Why and How To Replace Shaker Screens

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

How to maintain shaker screens

Shaker screens are the exact media contacting drilling cuttings. Drilling fluid with cuttings or harmful solids flow through the 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 break. Hard and heavy materials abrade wire mesh much, then there are many broken holes or pieces on the panel.

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

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

Why do we replace screens in time?

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

To avoid further mud loss or cost increases, replacing shaker screens in time is rather necessary. Sometimes, if we change broken screens in time we could repair them and reuse them. This will also help to save costs on screen panels. Replacing a shaker screen is a lot cheaper than replacing a mud system or rebuilding mud pumps and directional tools. Enough to mention increased costs on the completion side of the well. It is also important to ensure that the shaker deck, rubbers shaker bypass, and other components are in good working order at all times. If you open the bypass while drilling all the shales go underneath the shakers and into the mud tanks providing zero efficiencies.

How to replace the shaker screen?

Stop the shale shaker first. 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 in the direction conversed to the lower position. When blocks are loose remove them and pick up the screen panel. Replace the 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 to install the panels. The 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 first.

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 Dachuan for more information or details.