Yahara, triple deck portable plant.

Increasing production and maximizing throughput is nothing new. In fact, next to sizing accuracy, a recent survey shows that throughput is the second largest concern amongst producers, when surveyed to rank the factors most important when selecting screening media. But what happens when external factors such as market growth and adverse weather conditions impact your operation's ability to meet the increasing demand and capture your market share? Here's how one producer teamed with his local screening and crushing field specialist.

Over the past 15 years, Yahara Materials located in Waunakee, Wisc., has experienced a dramatic increase in demand for clear stone products. These products are widely used for underground pipe and highway bedding to provide proper drainage. The product specifications required clean rock with minimal fines. Yahara Materials needed to find a way to increase its capacity to effectively capture its share of this growing market.

“We experienced a 15 percent increase in our production throughput,” Nick Cady stated.

Yahara Materials operates seven 6 by 20, triple deck, portable crushing plants that were equipped with slotted, Tri-Lock screens. These slotted screens became very problematic when faced with ever-changing soil conditions found at various locations. Due to increased moisture content present during the winter and spring months they were unable to remove enough fines to get the product within specification. The slotted screens would blind over, halting production and minimizing throughput.

Upon the evaluation and recommendation of Rod Skindrud, the local Unified Screening & Crushing Company field service representative, Nick Cady, superintendent of operations at Yahara Materials, changed to a stainless steel “W” style screen on the lower two decks, while the top deck remained a hard drawn, high carbon square opening, Unified screen, for cost efficiency.

This change greatly increased the flexibility of the screen and increased product flow. The “W” style screen is composed of straight tension wires, “W” shaped wires and custom cross wires. Three different wire sizes are used for a harmonic screening effect. This product allows greater open area and increases throughput with this “harmonic effect.” In addition, the “W” slots perform well during wet and difficult screening conditions.

“Blinding and sizing problems can be eliminated. We have experienced a 15 percent increase to production since the change out to the “W”-slots and the “W” slot screens are lasting longer. They are lasting 2 to 3 times longer than anything we used in this application, in the past,” according to Nick Cady. “The increase has allowed us to increase our capacity to capture our share of the growing demand for clear stone. Plus these clean screens have saved us an investment in a new Wash Plant for our concrete applications. Our production is up, throughput improved, especially in wet conditions, and we've saved an additional step in processing materials. It was a win-win decision.”

Yahara Materials now uses “W” slotted screens on the bottom two decks of all its 6 by 20, Triple Deck plants.

“We have not had to change them out all season,” said Cady.

For more information, call 800/328-0225 or visit www.unifiedscreening.com.

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