It's Now Quite Easy to Screen Cheaply

The demands on the production industry have climbed enormously through globalization. Innovation, productivity and cost efficiency are high up on the business agenda. Manufacturers react by continuously reviewing the cost and efficiency of production processes. New machine solutions that allow greater economy have never been more in demand. A newly developed screening machine from the bulk solids specialists J. Engelsmann AG in Ludwigshafen helps with low investment and operating costs to improve the efficiency of screening processes.

Presented under the name "JEL EasyVib", the vibration screening machine is specially designed for screening tasks where machines are required to be used in a cost-effective way. JEL EasyVib is suited to applications such as protective screening processes or screening out over-sized particles from dry and free-flowing bulk solids in production processes in the chemical, plastics and other related industries, where the advantages of the newly developed screening machine come to full fruition. Based on a modular design principle, the vibration screening machine can be used for a wide spectrum of grains from around 500 µm to 10mm. Thanks to its modular construction, the machine is easy to operate and can be adjusted to special product and screening requirements with minimal effort, just as the first examples of its use demonstrate:

Separating coarse from fine – even in explosive areas

The first customer to order the new vibration screening machine for their production needs was one of Germany's leading suppliers of specialist chemicals, that produces amino acids for the manufacture of feed materials. They ordered the production of Engelsmann's smaller model of the JEL EasyVib range (500 x 1.000). With 0.5m², it is equipped with a somewhat smaller sieve area than its bigger "sister" (750 x 1.000) which uses a 0.75m² sieve insert. The machine will be used as a protection or control screen for the sieving of large particles, so as not to impede subsequent production processes and thereby increase the quality of the end product. It is important that the screening machine is gas-tight and can be used in explosive areas. The modular construction principle of the JEL EasyVib allows the standard model to be cost-effectively adjusted to the customer's specific requirements. It was equipped for use as a gas-tight (up to 100 mbar) variant in ATEX zone 20 (inside) and ATEX zone 22 (outside). Upon request, additional BFM collars were used which could be built into the machine's inputs and outputs thanks to an adapter system.

Next to the gas-tight ATEX version of the machine, which no other manufacturer was able to deliver in this form (100mbar), the easy handling as well as the low acquisition and operating costs were particularly effective in convincing the chemical manufacturer to buy the vibration screening machine. The short delivery time of eight weeks and early beginning of operation was an argument in favor of the new Engelsmann machine.

Modular design allows for individual adjustments and optimization

The JEL EasyVib machine's potential to be adjusted to the individual customer requirements also played a decisive role in the use of the vibration screening machine for a southern German producer of plastic granulate, which is processed into artificial turf. The customer found out about the machine innovation through the Engelsmann newsletter, and was won over by the field of application of the new vibration screening machine following a visit in person to the bulk goods exhibition in Dortmund at the end of May. In order to improve the quality of the string shaped granulates, the granulate manufacturer was searching for a space-saving and above all economical machine solution that he could use to sieve out adhering agglomerates. For this purpose, the JEL EasyVib screening machine being used ensures a particularly product friendly screening process with minimum abrasion of the granulate particles. This guarantees high quality products. In addition to this, the machine is provided with a quick-release latch lid that makes it dust-proof. This is very important in the screening of dusty granulates. Apart from the compact construction design with a length of only 1.58 m and a width of 66 cm, the plastic producer was not just impressed by the short five-week delivery time, but also the fast disassembly and easy screen change which shortens downtimes and increases productivity. Thanks to the easy-to-open lid release, it is possible to change the stainless steel wire mesh quickly by loosening it and simply lifting it out.

Seven different granulate products on one machine

The essential buying criterion was the optimization of the machine through adjustability to the individual requirements of the granulate manufacturer. Because various granulate specifications are to be sieved on the screening machine, the feed speed and trajectory of the screening product can be adjusted accordingly by changing the excitation of the screening fabric. Here, the direction of the swinging can be changed through the arrangement of the vibration motors. The adjustment range stretches from 35° to 65° in intervals of 15°. The JEL EasyVib screening machine's vibrators that are arranged along the screening direction are interlinked and vibration-rigid, synchronize themselves and ensure smooth and low-noise operations. The angle of the screening deck is also adjustable (2° to 5°) and can be adjusted to the respective product specifications. A guide plate used especially for granulate screening ensures that string-shaped granulate lies on a horizontal level before falling onto the screening surface. This has a direct influence on the screening quality, as it prevents the granulate products that land vertically on the sieve from falling through the screen mesh, which in return could lead to agglomerates not being sieved out.

Low maintenance and spare part costs

In the construction of the JEL EasyVib model range, use of welding work and wearing parts was avoided as much as possible. For example, this means that the machine has plug-in joints that have been designed to comply with FDA and which can be replaced quickly. The JEL EasyVib is currently available in two different sizes with 0.5 m² and 0.75 m² screening surfaces in a single and double decker design. The JEL EasyVib can also be delivered without the lid and in stainless steel design and can be fixed to the floor using a suitable support construction. Apart from the guide plate for granulate screening, an adapter system for separate outlets of between DN 150 and DN 250 is also available as a retrofittable accessory.

Overview of properties JEL EasyVib vibration screening machine

Short delivery time- Low maintenance due to a low number of wearing parts
Modular design principle allows quick cleaning and easy handling
Can be quickly and flexibly adjusted to various products
Adapter system for individual outlets from DN 150 to DN 250
Deliverable in an ATEX design upon request
Guide plate for granulate screening deliverable as an accessory