Maximize Throughput with the Right Screen Media
The type of screen media you use on your screen deck directly impacts material throughput, equipment wear life and whether you meet spec. Most screen media operations still rely on woven wire for their traditional screening needs. But, with technology advancing quickly, is woven wire still the right choice for your mining or aggregates operation?
From cost-effective woven wire to high-efficiency tensioned FLEX-MAT, each screen media type serves a specific purpose. Let’s explore the benefits of selecting each screen media option to see how each one fits today’s demanding mining and aggregates screening applications.
When to Choose Traditional Woven Wire
Operations generally understand the benefits of woven wire screen media. Most of the time, it’s a cheaper option due to its set sizing options. This style often wears out quickly, but that’s offset by the low cost and its ability to get the job done — though not as precisely as more customized options. When operations are only looking to produce a set amount of a product that doesn’t require perfect spec, woven wire makes sense.
Our team recommends using woven wire screen media when testing a new opening size before investing in higher-quality screen media. Made with OPTIMUMWIRE®, we provide consistent quality in our wire. However, for sticky materials, we also offer stainless steel.
Product Options:
- Square for general applications
- Double weave for heavier applications
- Slotted for removing more fines and providing more open area
- Hyperslot to reduce blinding in sand
Accessories to prevent oversized materials from falling onto the next screen deck:
- Side seals for end-tensioned screen media
- Overlaps for side-tensioned screen media
However, if you’ve invested in custom woven wire screen media to meet spec, it’s likely you’re paying prices much higher than makes sense. If the cost of a custom woven wire screen panel doesn’t meet the output, it’s time to look into tensioned or modular FLEX-MAT screen media.
When to Choose FLEX-MAT Tensioned Screen Media
Tensioned FLEX-MAT enhances vibration on the screen deck surface. The high-vibration action — whether it’s side tensioned or end tensioned — reduces blinding and pegging and improves efficiency.
Tensioned screen media can be used across industries —from coal mining to rock quarrying to asphalt recycling and beyond — with specialized adjustments based on the material being screened. FLEX-MAT comes in both OPTIMUMWIRE and stainless-steel wire depending on the application. The main benefit of high-vibration screen media is that the opening sizes are customized, which means you can get the exact opening size needed to meet spec for your operation. We manufacture FLEX-MAT with independent wires bonded between polyurethane strips to significantly increase screening action and lead to better stratification overall.
Product Options:
- D Series with a standard square pattern
- DD Series for high-impact and heavy material
- S Series to maximize open area for round or cubical material
- T Series for operations that require fine mesh to reduce blinding
- L Series to maximize open area for desanding and removing fines
Advanced polyurethane strips can be added to any of these options to extend the lifespan of the screen overall with a more chemically stable compound.
Accessories:
- To prevent oversized material from falling onto the screen deck below:
- Side seals for end-tensioned screen media
- Overlaps for side-tensioned screen media
- To stop the shroud on end-tensioned screen media from lifting:
- To slow down material action on an inclined screen deck:
- Dams
Tensioned screen media benefits from the crown curve as well, which can increase screening stratification when done correctly. To get the most out of tensioned screen media, the crown curve should be a high point between the rails. Material should hit this point first before dispersing evenly across the deck. Talk to our experts to ensure you’re getting the most optimal crown curve on your screen deck.
When to Choose FLEX-MAT Modular Screen Media
The benefits of our modular FLEX-MAT really shine when considering screen media panel changeout. Maintenance costs can be cut down significantly if an operation is seeing uneven, concentrated wear in one spot on the screen deck. Instead of changing out the entire screen deck when wear happens in one spot, modular screen media allows operations to change out a specific spot, cutting back on downtime and increasing efficiencies.
Product Options:
- D Series with a standard square opening for precise sizing
- S Series to eliminate blinding for round or cubical material
- T Series that replaces small openings to reduce blinding
Attachment Style Options:
- Snap Type
- Grooved
- Step
- Pin Type
- Pin & Sleeve
- Pin & Leg Maxi
- Pin & Leg
Our modular FLEX-MAT can also come with a heavy-duty, reinforced frame with an increased steel core to hold up against harsher applications. Like the tensioned screen media, advanced polyurethane strips can extend the lifespan of modular screen media as well.
Operations should also keep in mind what type of screen media their vibrating screen is designed for. If an operation is already optimally set up for modular screen media it can be expensive and lead to extended downtime to switch to tensioned screen media, or vice versa.
Making the Right Choice
Technological updates have made choosing the right screen media a challenge that quarry and mine management teams don’t have to take on alone. While woven wire might be an older technology, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place in the modern mine. It’s a good starting point, but tensioned and modular screen media help improve throughput and ensure you’re meeting spec.