Design and control of the CSR Invicta mill cane splitter

It is anticipated that the desire to split cane flows at the feeding station will increase as the sugar industry moves towards using larger bins and tipplers and using more than one milling train. Currently, only three mills in Australia split the cane feed at the feeding stations, these being Fairymead Mill (1982), Marian mill (1990) and CSR Invicta Mill, where the 1995 season represents the first operational year of the cane splitter. Experience suggests that two major limitations in splitting cane exist: that the splitter should not choke, and that it should be able to control the split of cane reliably between the two milling trains. This latter requirement includes the ability of the splitter to isolate either crushing side rapidly without effecting the cane supply to the other milling train. This paper presents the integrated mechanical and control design which was used to develop the cane splitter at CSR Invicta Mill and the experiences of staff during its first year of operation.