For the last few years, Weir has been working to expand its range of ENDURON vibrating screens. It’s ENDURON ORBITAL screen fills an important gap in the market for smaller, lower tonnage mining operations. Available in both circular (C-series) and elliptical (E-series) motion screens, the ENDURON ORBITAL is well-suited to crushing circuits in both secondary and tertiary screening duties
During the development phase, Weir consulted its customers, and their feedback directly informed some of the most important design decisions it made. Most notably, miners wanted screens that had a longer service life and a wider operating window, giving them greater flexibility to allow them to adapt when the operating conditions changed.
Longer Service Life
The most significant design feature – and the thing that separates the ENDURON ORBITAL screen from other comparably sized screens on the market – is its all-bolted construction. Weir has removed all welding from the main screen body.
The rationale for this design decision was straightforward: most screen failures are caused by high stress in welded joints, so eliminating these ensures a more reliable machine. The screens are manufactured to leading finite element analysis (FEA) and high-cycle fatigue standards. ENDURON ORBITAL screens are also manufactured using automated computer numerical control (CNC) techniques, including laser profiling, bending, cutting and drilling to ensure the process is replicable.
The other benefit on the all-bolted design, which uses locking bolts in lieu of welding, is that it streamlines maintenance during the replacement of components.
Wide Operating Window
Another important piece of feedback Weir received from its customers during the design phase of the ENDURON ORBITAL screen was that they wanted a machine that could be easily adjusted without undermining or risking its structural integrity. When feed conditions or the application changes, screens are subject to harmonic resonance, which can lead to structural failure.
Crucially, adjustments to the throw-angle, speed and stroke can be made on the E-series screens, providing operators with more flexibility without compromising the equipment’s structural integrity.
Indeed, providing customers with a high level of flexibility was prioritized and has informed other aspects of the screen’s design.
Operational Flexibility
For instance, the ENDURON ORBITAL screens can accommodate both modular flat decks and side-tension crown decks on the same deck structure.
Moreover, this modular screen construction extends to other parts of the screen; most of the components – decks, crossbeams, exciters, for example – are interchangeable within particular model sizes and, in some instances, across the C-series and E-series screens.
These components have been designed for easy replacement; the modular flat decks and side-tension crown decks can be fitted on the same deck structure through a simple adaptation polyurethane kit, for example. From an inventory management perspective, this means that customers can reduce the number of spares they need to hold.
Weir has also focused on streamlining maintenance requirements so that downtime can be kept to a minimum and the safety of those working on the machine isn’t compromised.
The ENDURON ORBITAL range of screens complies with EN 1009, which is a set of standards that cover the safety of machines used in the mechanical processing of minerals and similar solid materials.
What that means in practice is that operators can access screen media easily in multiple deck applications, while the modular, all-bolted design means various parts can be individually replaced without needing to strip the entire screen.
Further streamlining monitoring and maintenance, the screens can be digitally enabled, providing the operator with greater visibility of equipment health and performance, as well as providing the opportunity for process optimization.
Data Driven Insights
Harnessing real-time insights makes it easier to maintain optimal performance and reliability for vibrating screens. Weir’s NEXT Intelligent Solutions provides continuous data on key metrics, empowering operators to keep their screens running smoothly and allowing them to respond to issues before they lead to costly downtime or inefficient performance.
This solution utilizes sensors to monitor vibration, stroke and throw angle; it then transforms this raw data into actionable insights to ensure that screens operate within their designed parameters. It allows operators to gain confidence in achieving their operational targets without compromising reliability.
NEXT Intelligent Solutions include a digital twin of the screen in which motion data is captured and presented in a user-friendly way, enabling fast and informed responses to deviations from design specifications.
There are a multitude of variables that influence how a screen operates; therefore, using motion data collected by NEXT Intelligent Solutions ensures maintenance planning can be based on the actual operating conditions, resulting in less unplanned downtime and improved reliability.
All ENDURON products are fully supported by Weir’s service network, offering unrivalled service, support and local expertise across the globe.