Dewatering Screens: How they Work and What are the Common Problems?

June 7, 2021

One specific machine that can be very useful in segregating products from others is the dewatering screen. As their name implies, the dewatering screens dewater materials and sludge so that only the relevant solid particles are obtained and processed further. Aside from dewatering, these machines can also help in recovering solid particles that may be found in liquids, muds, or sludges.

Some of the most popular applications for dewatering screens are separation of aggregate, mining, material recovery, agriculture, coal processing, and glass retrieval. What makes dewatering screens effective for these applications is that they can effectively allow a low percentage of moisture from being retrieved. They can likewise generate extremely dry discharge to ensure that liquid components will be eradicated from the solid particles. They even allow materials to be shipped right away due to their fast and efficient processes. And despite processing tons of materials, they only use a low amount of energy.

Dewatering Screens Basic Working Principles

So how do dewatering screens work? The effectiveness of these machines usually relies on the angle of inclination that they typically operate. Most of the time, these machines are inclined at a certain angle to ensure that the materials and sludge can be dewatered successfully.

During operations, the materials, sludge, or slurry are placed and sent over to the steep and declined screen surfaces. To start the dewatering process, the counter-rotating vibrating motor of these screens will move so that the screen surface can vibrate as well. Once the vibration starts, the materials that are poured over to the screen surfaces will also move upward and forward. As the process continues, the liquid and solid particles of the materials will be gradually separated. The accumulated solid particles will then be transferred to the outlet of the screen plate. The liquid components, on the other hand, will be sent to the water tank through the meshes of the screen.

Take note, however, that not all solid particles can be filtered right away. During the process, some solid particles may accumulate on the upward inclined screen panels and create a deep bed. This deep bed will then form a filter layer, allowing small particles to be retained and the liquid to still pass through.

Common Problems with Dewatering Screens

Although dewatering screens can truly work effectively and provide tons of benefits to different industries, they can still manifest some problems. One common problem with dewatering screens is the leakage of water. In this case, the bolts of these machines may be already loose and must be reinstalled again. Another problem that dewatering screens may possess is the rising temperature of their bearings, especially during dewatering operations. One potential reason behind hot bearings is that they lack proper lubrication. Their seal ring might also be too tight.

One more problem that dewatering screens may possess is the failure to dewater the materials properly. The feeding materials may have inappropriate design and specifications that would only cause some mishaps and other issues along the way.

To find out more about dewatering screens, feel free to reach us at Hawk Machinery.

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