With mechanical ball mills, material is discharged mechanically through a discharging box. The material is usually further conveyed to a dynamic separator, which together with the mill forms a mechanical ball mill grinding plant. These grinding plants are used to comminute relatively dry materials to a very high fineness. They are mostly used in the building material and chemical industries.

With pneumatic ball mills, material is discharged by air flow. The material is further conveyed to a dynamic separator, which together with the mill forms a pneumatic ball mill grinding plant. In view of the fact that process air flow is high, these grinding plants are ideal for comminuting materials of relatively high moisture content of medium to high fineness. Pneumatic ball mill grinding plants are mostly used to grind coal and other materials with higher input moisture.

Ball mill grinding plants for wet grinding are mostly used in cases where subsequent processing requires material in the form of sludge. Whether it concerns treatment of ores for subsequent flotation processing or preparation of lime sludge for wet desulphurization of combustion products in the energy and chemical industries, ball mill grinding plants for wet grinding offer easily controllable and highly effective means of comminuting. They consist of a ball mill and a battery of hydraulic cyclones connected in a circuit.
