Capital Equipment News January-February 2024

SCREEN MEDIA

Look for a manufacturer that stands behind its products with technicians with the expertise to offer efficient, high-quality equipment service and support.

changeouts. It takes about an hour to shut down a vibrating screen and change one screen media section. While an hour may not seem like a long time at first glance, the lost production to a mining operation, for example, will result in thousands of dollars off the bottom line. Combined with woven wire cloth or self-cleaning screens, engineered screen media solves many common screening problems. The screens generally offer a longer service life than wire alternatives, and their durable qualities address screen breakage from heavy bed depths. In addition, polyurethane and rubber resist premature wear from abrasive materials. Besides the longer service life, polyurethane and rubber-engineered screen media dampen the noise level of screening compared to metal screens. This allows for more operational hours in areas with decibel limits during certain times of the day. Engineered screen media is versatile. It allows operators to solve different problems or address unique situations by ordering customised panels. Some screen media manufacturers, for example, offer dual durometer screens with softer polyurethane on the top layer and more rigid polyurethane on the bottom. This combination works well for hard-hitting applications requiring openings more significant than 2 cm and, primarily when used with tapered openings, helps eliminate pegging and blinding by allowing larger particles to screen

durability, resulting in less open area. This is ideal for screening many small aggregate materials or decks with mixed media. Hybrid screens are an option that combines woven wire with polyurethane to achieve an open area closer to wire cloth but with four to six times longer wear life while weighing less than woven wire. Other polyurethane screens achieve additional durability with thicker wire to hold up to deep bed depths, large top sizes and wide bar rail spacing. There are misconceptions that polyurethane is strictly for dry applications, whereas others believe it is only for wet applications; in fact, it works well in both. Look for rubber screen media when screening material with a top size larger than 30.48 centimetres, or when an application requires an opening bigger than 10.16 centimetres. Manufacturers can create rubber screens that are thicker than polyurethane for improved durability. The screens also dramatically reduce noise, handle high-impact applications and resist abrasion. Consider perforated steel plates for heavy-duty operations that require a large amount of open area. Some manufacturers customise each plate’s thickness to a customer’s application and can create almost any size opening. The screens should be manufactured with tapered openings to resist pegging. Many perforated plates come in different abrasion-resistance levels, so choose a plate appropriate for the application. b

better or reject near-sized particles. Some screen media manufacturers address high-impact applications and improve wear life by supplying screens with solid areas to withstand the heaviest materials. Engineered media’s versatility addresses not only the material’s composition but also its temperature. Manufacturers can create polyurethane products to withstand high-heat applications, such as when screening silica after running it through a drying drum. Operators can also request additional customised screen media for unique and challenging applications. Made to be used Manufacturers create engineered screen media from several materials, such as polyurethane, rubber and perforated plates. Polyurethane offers a long lifespan and durability. Look for a polyurethane screen media manufacturer who blends their material and pours their open cast rather than injection-moulded polyurethane open cast. The open cast process takes about 9 hours to complete and typically lasts 1.5 to 2 times longer than injection moulded products. In addition, open cast polyurethane permanently hardens when cured to maintain its chemical properties, so it resists wear and tear. Injection-moulded screens, though faster to manufacture, can soften when the temperature rises during screening, resulting in less wear life. Engineered screen media is made with thicker material for increased

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JAN - FEB 2024 18