Five winter maintenance tips for screen media

It’s been a long and productive season, and snow and cold are on their way – if not already here.

Whether shutting down for the winter or pressing through, aggregate processing operations must take steps to maintain productivity and minimize maintenance costs: from screen media evaluations and component inspection to proper shutdown training. Here are some steps to take to avoid being left in the cold.

Make the right screen media choices. Scheduled winter downtime is the perfect opportunity to evaluate how various components are standing up and decide whether there are better options before the operation kicks into high gear in spring.

First, take a look at how long screen media is lasting. A different type may be necessary if wear is higher than expected or changeouts are too frequent.

Replace worn components. Next, inspect and replace wear parts. Screen media with broken wires or visible damage around the edges should be switched out. Also, inspect screen media hardware. Check the condition of the threads and heads of shaker bolts and clean additional buildup.

Examine the clamp bars for excessive wear and replace any that are wearing thin or caving in order to improve the wear life of screen media. Adding liners to the clamp bars can further longevity by avoiding metal-to-metal contact.

Power transmission & system diagnostics. Once the preventative maintenance portion of the winter maintenance is completed, it’s time to get the screen box diagnostics checked and evaluate the power transmission components.

Some manufacturers offer innovative diagnostic tools that quickly measure screen box stroke, g-force, and revolutions per minute against the factory settings. Also, look at the sheaves and v-belts that drive the plant. Often, replacing these parts in the offseason is worth the savings from preventing the downtime of an in-season failure.

Check crown bars. Make sure all screen box decks have a continuous and proper crown curve to ensure the proper tensioning of the screen media.

Damaged and improper crown bars will lead to premature failure of screening media, making the offseason the ideal time to check and rebuild crown bars. Damage caused by a season of high production combined with quick fixes will lead to higher rates of unscheduled downtime and maintenance costs next season.

Check with the OEM or the owner’s manual to ensure proper crown bar heights are maintained.

Get additional training. If the operation is shut down for the season, take advantage of offseason training provided by equipment suppliers on important parts of the operation. This could include training on correct screen media installation to maximize longevity, or what to look for to know when a screen changeout needs to be made to prevent unscheduled downtime.

Takeaways

Take advantage of the cold season to give screen media a thorough examination. Evaluating screen choices, keeping an eye on wear and completing preventative maintenance will go a long way toward helping the bottom line, whether screening will continue through the winter or stop until spring.

Lars Bräunling is director of product technology at Major.