MILLING IN NATAL Milling may be defined as "a process of extracting sucrose from cane, by means of repeated pressure expressions

of a rotary nature." Without enlarging on the purely mechanical aspects of this definition, the extent of this extraction is governed by a series of variables all of which, with the exception of the natural structure of the cane raw product, can be controlled and adjusted by human agency. These variables may be listed as: (a) Capacity rating, (b) Preparation for the milling process, (c) Roll pressure' application, (d) Maceration, (e) Peripheral speeds, (f) Mill,settings; All of these are applied to the ideal of removing as much of the soluble solids in solution and leaving the final bagasse in as dry a state as possible. .The latter condition, it may be remarked, has a greater significance in efficiency than is generally realised.

Capacity Some means of assessing the capacity of a milling plant has to be considered, however. It all depends on what can be generally accepted as a standard of performance. A given plant can definitely increase output by increasing either speed or opening area, but at the cost of increased efficiency. Again, an extra mill enables output to be increased without necessarily losing efficiency, due to the fact that the added expressions and extra maceration effect compensate for the necessity of having to increase either speed or opening areas.
Thus too many variables are involved in assessing capacities by any standard formula (if one does exist), and it is feared that this form of comparison will continue to remain somewhat controversial. Capacity formulas are generally entirely empirical.