Top Questions Asked When Purchasing Fine Material Washers
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Jay Hazen | Chief Executive Officer | Met Pro
Clean and classified sand and gravel lead to better project outcomes and more profitability for the producer. A correctly sized fine material washer can support this productivity while reducing operating costs and increasing throughput. As a leading provider servicing the aggregate mining industry, Met Pro can guide you through the process of selecting the best fine material washer that addresses the needs of your operation.
Fine material washers perform three main actions: washing, dewatering, and classification. Fine material washers are available in either single or double screw configurations, and selection is primarily a function of your capacity requirements.
As a leading provider of mining solutions used by customers across the U.S and Canada, we’ve put together the following questions asked most about fine material washers.
What information will I need to provide when purchasing a Fine Material Washer (FMW)? The first question that we will typically ask is ‘How many tons per hour will be sent to the FMW?’ While this is a primary consideration, we will also need to know how many gallons per minute of water the FMW will see as well as a sieve analysis.
How does excessive water affect the sizing of an FMW? When material is fed into a FMW at low solids, the water leaving the washer over the weirs will have an excessive velocity that will carry fine material, possibly useable material, with it. So, when this situation is present, a larger machine than is needed for the tons per hour (TPH) with greater weir lengths must be used to decrease the velocity and retain useable material. Excessive water can end up causing you to make a larger investment in equipment and operating costs.
When should I consider a high-chromium shoe vs. a urethane wear shoe? High chromium wear shoes are typically used where sharp sand, such as manufactured sand, or a higher amount of coarse sand is present. These types of materials can cut and gouge urethane where high chromium will not be affected. Urethane is great for natural and fine sand and in some cases can last many seasons.
Met Pro has more than 60 years of experience serving its customers’ mining needs. We work with customers to define their needs and provide exceptional support from the point of sale throughout the lifecycle of the machine. For more information about fine material washers, including sizes and capacities, contact us.