Improving inefficiencies in raw material screening

Reducing downtime is more important than ever to meet the rising demand for materials such as aggregates.

Common problems like blinding and pegging affect productivity, preventing operations from maximizing their time, production and, most importantly, profit. The underlying costs of inefficient screening can have large effects on an operation’s bottom line. Unfortunately, proper screen media selection is often an overlooked factor.

The cost of blinding and pegging

Whether from sticky fines or moisture-laden slime, blinding and pegging present a major problem to both the quality and quantity of the final screened product.

If left unchecked, blinding and pegging can lead to incomplete screening, resulting in a contaminated product or even require stopping the vibrating screen three to four times a day to conduct a thorough cleaning.

Each cleaning takes up to 30 minutes, and this can result in upwards of two hours of lost production every day. For example, the downtime for an operation screening coal priced at about $30 and processing 250 tph translates to $15,000 of lost production each week – or more than $60,000 per month. Over the course of an average year, the mine effectively leaves more than $720,000 on the table.

High-vibration screen media options

Traditional woven wire cloth relies solely on the vibrations of the screen box to create the frequency needed to stratify the materials.

Some screen media options are uniquely designed to allow each wire to vibrate independently. High-vibration screen media enhances the overall effectiveness and promotes self-cleaning.

The high frequency of the wires allows for up to 10,000 cycles per minute, which is 13 times greater than that of traditional woven wire cloth. The enhanced vibration produced by the screen wires virtually eliminates blinding and pegging, waiving the need to prewash material with excessive fines or shut down the machines for cleaning.

Partner for success

No operation wants to deal with the maintenance downtime and lower productivity levels that come with blinding and pegging. To stay ahead, operations should look for an OEM offering consultative services to help facilities find the right screening solutions for their specific needs.

Serge Raymond is a product specialist at Major.

Related: Tips to avoid accidents around screening equipment