Modern Mining March 2024

OPENCAST MINING AND EQUIPMENT

Solving the three biggest coal screening challenges By Serge Raymond, MAJOR product specialist Energy is a hot topic in any country or socioeconomic circle these days. Though politicians will forever argue and debate the virtues and evils of one system of energy over another, the majority of the population no matter what part of the globe they live in, simply want to make sure that when they need heat, light or transportation, it’s readily and economically available. In 2022, the demand for coal, especially in the power generation industry, hit a record high.

Customised high vibration screen media continues to grow as the solution for myriad challenges in the coal industry.

A t the same time, the specs and requirements for coal production have become tighter and the pressure on mines to find more sustain able processes has never been stronger. Coal operations must examine many facets of their busi ness to ensure efficiency and sustainability, and one significant consideration is screening and classifying. When it comes to screening coal, most operations will agree that tighter specs, issues with blinding and pegging and the constant need to increase produc tion are three of the most common challenges they face. While it’s second nature to look at the screen box for solutions, the key may lie in screen media. 1. Tighter specifications = greater margins Throughout the past 20 years, the material specifi cations for all industries have tightened — including coal. While the once standard increments of woven wire cloth openings used to meet all specifications

adequately, today’s tighter specs demand infinitely more size options to produce the requirements for various applications and uses. Often, premium prod ucts offering the greatest margin have to attain the most difficult specifications. Because coal is light and not abrasive, most coal screening operations use standard woven wire screens. These mass-produced screens are inexpensive and old school — seemingly an easy decision. But, when precision for a variety of mate rials is key, an old-school medium is often not the right path. Because of the design and weaving process of traditional woven wire, only specific opening sizes in 1/16-inch increments are available. Innovative high vibration media styles eliminate the design limitations of weaving, allowing infinitely min ute adjustments of wire spacing to accommodate a

Centre: Alternative screen media offers a more efficient solution to overcoming the blinding and pegging issue. Below: Innovative high vibration media styles allow infinitely minute adjustments of wire

spacing to accommodate a plethora of specification requirements.

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26  MODERN MINING  March 2024