Improving Inefficiency in Raw Material Screening

 By Serge Raymond, MAJOR product specialist

 

Reducing downtime is more important than ever to meet the rising demand for raw materials, such as aggregate, limestone or coal. Common problems like blinding and pegging affect productivity, preventing operations from maximizing their time, production and, most importantly, profit.

 

But there is a solution: high-vibration screen media.

 

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, which can result in upwards of two hours of lost production every day.

 

For example, an operation screening coal priced at approximately $30 and 250 tons processed per hour, that downtime 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 is effectively leaving more than $720,000 on the table.

 

Screen Media Solutions

High-vibration screen media, such as FLEX-MAT, offers a more efficient solution to overcome the blinding-and-pegging issue. Traditional woven wire cloth relies solely on the vibrations of the screen box to create the frequency needed to stratify the materials.

Alternative screen media, like FLEX-MAT, is uniquely designed to allow each wire to vibrate independently, enhancing overall effectiveness and promoting 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 coal 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.

 

If you’re looking for more information on how to maximize your screening operation and overcome operational setbacks such as blinding and pegging, contact us or reach out to your local MAJOR dealer to learn more.