Pulp and paper filtration have always been important steps in the production of paper and paper products. However, there’s currently an increased interest in incorporating more recycled pulp in paper production while simultaneously reducing the negative environmental effects commonly associated with the paper industry’s wastewater and other effluents. The role of industrial screeners for paper separation and wastewater treatment has never been more essential to the survival of the industry.

Screening Pulp and Paper Applications

The basic process of papermaking has remained largely the same for hundreds of years. Felled trees are stripped of bark and processed down into their natural fibers or pulp. They’re then refined further into a slurry, where eventually the water is removed, leaving a thin layer of paper to be picked up, dried and rolled. However, major environmental and economic advances have occurred in papermaking, and they’re largely due to better screening and filtration equipment like that made by VibraScreener™.

Industrial screeners remove knots, debris and other foreign objects during pulp processing. They also allow for better water treatment and greater use of recycled paper, which needs to be de-inked, resulting in further needs for water treatment. While in the past many paper mills have had to contend with environmental pressures related to the chemicals, such as bleaches and inks contained in their wastewater, modern screening methods for water treatment are allowing paper mills to make great strides in creating paper within a closed water cycle.

Looking ahead to the future of papermaking, it’s clear that well-designed separation and filtration equipment will continue to play an integral part in allowing this industry to thrive while meeting both its economic and environmental objectives.

Screeners for Paper Separation

There’s no doubt that screeners and filtration equipment for pulp separation, paper production and water treatment need to be hearty pieces of machinery. That’s why paper mills trust the years of industry-leading expertise and engineering know-how that VibraScreener™ puts into every one of its models, including the Dynamic Screener™ and the Ranger Separator™.

Used in the most demanding applications, our screeners are made to operate with high capacity while remaining energy efficient and putting out low levels of noise. When maximum uptime is a requirement to meet production deadlines, you want our screeners on the job. And when cleaning or maintenance is required, it’s good to know that our machines are easy to dismantle, clean and reassemble. Since we understand it’s your business that’s counting on the quality of our products, we leave nothing to chance.

High Performance, Excellent Service and Expert Advice From VibraScreener™

When you have to process enough wood pulp to make miles of paper a day, there’s only one choice for your production line, and that’s VibraScreener™. We’ve been successfully fulfilling the screening and filtration needs of major industries while meeting all FDA, USDA and other environmental regulations for years. Our experience in designing, manufacturing and supporting separation equipment extends to everyone from Fortune 500 processing facilities to independent operators.

Contact Us Today

Isn’t it time you found the right screening equipment and supplier to support your business’s needs? For more information on how VibraScreener™ can improve your papermaking processes, contact us or sign up to speak with a screening expert today.

Algae is a wide-ranging term covering more than 300,000 diverse photosynthetic organisms that are mostly found in aquatic settings. From single cell microalgae all the way up to giant kelp, algae is such a broad term that many still argue over its definition. However, what’s certain about it is that it can have many beneficial uses if algae harvesting technology can successfully grow, harvest and process enough of these versatile organisms in an economically and environmentally efficient manner.

Algae has incredible reproductive capabilities, which makes it an excellent and abundant fertilizer, source of nutrition, pollution scrubber and even energy source. Interestingly, the financial break-even point for algae as a cost-effective source for fish meal and biofuel seems to be fast approaching. In fact, by some estimates, it’s already here.

Algae Harvesting Separation

While the potential of algae is huge, the problem remains that to properly harvest it for most commercial uses, you must first dewater it — i.e., separate it from the aqueous medium it grows in. And while algae grows two to 10 times faster than land-based crops used as sources for biofuels, the process required to separate and purify it and the oils it produces — from which biofuel is made — has up until very recently been too costly to make industrial-scale algae production commercially viable.

Fortunately, concurrent with increasing algae’s growth and productivity, techniques to harvest it that require less energy and overall costs have been making significant strides. To understand where these breakthroughs are occurring, it’s helpful to briefly look at today’s three most popular algae harvesting processes.

Flocculation: In flocculation, a chemical flocculant is added to an algae and water mix that then causes the algae to aggregate, or clump together.

Microscreening: In microscreening, also referred to as membrane separation, the water and algae mix is run through a filtration system, typically in the shape of a funnel.

Centrifugation: In centrifugation, a mechanized form of separation occurs, often by use of a continuous-flow centrifuge.

Screeners for Algae Harvesting

With years of experience manufacturing vibratory screening equipment for a host of industries — including food and beverage, chemical, petrochemical and biofuel production — VibraScreener™ uniquely understands the expectations involved in designing and supporting an algae harvest screener that’s both robust and cost-effective enough to warrant profitable commercial use.

Unlike the process of flocculation that requires the extra cost of chemical additives, or microscreening, which usually results in the fouling of membranes, VibraScreener™ has designed its equipment such as the Dynamic Screener™ and Ranger Separator™ to operate both efficiently and effectively. What’s more, all of our equipment dismantles easily for thorough cleaning, so fouling isn’t a problem, and our machines lead the industry for low noise production and maximum reliability during operation.

Enjoy High-Quality Equipment and Expert Advice From VibraScreener™

Ready for algae harvesting with screening equipment, a service department and customer support designed around your needs? We have years of experience in designing, supplying and supporting screening and filtration systems for everyone from Fortune 500 processing facilities to independent operators. To find the right vibratory separator or industrial screener for your purposes, contact us or sign up to speak with a screening expert today.

A wide range of industries — including mining, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, agriculture and recycling — rely on the accurate separation or sifting of solids from solids and solids from liquids, and a large portion of these tasks are accomplished through the use of circular screeners. In addition, many of these screeners are also vibratory separators that operate in conjunction with pre-selected filter and mesh sizes in combination with vibratory energy. This setup allows them to sift the required solids, powders and liquids into their respective parts.

Typical Circular Screener Uses

From sifting and classifying in solid separation processes to dewatering and scalping in liquid and slurry separations, vibrating circular screeners are a workhorse in food and beverage, chemical, metallurgy, pharmaceutical, ceramic and paper production processes. To gain further insight into how much we depend on circular vibratory separators, let’s take a closer look at some of their typical uses by industry:

Food and beverage: In the food and beverage industry, there’s hardly a product on the market that hasn’t gone through some form of separation or classification process. Rice, coffee beans and wheat need to be separated from their chaff. Vegetables such as corn and peas need to be separated from their respective forms of husks and pods. Instant coffee, ground coffee, tea, sugar, flour and dried potato flakes are all processed using vibratory screening. In addition, numerous separation processes apply to the production of a whole host of dried pet foods.

Chemicals and petrochemicals: Circular screeners help in the refinement of biofuels, various salts, rubber, plastic beads and other polymers. In the coating industry alone, vibratory separators serve an integral part in preparing and classifying various pigments for use in paints, enamels and emulsions.

Metals and minerals: Powdered metals, including magnesium, aluminum, iron, copper and more — often used in dry coating processes — are prepared using vibrating screen separators. In addition, screeners are used to separate out impurities from silica, slurries and select ores.

Paper and pulp: Screeners are used in everything from recovering white water from pulp processing to classifying certain coatings and starches used in paper manufacturing.

Waste handling: Various forms of waste from canneries, distilleries, packing plants and fertilizer production are separated out by means of circular screeners.

Hygienically Designed Vibrating Screen Separators

For sanitary applications, such as in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical, dairy and food powders — from talcum powder to powdered milk — the need for a high-quality vibratory screener like the Dynamic Screener™ from VibraScreener™ is essential. That’s why we designed our screener to not only operate efficiently but also dismantle easily in order for its parts to be thoroughly cleaned.

Industrial Vibratory Round Separators

When industrial-strength vibratory separation is needed, the Ranger Separator™ answers the call. Equipped with four rubber mounts to give it incredibly stable vibration performance, this popular VibraScreener™ model is prized in processes from ceramic materials preparation to metallurgy production.

High-Performance Equipment and Expert Advice From VibraScreener™

Ready for screening equipment and customer support that fully meets your needs? To find the right vibrating screen separator for your purposes, contact us to speak with a screening expert today.

Biofuel — of which biodiesel is one of the most common — is fast becoming a favored alternative to fossil diesel. Of course, its path to popular use is in large part tied to finding a simultaneously economical and environmentally friendly method of producing it. Fortunately, with industry-leading screening equipment and sifting technology from VibraScreener™, there’s now a more efficient way to carry out the necessary steps of biodiesel separation in order to yield a final product that’s fit for market.

With organizations like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) reporting that there are literally billions of pounds of trapped and used restaurant-grade grease — which serves as one raw source for biodiesel — available each year in the U.S., the use of VibraScreener™ equipment couldn’t be better timed. Why let these used fats and oils wind up in the waste processing systems of municipalities?

With the right screening technology, biofuel producers are looking at a potential annual yield that could total hundreds of millions of gallons of refined biodiesel — all produced from renewable sources that are effectively carbon neutral in relation to their lifecycle and emissions.

The Transesterification Process and Screening Biofuel

Whether using waste cooking grease, vegetable oils, animal fats or tallow as the raw source for producing biofuel, the assorted processes of refining these substances into a finished, usable fuel share many commonalities. Of all production methods, the transesterification process — with a conversion yield of 98 percent — is by far one of the most popular. With relatively low pressures and temperatures required, this process also uses smaller amounts of energy and is, as a result, more affordable.

The transesterification process is a chemical reaction that results in the forming of esters, as well as the production of glycerol, when an alcohol and catalyst react with the triglycerides found in fats and oils. At the end of the process, there are two major resulting substances — glycerin and the beginning of biodiesel. However, with the glycerin being far denser and heavier than the biodiesel, screening equipment using a centrifugal process is a proven way of speeding up the separation and filtering of the two substances.

Before being put to use as a commercial-grade fuel, the final biodiesel must be analyzed to ensure the reaction process is complete and all glycerin, alcohol, catalyst and fatty acids are carefully removed. This step, of course, is best completed using screening technology that’s sufficiently sophisticated and robust to do the job thoroughly.

Centrifugal Screeners for Biodiesel Fuel

Clearly, to methodically separate out water, glycerin, fatty acids, alcohol and other ultrafine impurities from the eventual biofuel intended for commercial use, centrifugal screeners are indispensable. Instead of relying on the simple effects of gravity, VibraScreener™ separators for biodiesel fuel speed up the process, yield better results and ultimately get you to market sooner with a higher-quality product.

In addition, since we’re an industry leader in sifting and screening technology, our equipment is built to run longer, clean more easily and operate with a lower noise output. In total, our equipment gives you maximum uptime, dismantles quickly when required and comes with our unparalleled customer support any time you need it.

Contact VibraScreener™ for High-Quality Screening Technology

For more information on screeners for biodiesel fuel, as well as the rest of the VibraScreener™ trusted line of products, contact us today. We look forward to being of assistance.

One of the ways that a vibratory separator like the Ranger Separator™ can be used is to greatly reduce the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of wastewater that’s generated during the production of decaffeinated tea. To understand the importance if this application of a wastewater recovery screener, you need to first have a basic understanding of why BOD levels need to be contained.

Any time that organic waste — such as grass, leaves, sewage and even tea — is present in water, the microorganisms in the water break down this waste. To do this, they consume oxygen. Their demand for oxygen is stated as the Biological Oxygen Demand. Of course, when there are high levels of organic waste in the water, the microorganisms consume more oxygen, so the BOD levels are high.

The problem with high BOD levels is that the more oxygen the microorganisms consume, the less oxygen is available for aquatic organisms such as fish and water plants. High BOD levels are a threat to the overall aquatic ecosystem.

During the production of decaffeinated tea, tea fines and tea leaves are released into the waste water — yet to contain BOD levels, they need to be filtered out. The Ranger Separator™ uses its vibratory motion to separate out the larger pieces of organic waste — the tea fines and tea leaves — from the water. Assuming that the waste water has then achieved the desired BOD levels according to local and national regulations, the water can subsequently either be pumped away or recycled for use in the decaffeination process again.

Using Wet Screening Equipment to Remove Contaminants From Waste Water

As can be seen from the example above, untreated waste water often contains contaminants that are harmful to the environment. However, it may also contain particles that are considered hazardous for human use. For this reason, the EPA has established Effluent Guidelines, which are regulations that apply to the discharge of waste water to municipal sewage plants as well as to surface waters. The regulations are issued for various industrial categories and compliance is critical.

Screening waste water is usually the first step in the process of removing contaminants from waste water so it can be pumped away or re-used. This process is performed in many industries — including food and beverage, like the example above — as a pretreatment operation. It separates solid-liquid mixtures to remove contaminants from the water.

Industrial Screening Removal

This method of screening is purely based on particle size. It works by feeding a solid-liquid mixture on to a screen that has specifically sized openings on it. Any particle that’s smaller than the opening will pass through, while any particle that’s larger will be caught by the screen. In the waste water treatment, the larger particles are usually removed prior to further treatments that make the waste water safe to be pumped away or alternatively, in the event the water is recycled, safe for consumption.

The Range Separator™ from VibraScreener offers a low-maintenance yet highly effective and productive method of first-line waste water treatment. Contact us to learn more about how it can help your business.

When it comes to industrial and mechanical screening products, it’s understandable that many businesses have questions about the various types of products as well as their specific uses. That’s why we’ve put together this list of FAQs to address common questions and concerns.

What Exactly Is Industrial Screening?

Screening is a technique that’s commonly used to separate materials — either liquids from solid particles (referred to as liquid-solid) or solid particles of different sizes (referred to as solid-solid). At its most basic, the screening technique works by depositing input material onto a screen that has one or more openings in it. When the screener vibrates, everything that’s small enough — whether it’s particles or liquid — passes through the opening. As a result, the materials are separated.

What Kind of Different Industries Use Screening Products?

Screening products are used in a wide range of different industries, including:

• Food and beverage
• Pharmaceutical
• Nutraceutical
• Cosmetics
• Chemical
• Ceramics
• Metal powder
• Powder coating
• Minerals
• Mining
• Recycling
• Agriculture
• Plastics
• Aggregate
• Liquids/slurries

Screening can be used to remove contaminants and impurities from liquids and materials. As an example, screening is commonly used as a pretreatment for wastewater. It can also be used to grade and de-dust products in the food and pharmaceuticals industries. Plus, it can be used to separate out larger items and smaller items — in the gold mining industry, for example. In short, screening can be used for many applications where liquids need to be divided from solids or different-sized solid objects and particles need to be separated.

Can You Help Me Adhere to Industry Regulations?

This is understandably one of the most frequently asked industrial screener questions. Fortunately, the answer is, “Yes.” There are many industries that have regulations, such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) — regulations in the food and beverage industry. Because of this, we manufacture several screeners that are specifically designed for HACCP-compliant use.

If our current screening and sifter machines don’t possess the features you need to adhere to your industry’s regulations, just let us know. We’re always open to discussing how we can help you. For example, we can create a custom machine to your specifications or, of course, the standards set by your industry.

Do You Provide Support for My Products?

Because it can be confusing to know which type of screener is best for your application, we provide quality pre-purchase advice from our team of highly trained experts. They will listen to your needs and advise you on your best options.

In addition, the vast majority of industrial and technical screeners are used heavily. That’s why we design them for maximum reliability and durability. However, with heavy use, it’s inevitable that parts will wear down or break. For this reason, we offer a wide range of replacement parts that can easily be fitted to the machine once you’ve removed the worn or broken part.

Questions? Contact Us!

If you have any further mechanical screening questions or industrial screening issues, please contact us at your earliest convenience by filling out our online contact form. You can also call us at 800-779-4613 or email us at sales@vibrascreener.com.

Properly caring for and maintaining industrial screens is critical to keeping your material processing line running smoothly. Whether you’re working with aggregates, chemicals, food processing or countless other types of media, particles and materials, industrial screener problems bring productivity to a halt.

A ripped, clogged, damaged or defective industrial screener can result in diminished product quality, additional labor requirements and material waste. By knowing what to check for industrial screener defects, you can spot small issues before they cause more significant problems and keep your business moving in the right direction.

Common Industrial Screener Defects 

Industrial screener problems typically occur when equipment isn’t properly specified, installed and maintained. When you’re having trouble with screens, you may experience poor material handling and off-spec grading results as well as a shorter lifespan for equipment. The most common issues with screeners include:

• A tear or hole in the mesh or cloth allowing oversized particles to move freely through the system.
• Screen blinding resulting from an increasing build-up of particles over time causing blocked and overloaded screeners.
• Material bypass problems occurring because the mesh screen has detached from the frame, or the wire is stretched and penetrated, creating too wide of an opening.

Industrial Screener Troubleshooting

The best way to avoid industrial screener problems is to look out for red flag indicators and regularly inspecting your machines. Check seals and gaskets as well as sliders and balls to ensure they have not been compromised. Also, be on the lookout for holes and tears. Additional solutions to common screener problems include:

• Selecting a screen with smaller or wider openings
• Replacing older screens or using backup screens for extra support
• Using a pre-tensioned screen or an anti-blinding device
• Slowing down your feed rate and regularly cleaning screens

For more information on what to check for industrial screener defects, contact the experts at VibraScreeners. We’ll be happy to answer all your questions and provide a solution to help you avoid negative industrial screener defect consequences. If you wish to speak with one of our experience engineers, talk to an expert.

While screen blinding is not uncommon, it is a problem. It can bring material classification to a halt, leading to delays in your entire processing line. That’s why cleaning your mesh screens is essential. You must also ensure your team cleans them without damaging your equipment. To help your company protect its machinery, we’ve compiled a go-to guide that outlines five precautions for fine mesh screening cleaning.

1. Inspect Your Vibrating Screen’s Condition

No matter your screen’s age, it’s critical that your facility inspects it before washing. Look for sags, holes or tears. If you find any, consider replacing or re-screening.

2. Review Your Built-Up Material

If you process materials sensitive to temperature, review their properties. Using hot water, for example, may cause those particles to melt into your screen versus washing off.

3. Choose Your Bottom-Side Screen Cleaning Device

A critical step in cleaning mesh screens is choosing your bottom-side cleaning device, which could include:

• Sliders
• Ball trays
• Sandwich screens

When selecting your cleaning device, consider your material and screen type, as some methods aren’t ideal for certain filters, like ball trays for fine mesh screening.

4. Pick Your Top-Side Screen Cleaning Device

While reviewing your bottom-side screen cleaning devices, also decide on your top-side screening cleaning device, which could include:

• Rotary brushes
• Necklace ring dams
• Wiper ring

Additional methods for cleaning standard and fine mesh vibratory screens include:

• Vibro ring
• Water spray
• Ultrasonic
• Energizer

If you’re unsure of the best option for cleaning your equipment’s screen, like your vibratory sieve’s mesh screen, contact the manufacturer.

5. Begin Your Screening Cleaning

After you’ve assessed your screen, reviewed its built-up material and chosen devices for cleaning your mesh screen, you can set a time and date for cleaning your screens.

Replace Your Fine Mesh Screens With VibraScreener™

Do your mesh screens require replacement? At VibraScreener™, we can help. Our knowledgeable team provides fast re-screening services for our products, as well as for equipment from Sweco™, Kason™, Rotex™ and more. When you choose our team, you can count on high-quality screens that’ll deliver the productivity your facility requires, as well as rapid turnarounds to minimize your downtime.

Contact us today to learn more about our replacement screen services. To get in contact with one of our experienced engineers, fill out our talk to an expert form.

For industries with bulk granular material handling and particle separation applications, it’s critical to utilize the correct equipment to maximize quality and productivity. Two pieces of equipment commonly used in a variety of production and packaging settings and are often mentioned almost interchangeably are vibratory sieves and vibrating screens.

While they are both used in some capacity for separating particles by size, weight and other factors, it’s critical to know what the difference is between vibratory sieves and industrial screens to ensure you have the right product for your operation.

Vibratory Sieves and Screens Comparison

When comparing vibratory sieves vs. vibrating screens, it’s important to start by understanding how they are similar. Both industrial sieves and screens feature a wire mesh design of varying widths and patterns with some form of added vibration that promotes particle sifting and sorting. Consider the following comparison between vibratory sieves and screens to identify which types of machines are most effective for your business:

Vibratory Sieve Machine Information – A vibratory sieve is used to separate particles of different sizes in industries ranging from baking and food prep to chemical and manufacturing. Vibrating sieves are typically used in operations where you are sifting materials in individual batches. Sieves can segregate granular materials for quality control in processing and packaging coffee or flour and separate solids from liquids for filtration processes. In addition to straining, sifting and sorting particles, vibratory sieves are also utilized in mixing chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Vibratory Screen Machine Information – Circular and linear vibrating screens are effective at scalping, removing fines and grading materials such as aggregates, minerals, wood, waste and scrap metal. Most commonly utilized in continuous production settings, the machine allows particles pass through the screen. With the assistance of vibration, it sifts out lumps and particles that are too large or too fine. Vibrating screen machines come in a variety of types and configurations used in tasks ranging from wet screening and dewatering to heavy-duty bulk processing.

For more on vibratory sieves vs. vibrating screens, visit VibraScreener for additional information and assistance with choosing the machines that efficiently meet your requirements.

Powder coatings represent an estimated 15 percent of the overall industrial finishing market. Like all fine powders, powder sifting machines are required to ensure the quality of this increasingly important product.

Choosing the right vibratory sieve for separating powder coating paint requires a careful consideration of a number of factors. While there are many options available on the market today, only VibraScreener™ equipment offers the combination of performance and value you need to get the job done right.

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