by Jon M. Casey

At the invitation of the folks at W.S. Tyler, Ltd., a business in the Haver & Tyler group of companies, North American Quarry News enjoyed the opportunity of touring their St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, screen manufacturing facility, followed by a site visit to a quarry operation where W.S. Tyler’s Pro-Deck™ approach to aggregate screening was in use.

Hosted by Marketing Manager Kristen Randall and Pro-Deck Specialist, Bob Watson, the October plant tour offered added insight into the care and quality that goes into the design and manufacture of the full lineup of W.S. Tyler screening products. Later in the day, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Steve Fair, provided us with a closeup look at a customer’s primary screen plant, a unit outfitted with a Pro-Deck Screen configuration. There we had the opportunity to view the effectiveness of this proprietary screening process, during actual use.

Plant Tour

we started our tour at the “incoming,” far end of the plant, it was easy to see that the manufacturing of aggregate screens requires considerable space to accommodate the raw materials as well as providing parts storage space for a number of the more common screens that the company manufactures here. More importantly, as we looked closer at how the screen mesh material was actually woven from spools of smooth steel wire that are perfectly crimped into strands, two or three hundred feet in length, it was evident that ample space was needed to make these simple, yet highly technical screens on the looms at the plant. Additionally, because W.S. Tyler assembles full sized screen boxes for shipment worldwide, the need for plenty of manufacturing space is evident.

Randall explained that W.S. Tyler enjoys hosting tours of the manufacturing plant. She provided us with a “Welcome!” handout, a guide that gives visitors a clear, visual overview of the Washington Building’s layout, with tour highlights clearly designated within it. Our initial stop was at a modern, well lit studio that featured the latest in screen media samples plus a stunning display of a new lineup of modern furniture made from woven screen media of various kinds. From there, to the final stop at the assembly area where new F-class screen bodies were being shrink wrapped for shipment, the time spent touring the massive facility, was educational, far beyond our initial expectations.

Randall continued by taking us to the materials receiving end of the facility. There, we had a closeup look at a Tyler 1100 T-class screening unit that featured the company’s Pro-Deck screen configuration. The feed intake area on the top deck, featured two high impact Ty-Max polyurethane panels. This offered maximum wear at the contact point, where the aggregate lands on the screen. The middle two sections of the 8 x 20-foot screen, was outfitted with Ty-Wire hybrid screens, a design that features a blend of wire cloth and polyurethane for maximum opening with longer wear than regular woven screens. The final section of screen on the discharge end of the unit, incorporated an open, wire cloth mesh screen. At this end, the least amount of abrasive wear takes place.

“The Pro-Deck configuration can be done on any deck of the screen box, but it is typically found on the top deck, where the wear is usually the greatest,” she said.

Moving on, we joined Bob Watson, who offered technical input while we visited with workers as they went about their daily routine. Loom operators like Scott Fair, were busy weaving wire into screens and preparing them for shipment.

Watson explained that they have two primary weaving processes at this plant, a manual process and an automatic process as well. With one manual loom capable of handling screens with a warp of from 15 to 100-feet and two automated units capable of producing screens from 100 to 300-feet in length, this plant has plenty of manufacturing capacity.

He noted that the high speed of production of the automated looms, produces finished products much more quickly and in higher volume than the manual method. “We run the automated loom when we have an order that requires a lot of one kind of screen media,” he said.

Cobra Vibe

Entering a section of the plant devoted to a screen media called Cobra Vibe, we had the opportunity to observe the propriety process that goes into making this specialty style screening media. Cobra Vibe is precision made and has a highly detailed and carefully monitored construction procedure. This screen media was created to meet the needs of customers who were looking to screen products that cause excessive blinding and pegging, like salt or fine sand products. With its unique construction, the screens are designed for each wire to vibrate independently. This design reduces wire to wire contact that would cause unnecessary wear, shortening the life of the screens. A number of straight, wavy, square, diamond shaped and combination pattern designs are available in this product line, each geared for the customer’s specific needs. Watson noted that these screens will last six to eight times longer than conventional screens used in a similar operating environment.

Machine Assembly

As we moved on to the conclusion of our plant tour, our final stop was in the Machine Assembly Hall, where lead assembly worker Mark Soucy was busy checking on an XL- class, exciter drive machine that was currently a work in progress. Soucy said that Tyler stresses the importance of assembly and design of their units and new units are tested at their proper operating speed, stroke and amplitude before they are approved for shipment to the customer. He explained that the testing is extensive in scope, even down to the springs or shear rubber mounts for each screen.

Randall concluded the tour by saying, that W.S. Tyler offers customers an invaluable resource, a 235 page soft cover book entitled, “The Rock Book.” She said that these books are available for all W.S. Tyler customers as a way of helping aggregate and mining producers become more informed when choosing screening, washing and pelletizing equipment. For more information, visit their website at www.wstyler.ca or stop in at their exhibit 7401, at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, NV.

“If you can’t see the screen media at the discharge end, you’re not done screening!”

So said W.S. Tyler, Inc., Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Steve Fair, as he explained the concept of how Tyler’s Pro-Deck screening process works, as we traveled to a Tyler customer’s quarry, following our plant tour. Fair said that this simple rule of thumb is a guideline that any quarry plant manager can use to determine the effectiveness of the plant’s screening operation. When the media isn’t visible, the job’s not being done successfully.
Screening process
Fair said that basically, if the screening system is not properly configured for accurate screening, one of two things is happening initially. Either the material is finished screening early, having accomplished the sizing of material in the first one-third of the deck, with undersized already having gone through the screen, or, the screening is not complete. That means undersized materials pass completely across the screen, leaving the discharge end with the oversized material. That is wasteful and often necessitates additional screening top deck material. With optimal screening, Fair noted that all the fines will be gone at the discharge end of the screen; with the last opportunity for near-sized material to pass through the screen.
“If you can’t see the screen media at the discharge end of the screen, the job isn’t done,” he said. “More importantly, with the screens properly configured, there is less need to re-screen the pile and there are fewer change outs of the screens as well. Excessive change outs result from uneven and improper wear depending on the material being screened.”
At our site visit in central Ontario, we observed eight-inch minus granite coming off the primary. It was dropping onto Ty-Max polyurethane screen media. From there, it passed across Tyler wire mesh and Ty-Plate screens at the discharge end.
Fair said that before they did their Pro-Deck analysis, this aggregate producer was replacing screens at the rate of about every two weeks or so. With the installation of the Ty-Max screen media, designed to withstand the impact and wear on the intake end of the screen box, the wear factor was greatly increased and screen change outs are less frequent today.
Fair said that the configuration of screen media on the individual decks of the screens is part of the initial evaluation. Recommendations are made after extensive consideration of the producer’s desired results. Media type, opening, wire diameter, overlap and screen mounting conditions are combined with material type, size, shape and hardness as part of the evaluation.
He said Tyler field technicians are highly trained and certified. They perform a wireless vibration analysis to monitor and analyze the speed, stroke and overall performance of any vibrating screen. They also inspect key components and check for loose parts while doing bearing temperature analysis, feed material analysis and a thorough screen media inspection.
Then, they perform a full screen media audit. They access historical screen media usage data and discuss that information along with their findings, with the customers who are involved with the screening process. Together, they determine what goals the customer is seeking and together they develop an action plan that will help them accomplish better screening of material, increasing profits, while at the same time, reducing maintenance and repair costs.
In the end, the customer has the assurance of knowing that they are getting the best application available. W.S. Tyler guarantees that the customer will be completely satisfied with their blended screen surface. Since this is not a one size fits all kind of application, Tyler knows that because their recommendations include wear life, production rates, and improved profit outcomes, the customers are sure to be satisfied. For more information on the Pro-Deck Process, contact W.S. Tyler at 800-325-5993 or online at wstyler.ca.