Method for operating an apparatus with at least one rotating shaft

A method for operating an apparatus (1) with at least one rotating shaft (5), the at least one rotating shaft (5) comprising functional elements (7) which act on material to be processed in the apparatus (1), the apparatus (1) comprising a filling orifice (15) and an outlet orifice (9) with an adjustable lower edge (13), and material being conveyed continuously through the apparatus (1) from the filling orifice (15) to the outlet orifice (9), said method comprising the following steps:

• (a) measuring load data for the at least one rotating shaft (5) in order to determine shaft load,
• (b) lowering the lower edge (13) of the outlet orifice (9) and/or reducing a quantity of material supplied through the filling orifice (15) if the shaft load exceeds a specified maximum load, or displacing the lower edge (13) of the outlet orifice (9) upwards and/or increasing the quantity of material supplied through the filling orifice (15) if the shaft load is less than a specified shaft load,
• wherein the load data comprise a rotational speed of the shaft (5), a motor power for driving the shaft (5), and shaft (5) deflection values;
• and wherein the deflection values are determined by determining a distance between the shaft ends and determining the deflection of the shaft (5) on the basis of a change in said distance.