Why and how to replace shaker screens

Shaker screens is important wearing part. Replace shaker screens in time is vital, too. Screeb costs much during whole drilling project. Shale shaker runs from the very beginning to the end of drilling.

How to maintain shaker screens

Shaker screens is the exact media contacting drilling cuttings. Drilling fluid with cuttings or harmful solids flow through screen panel, and then under vibration filtering particles out. We know screen cloth, especially the surface layer is thin or extra thin, it’s easy to broken. Hard and heavy materials abrade wire mesh much, then there are many broken holes or pieces on panel.

To maintain shaker screen well is premise of good shaker performance. Exact filtration accuracy helps much controlling solids size and content. So during well drilling, we need to pay attention on right mesh size selection. And check the screen surface regularly. Besides screen itself, we need to check shaker condition, too. Such as tensioning system condition, sealing strip, and so on. Quality assistant parts of screen benefit screen maintenance.

Replace shaker screens

After every shut off, please remove screen panels and clean them by water. This will eliminate abrasion on screen cloth if use it next time. When we get clean screens, store them at a dry safe place. Kindly recommend 12 month as shelf life. The hook strap screen and composite frame screen, as well as screen with rubber strip will be affected by time and ambient condition. So shorter storage time ensures better performance

Why do we replace screen in time?

When shaker screen is broken, there is hole or area without separation layer or even no screen cloth on frame. So either the useful drilling fluids or the drilling fluids mixed with harmful cuttings will pass trough the hole. Then screen function of filtration is then no use. And the subsequent equipment will bear more loading, also the equipment after shake will easy to break or wear.

To avoid further mud lose or cost increasing, replace shaker screens in time is rather necessary. Some times, if we change broken screens in time we could repair them and reuse. This will also help to save cost on screen panels.

Screen panel replacement

How to replace the shaker screen?

Stop the shale shaker firstly. If possible, lead drilling mud to the other shaker(s) for processing or cleaning. If the screens are installed by wedge blocks please knock the blocks out at direction conversed to the lower position. When blocks are loose remove them and pick up the screen panel. Replace used panel with a new panel.

If the screens are installed by the tensioning bar and bolts, please loosen the bolts and remove bars or remove panels directly. We know there are different ways install the panels. Traditional one is with tensioning bar, later version is with the air compression or the pressing pin. No matter which way, the tensioning tool should be loosened firstly.

Shaker screen change should be based on actual demand. According to the drilling depth, fluid flow rate, mud property, and so on.

Please feel free to contact AIPU for more information or details.