Planning ahead for winter washing

The icy grip of the winter season presents a unique set of challenges for wash plant operators. With effective planning, though, materials producers can protect their investment and ensure their operations are ready for an efficient return to production come spring.

When it comes to plant maintenance, it is essential that any potential complication is identified and remedied quickly to protect an operator’s investment and ensure optimal performance – particularly during the coldest months of the year, when washing and classifying equipment is especially susceptible to the elements.

“In this business, time is money,” says Mike Matusik, a customer relationship manager at CDE. “Implementing a robust maintenance program year-round safeguards equipment from the taxing cold weather, helping to minimize downtime for unscheduled maintenance and maximize product output.”

With planning and preparedness, operators can ensure the safe and efficient shutdown of a wash plant in winter and facilitate an efficient restart of operations in the spring.

“While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, there are some basic steps operators can take to protect their investment,” Matusik says.

Five steps to follow

1. Water management. Effective water management as the cold weather sets in should be paramount for operators. It’s advisable to drain all standing water from tanks and pumps when plants are mothballed for the winter season. Otherwise, operators risk lines freezing and cracking, leading to a delayed and costly restart in the spring.

2. Insulate. The winter months can present unforgiving conditions, so consider insulation to protect pipes, valves and pumps. Ensure your control cabin is closed and, if possible, keep the internal heating on to protect the beating heart of your plant from plummeting temperatures.

3. Open valves. In addition to draining the system and, where possible, insulating pipes, valves and pumps, it’s advisable to keep valves open during winter shutdown. This will prevent any residual water from accumulating in the system.

4. Spray bars. Clean out spray bar nozzle heads, and ensure smaller pipework is free of debris such as silt and sands. Also, ensure spray bars receive adequate water pressure, and that the spray from nozzles fans is at the correct angle. This will allow operators to get more water onto the screen to ensure the product is getting the best washing treatment.

5. Safety protocols. Winter also poses safety concerns for plant operators. Consider refreshing and rehearsing your training procedures to ensure your teams are well versed in the appropriate safety protocols when working in the vicinity of a wash plant to avoid slips, trips and falls.

Additional thoughts

Proactive and preventive approaches to plant maintenance during winter months are essential for long-term efficiency and profitability, but unforeseen challenges can still arise despite the best-laid plans.

“A responsive service is key when the unexpected occurs,” says Andrew Bunting a customer relationship manager at CDE. “For the CDE CustomCare team, the name of the game is minimizing and, where possible, wholly eliminating any unexpected downtime by supporting customers to get up, running and processing material again as fast as possible – whether that’s during the normal production season or when starting up production again once winter is behind us.”

Prevention should always be the No. 1 focus, Bunting adds.

“We work closely with our customers to deliver regular [preventive] maintenance inspections, which are highly effective at identifying potential issues before they arise and adversely impact production,” he adds. “Our plant health checks are just one part of our commitment to providing a lifetime of care to customers and ensuring their long-term success.”

Information for this article courtesy of CDE.

Related: Caring for vibrating screens through winter