped mineral impurities: sand, soil, bark fragments.
Counter-current water spray plays an essential role: it carries the released particles to drain rather than letting them settle back into the sheet. The number of successive passes, with decreasing nip, determines the final dirt content — a major criterion in the classification of technically specified rubbers. Opening the mass also has a direct effect on the next stage: the thinner and more open the sheet, the faster and more uniform the granulation and drying, and therefore the lower the energy used.
See the sector RubberAt a glance
- ReferenceHEV-LAM
- SectorRubber
- PurposeRolls and washes coagulum between grooved rolls running at differential speeds.
A detailed PDF data sheet will be available in the document centre once produced.
The parts that do the work
Pair of grooved rolls
Crossed grooves and differential speeds creating the shear that opens the coagulum mass.
Nip adjustment
Adjustable gap, reduced at each successive pass to refine the crepe progressively.
Counter-current spray bar
Water directed against the product's travel, to carry impurities away instead of redepositing them.
Reinforced frame and drive
Rigid structure and gearbox sized for the heavy, alternating forces of rolling.
Technical data and configurations
| Characteristic | Indicative value |
|---|---|
| Indicative throughput | 0.5 to 3 t/h depending on configuration |
| Installed power | 15 to 55 kW |
| Roll width | depending on model |
| Nip | adjustable, decreasing from pass to pass |
| Number of passes | 3 to 6 depending on coagulum cleanliness |
| Wash water | partial recycling possible after settling |
| Rolls | treated steel, re-machinable grooves |
| Safety | emergency trip bar and transmission guards |
These are usual design ranges for this type of machine, intended to guide early thinking. The contractual characteristics of the equipment actually manufactured — throughputs measured at acceptance, absorbed power, real footprint and weight — are established by the SOTIC design office and stated in the technical offer.
Available configurations
- Bank of several creper mills in series for continuous in-line processing.
- Smooth-roll version for the final finishing passes.
- Wash-water recycling circuit with screening and settling.
Installation requirements
- Sized concrete block: the forces transmitted are heavy and alternating.
- Water supply with guaranteed flow and drainage of loaded water to settling.
- Floor resistant to wash water and suspended solids, with falls and channels.
- Electrical supply sized on installed power, with suitable starting.
Maintenance and safety at the workstation
A machine lasts as long as its maintenance does. The points below appear in the preventive maintenance plan handed over at acceptance and are covered during operator training.
Preventive maintenance
- Check the condition of the grooves: wear reduces both rolling and washing efficiency.
- Check roll parallelism and nip setting.
- Check the gearbox: oil level, temperature, absence of leaks.
- Clean the spray bars, whose blockage ruins washing efficiency.
Safety
- The nip between the rolls is extremely dangerous: an emergency trip bar is mandatory and must be tested regularly.
- Never feed coagulum by hand directly into the rolls.
- Full isolation before any intervention, including simple cleaning.
Before ordering this machine
It depends entirely on the cleanliness of the coagulum received. Latex cleanly coagulated in tanks needs few passes; cup lumps collected from the ground, laden with sand and bark, need more. The right criterion is not a number fixed in advance but the dirt content measured on the finished product, which must meet the buyer's contractual specification. This is why we recommend processing streams of different cleanliness separately.
By organised counter-current recycling: the cleanest water, from the last passes, feeds the first ones. Screening and settling upstream of the recycling loop prevent the spray bars from fouling. Fresh water consumption falls markedly, but the system requires regular maintenance of the settling tanks, without which operators end up bypassing it.
Request a quote: Creper mill
Tell us the throughput you are aiming for, the material to be processed and the energy available on your site: we come back with a reasoned configuration and a price, rather than a catalogue rate.
- Technical answer: we first check that this machine genuinely matches your need.
- Tailored configuration: size, drive, options and wear parts defined with you.
- Complete pricing: equipment, transport, erection, commissioning and training.
- Next steps: civil works, connections and maintenance where required.
First reply target: 48 working hours.
