Investigation of serrated roll surface differences on ribbon thickness during roller compaction

Many parameters are considered when developing a roller compaction process. However, roll serration volume is generally not considered when using serrated rolls. It was hypothesized that serration volume of concavo-convex rolls can have a significant effect on ribbon thickness due to differences in nip angle. Experiments were conducted to investigate ribbon thickness using different roll sets having a range of serration volumes. Roll sets with approximately twice the serration volume produce ribbons 20-25% greater in thickness. These results correlated with physical measurements taken of the serrations from each set. Thus, differences in roll serration volume can significantly affect ribbon thickness.