The type of media you choose for your Vibrating Screen is critical to your plant’s performance.
Please visit our website for more information on this topic.
There are many different factors to consider when selecting the material for your screen. Depending on what type of screen you choose, you will have to find the right balance between open area (or throughput) and screen life to determine the highest economic value for your application.
The percentage of open area in a screen is very important to consider.
A large amount of open space gives the particles a greater chance to fall through the holes in the screen media. This results in a more accurate separation.
However, when there is more open space on the screen, the screen may lose durability or life expectancy. Therefore, the screen may not last as long and may need to be replaced more frequently.
A smaller amount of open space means less holes for the material to fall through. To compensate for less holes in the screen, the total screen area will need to be increased.
McLanahan offers three different types of screen media. Each has its own specific applications and benefits.
Woven wire screen cloth is the most widely used and accepted media for screening systems. These types of screens have a greater number of holes.
However, with this type of screen media, you trade wear life for open space. Woven wire screens have a much shorter wear life than other types of screens.
Fortunately, these metal screens are the cheapest type of screen and the easiest to replace, which make them the preferred screen of choice for most applications.
✔️ Most widely used and accepted
✔️ Greater number of holes in the screen
✔️ Least expensive
✔️ Easiest to replace
❌ Shorter wear life
Rubber panels are most often used for dry applications or abrasive materials. This type of screen should be used for heavier, coarser material that would otherwise damage a standard wire screen.
With this type of media, there is a large trade-off between the throughput and screen life. Although they have less openings than wire screens, rubber panels will last longer because they are heavier and can withstand larger, more abrasive material.
Operators should also be cautious of the weight of the material going through the screens. If too much weight is put onto the screen, the stroke will be decreased, causing the stratification to decrease. Essentially, this will lead to a loss of efficiency and will hurt production.
Also be aware of how much weight is put onto the screen, as going over the screen’s capacity can cause cracking in the rubber media.
Although this option costs more up front than a standard screen, it can have long-term benefits that wire screens do not.
✔️ Can withstand heavier, coarser material than a woven wire screen
✔️ Long-lasting
❌ Have less openings than woven wire screens
❌ Cost more than woven wire screens
For wet applications or abrasive materials, a polyurethane screen would be the best option.
Like rubber panels, there is a large trade-off between open space and wear life when using polyurethane screens. Polyurethane screens have much less area than wire screens, but they are much more durable.
Polyurethane screens should only be used if the economic advantages of the longer screen life are greater than the lost output of tons per hour.
Haopeng contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
Be cautious of how much weight is put onto these screens, as the amount of material being fed onto the screen should not exceed the screen capacity.
If too much weight is put onto the screen, the stroke and stratification of the screen will be affected, resulting in a decrease in efficiency and/or damage to the screen.
If plugging tends to be a problem in your screen, switching to a polyurethane screen may be very beneficial. Because of the screen’s flexibility, particles are less likely to get clogged in the screen’s holes.
✔️ Can handle wet and abrasive materials
✔️ More durable than woven wire screens
✔️ Screen flexibility reduces plugging
✔️ Longer screen life
❌ Less open area reduces throughput
When selecting the media to use in your screen, it is important to consider the size and type of material that will pass through the screen.
Choose woven wire screens for most applications unless particles would otherwise damage the screen.
For dry, coarse materials, consider switching to rubber screen panels if a wire screen is unable to withstand the ruggedness of the material.
If plugging is a problem in your wire screen, it may be beneficial to switch to a polyurethane screen to eliminate this issue.
By Lars Bräunling, MAJOR director of product technology
A vibrating screen is often seen as the efficiency tipping point for an entire mineral processing operation. After all, it’s where multiple processes finally come together and the final aggregate product is sorted. While the vibrating screen tends to get all the glory, the internal screen media is an often overlooked workhorse.
Screen media must be trusted to perform efficiently and accurately. For this to happen, quarry and mine producers must choose screen media that is a perfect fit for their specific operation to work at peak performance. This ideal fit can be found by evaluating any current screening challenges, looking at the application’s needs, and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of some of the most popular categories, including synthetic and rubber screens, heavy-duty rubber and perforated steel screens, and standard wire screens and high vibration wire screens.
Synthetic
Synthetic media, such as rubber and polyurethane, is known for its ability to reduce noise levels and for its long wear life. This type of media typically has less open area than wire screens, leading to decreased throughput and reduced bottom deck capacity since the material takes longer to make its way down. Also, operations using synthetics must keep a close eye on the opening in the panel. Openings tend to wear by rounding out, making it necessary to regularly check that out-of-spec material isn’t getting through.
Synthetic screen media also tends to be very rigid and relies on the vibrating screen to do most of the heavy lifting. The static movement of the screen limits vibration to 800 or 900 cycles per minute. In most cases, this does not hinder the screen media from achieving adequate production and throughput, but it also doesn’t take full advantage of the screening equipment. Synthetic media can also be more susceptible to common issues, such as blinding and pegging.
Heavy Duty
Steel plates and heavy-duty rubber are the most durable options. Perforated steel plates are a good option for applications requiring durable screen media, but they are extremely heavy which can make maintenance and operation more cumbersome. Additionally, their open area is often quite low. Rubber is quieter and can be effective for screening material with a large top size, but it tends to be more susceptible to pegging.
Consider the drop height, material size, abrasiveness, weight, and volume. Naturally, the more impact the material will have on the screen media, the higher durability that media should have, at least at the impact point. Also, abrasive material — such as granite — calls for resistant screen media. However, the rigid construction of steel and rubber makes for limited throughput which must be considered alongside durability to achieve peak efficiency.
Wire Screens
Woven wire cloth has been the traditional option for a reason. It is relatively inexpensive and effective. However, limited wear life and frequent changeouts lead many operations to consider more advanced options.
High vibration wire screens, like MAJOR’s FLEX-MAT, offer a wear life compromise between synthetic media and woven wire and often provide the most performance benefits. FLEX-MAT features high-strength wire bonded by polyurethane strips to hold individual wires parallel to each other. The wires vibrate independently— within specified opening sizes — to amplify the screening process and increase throughput by as much as 40%. Additionally, the vibrations prevent or significantly reduce pegging, blinding, and clogging issues, improving product quality and reducing potential downtime.
Additionally, MAJOR is one of the few manufacturers that can customize screen media to a specific application. When properly fitted, high vibration screen media can amplify the work of the vibrating screen with vibrations of 6,000 to 10,000 cycles per minute — up to 13 times greater than traditional, rigid media options. Often the screen media can be modified with thicker or double wires and additional polyurethane to further boost durability.
Choices, Choices, Choices
Screen media is ultimately the mechanism that keeps the saleable rock from being sent to the crusher, and maximizing its efficiency shouldn’t come with higher maintenance in the process. Some manufacturers promising quieter or cheaper screen media have forced customers to compromise on the ultimate goal of performance and efficiency. High vibration wire screens, like FLEX-MAT, offers a solution, not another compromise.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Polyurethane Screen Panels.