For more than 80 years, Fitzpatrick has defined the global benchmark for precision particle processing, high-performance size reduction, and powder dry granulation technologies. Since pioneering industrial comminution in the 1930s, Fitzpatrick has engineered processing equipment trusted by pharmaceutical, food, chemical, and nutraceutical manufacturers worldwide. Specializing in the design of the legendary FitzMill™ hammer mills and advanced CCS (Chilsonator Control System) roller compactors, Fitzpatrick delivers systems engineered to achieve strict particle size distributions (PSD), protect moisture- and heat-sensitive raw ingredients, and maximize throughput yields across critical production lines.

The foundation of Fitzpatrick’s material processing philosophy centers on precise predictability and scalable design. Whether manipulating high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) or high-volume bulk chemicals, Fitzpatrick equipment minimizes dust generation, eliminates excessive thermal degradation, and guarantees a uniform granular profile. This strict mechanical control ensures that materials achieve optimal flowability, bulk density, and dissolution rates, directly enhancing downstream tableting, blending, or packaging efficiency.

For over 25 years, Trotter Equipment Company has proudly represented Fitzpatrick across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Our industrial process engineers pair Fitzpatrick’s word-class application laboratories and custom engineering resources with Trotter’s deep regional technical field experience. From evaluating material milling dynamics and executing scalability testing to supplying certified spare parts and optimizing full system line integrations, we ensure your bulk solids processing systems operate with absolute reliability, repeatability, and regulatory compliance.

Fitzpatrick Core Processing Technologies

Fitzpatrick’s process equipment portfolio is divided into two primary disciplines: high-efficiency comminution/milling for particle size reduction, and mechanical roller compaction for moisture-free dry powder granulation. Each machine layout is fully scalable, allowing recipes validated on lab-scale units to transition seamlessly to high-capacity production lines.

FitzMill™ Comminution Mills (Hammer Mills)

The FitzMill™ hammer mill is universally recognized as the industrial standard for controlled, high-efficiency particle size reduction. By utilizing high-velocity rotating blades paired with precise containment screens, the FitzMill processes raw matrices uniformly, making it ideal for standard granulating, fine pulverizing, de-lumping, and emulsification applications.

• Reversible Dual-Faced Blades — Outfitted with precision-balanced rotors featuring dual-profile blades. Operators can run the rotor forward using the “Knife Edge” profile for clean chopping and granulating of fibrous materials, or reverse the rotor to use the “Impact/Blunt Edge” profile for high-impact fracturing and fine pulverizing of hard, crystalline compounds.
• Interchangeable Precision Screens — A massive selection of perforated, wire mesh, bar, and grated screens engineered to establish absolute control over final particle size cut-offs. Screens can be swapped out in minutes without specialized tools, maximizing production uptime during product changeovers.
• Controlled Feeding Configurations — Available with variable-speed horizontal metering screws, gravity hopper entries, or custom pneumatic transport interfaces to ensure uniform product feed rates into the comminution chamber, preventing machine choking and localized heat build-up.
• Scalable Product Configurations — Spanning from the flexible L1A Laboratory Mill for small-batch R&D up to the high-capacity D6A, DKAS012, and massive industrial mills capable of processing thousands of pounds per hour with consistent particle sizing.

CCS Roller Compactors & Chilsonators

Fitzpatrick CCS roller compactors provide a continuous dry granulation alternative to traditional wet massing and fluid-bed drying. By compressing fine, low-density powders between counter-rotating, hydraulically pressurized rollers, the system forms solid, de-aerated sheets or ribbons that are immediately milled into high-density, free-flowing granules.

• Real-Time Roll Gap and Force Control — Features dynamic hydraulic regulation that automatically measures and modulates the physical gap between the rolls alongside compaction force. This maintains perfectly uniform ribbon density even when dealing with inconsistencies in bulk material feed densities.
• Two-Stage Feed Screw System — Utilizes a vertical pre-compression screw to force air out of light, fluffy powders, combined with a horizontal metering screw that feeds the de-aerated material directly into the nip area of the rolls, ensuring continuous, voids-free compaction.
• Integrated Milling & Granulation — Features a close-coupled, low-dust FitzMill or rotary sifter directly beneath the compaction rolls. This configuration processes the compressed ribbon into target granule dimensions immediately, optimizing product recovery and eliminating material handling steps.
• Premium Thermal Management — Outfitted with internal water-cooling channels throughout the compaction rolls and feed screws. This design pulls away friction-induced heat, protecting temperature-sensitive active ingredients, polymers, or dairy sugars from structural degradation.

Sanitary Design & Engineering Standards

• cGMP & FDA Compliance — Engineered explicitly to meet the most rigorous sanitary baselines. Systems feature smooth internal finishes, crevice-free geometries, and isolated mechanical drive components to eliminate internal cross-contamination vectors.
• Premium Material Configurations — All product-contact assemblies are fabricated from high-grade 316L stainless steel, Hastelloy, or specialized wear-resistant alloys to handle abrasive, corrosive, or high-purity processing materials.
• Wash-In-Place (WIP) & High Containment — Available with fully automated Wash-In-Place spray manifolds and high-containment isolator glove-box integrations, keeping operators safe when handling hazardous dust profiles or high-potency pharmaceutical APIs (OEB 4/5).
• Explosion-Proof & ATEX Ratings — Control cabinets and mechanical drive trains are available with NEMA 4X, Class I/II, Div 1/2, and ATEX explosion-proof specifications, complete with inert gas purging systems to safely manage combustible dust environments.

Industries Served

• Pharmaceutical & Biotechs — Precision size reduction of active drugs, dry granulation of moisture-sensitive tablet blends, sizing of wet mass ahead of fluid bed dryers, and high-containment milling of high-potency molecules.
• Food Processing & Ingredients — Uniform milling of spices, pulverizing of sugars, granulating of bakery ingredients, size adjustment of dried fruits, processing of dairy powders, and low-heat de-lumping of agglomerated beverage mixes.
• Nutraceuticals & Supplements — Processing of herbal extracts, dry compaction of vitamin blends to optimize capsule filling and tableting bulk densities, and sizing of amino acids and protein powders.
• Chemical & Fine Polymers — Comminution of technical resins, pulverizing of industrial salts, size reduction of agricultural chemicals, fertilizer processing, and granulation of specialized catalysts.

Services

• Engineering / Design — Complete application evaluations, custom system integration layouts, material flow analysis, feeding line configurations, and tailored controls engineering to match existing factory PLC protocols.
• Trials / Test Lab Application Center — Access to Fitzpatrick’s state-of-the-art material testing laboratories. Customers can submit specific powder samples for real-world milling and roller compaction testing, generating verifiable data on particle size distribution, throughput capacities, and ribbon density to confirm scalability before capital investment.
• Equipment Refurbishment & Repairs — Comprehensive mechanical rebuilding, laser-guided rotor alignment, blade re-sharpening, hydraulic cylinder maintenance, and control platform upgrades for legacy FitzMill and Chilsonator assets.
• Field Troubleshooting & Optimization — Dynamic on-site diagnostics, screen wear assessments, process optimization to correct particle sizing distributions, roll-gap calibration, and root-cause analysis of excessive powder fines or machine blinding.

PARTS

• Replacement FitzMill™ Perforated, Wire Mesh, and Bar Screens
• Certified Knife and Impact Milling Blades (Dual-Faced and Stepped Profiles)
• Precision Balanced Rotors, Drive Shafts, and High-Speed Bearings
• Compactor Replacement Rollers (Smooth, Fluted, Pocketed, and Knurled Profiles)
• Vertical Pre-Compression and Horizontal Metering Feed Screws
• Premium Roll Scraper Blades, Side Cheek Plates, and Wear Inserts
• High-Pressure Hydraulic Seal Kits, Accumulators, and Valve Rebuild Components
• ASME-Coded Water-Cooling Rotary Joints and Thermal Management Hoses
• FDA-Compliant O-Rings, Sanitary Gaskets, and Containment Isolation Seals
• Proximity Sensors, Roll Gap Encoders, Load Cells, and Electrical Control Modules

RENTALS

To support short-term manufacturing campaigns, sudden production spikes, or extended on-site process development testing, Trotter Equipment provides access to Fitzpatrick factory-certified rental programs. Our fleet includes standalone pilot-scale FitzMill hammer mills and modular, skid-mounted CCS roller compaction systems. Every rental system is completely inspected, fully documented for immediate cGMP deployment, and supplied with comprehensive operational guidelines to ensure seamless startup and integration into your processing facility.