Breaking down dewatering screens

By |  July 20, 2020
Schellberg

Schellberg

The case for dewatering screens

Eagle Iron Works’ Dave Schellberg explains why they’re an attractive option

Developed in the South African minerals processing industry about 40 years ago, dewatering screens have been widely used in North America for more than 20 years because of their compact footprint and high-percent solids content discharge. Stationary, skidded and portable units have become commonplace from several manufacturers.

First widely used in dewatering a hydrocyclone underflow where plus 400 mesh solids can be recovered, for more than 15 years they have also been used for dewatering a fine material screw washer discharge that results in a drip-free washed sand.

Using rubber or polyurethane liners and screen media and, in most designs, having dual-enclosed, low-horsepower vibrating motors, dewatering screens provide a reduced operating cost per ton of production device for many wet processing plants.

Dave Schellberg is product support specialist at Eagle Iron Works.


Building in maintenance-friendly elements

O’Leary

O’Leary

CDE’s Sean O’Leary shares some of his experience, offering a glimpse at new tech

Dewatering screens, although highly engineered machines, have minimal moving parts and are inherently low maintenance, making them especially attractive now with the ongoing shortage of skilled labor and fewer workers being able to be on site at any given time.

CDE’s dewatering Infinity Screens technology, for example, is designed to last and minimize downtime. A fully-bolted construction with Trilogy sidewall technology reduces the risk of cyclic fatigue failure, removing the need for welding or patching.

Also, we employ a fully-sealed drive unit to reduce impacts from the elements. Bearings are “sealed for life,” requiring minimal greasing with a lifespan in excess of 10,000 hours. Bearings are not positioned in close proximity or submerged in fluid, either.

Sean O’Leary is CustomCare manager at CDE.


Areas to watch to minimize maintenance

Bennetts

Bennetts

Keep an eye on replacing a dewatering screen’s wear parts, says McLanahan’s Alan Bennetts

There will always be some maintenance required with every piece of equipment. With dewatering screens, the screen media and springs/buffers are the main items for replacement.

The sideliners and discharge lip are also considered wear parts, but they all have a long lifespan. A well-designed unit has heavy-duty applications in mind, so the motors and structural components have a low rate of failure.

When an operation performs regular inspections and lubrication of the motor, a dewatering screen can produce a dry product with minimal investments in time and maintenance.

The main enemy of a dewatering screen is overloading with solids, excessive water retained on the screen, and neglect.
In the end, dewatering screens should provide years of production for your operation with only wear parts being replaced.

Alan Bennetts is global product manager at McLanahan Corp.

Featured image: EIW

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