Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85644
Make sure spray nozzles are fully open and operational. Superior Screen Maintenance These eight tips will help to keep all types of aggregate screens in optimal working condition. side from all the proper adjustments and operating parameters required to gain the most in screening efficiency, the need for good preventive maintenance prac- tices is a must for longer lasting screens and reliable performance. "Above all, be proactive," says Deister Machine Co. Service Manager Scott Murphy, an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experi- ence. "Develop a keen focus in forecasting, and then fixing, each factor that could cause potential problems. And take the time to do maintenance the right way — before, rather than after, component failures occur." Murphy shares the following tips for superior screen maintenance. A sampling program. Although a commonly overlooked prac- tice, a regularly scheduled oil sampling is an opera- tor's best insurance against catastrophic component 1 34 AGGREGATES MANAGER April 2012 Establish an oil failure and costly downtime. The valuable insights provided by samplings — such as detecting a worn bearing — allow operations to cost-efficiently schedule maintenance downtime around periods of prime production. Scheduled sampling and analysis establish a base- line of normal wear and can help indicate when ab- normal wear or contamination is occurring. Oil that has been inside any moving mechanical apparatus for a period of time reflects the exact condition of that assembly. Oil is in contact with mechanical components as wear metallic trace particles enter the oil. These particles are so small they remain in suspension. Particles caused by normal wear and operation will mix with the oil. Any externally caused contamination also enters the oil. Identify- ing and measuring these impurities indicates the rate of wear, as well as any excessive contamina- tion. Importantly, an oil analysis will also suggest methods to reduce accelerated wear and contami- nation.