CMB International provide a solution for CEMEX UK
New dual-drive screen design resolves screen replacement issues at Angerstein Wharf
CMB International have successfully installed the first ‘dual-drive’ screen at Angerstein Wharf in London. Owned and operated by CEMEX UK, the Thames-side site is one of the largest marine aggregates operations in the capital, supplying more than a million tonnes per annum.
An ongoing issue with the twin processing lines at Angerstein has been the replacement of the existing Cedarapids screens when they failed – a task carried out by CMB who have supplied replacement re-engineered Cedarapids screens as and when required.
With the twin production lines, each of the four screens at Angerstein is either ‘left- or right-handed’. To further exacerbate the issue, a spare screen is also shared with a sister operation downstream at Northfleet – a situation that works well until the wrong ‘hand’ fails, resulting further downtime until the screen is repaired and reinstated in situ. As this is unpredictable, CMB have on occasions swapped the drive to the opposite side of the screen to accommodate the required screen position, resulting in additional downtime and maintenance costs.
Martin Brough of CMB and Angerstein Wharf unit manager Dave Whitby eventually agreed that a new screen design that would fit either ‘hand’ would be the ideal solution, and one that would be suitable for the Northfleet operation too. CMB subsequently designed and manufactured a top-drive screen to replace one of the existing Cedarapid screens.
Mr Whitby commented: ‘The new screen has been faultless to date and has also improved maintenance, as the bottom screen can be accessed easily with the drives being on the top.’
Liam Holland, general manager of CMB, added: ‘With the new CMB screen design, the two on-board motors mean our screen can sit anywhere within the production line and can replace any of the screens with no extra work required.
‘There are other benefits too because the new screen contains a twin-shaft 280 unit that is positioned above the screen side plates, which ensures there are no large holes in the side plates to accommodate the shafts (Cedarapids screens have three holes in each side plate). This gives the side plates added strength to cope with higher g-force, which is often required for horizontal screening to avoid pegging.’
