Why Choose a Polyurethane Screen?

What Is a Polyurethane Screen?

A Polyurethane Screen is a wear-resistant screening medium made from cast or injection-molded PU elastomers. It fits vibrating screens, trommels, and dewatering units to separate materials by size while resisting abrasion, impact, and corrosion.

Where Is a Polyurethane Screen Used?

• Aggregates and sand plants

• Iron ore, copper, coal, and gold processing

• Quarry scalping and final sizing

• Dewatering, desliming, and fines recovery

• Recycling (C&D, glass, plastics) and industrial minerals

How Does a Polyurethane Screen Compare to Wire or Rubber?

A Polyurethane Screen often outlasts wire cloth and provides cleaner cuts than rubber in many duties. It reduces noise, lowers pegging/blinding, and maintains aperture accuracy.

Key Advantages

• High wear life with excellent cut accuracy

• Lower noise and improved operator safety

• Reduced blinding due to PU elasticity and tapered holes

• Corrosion and chemical resistance in wet circuits

• Modular replacement to minimize downtime

Which Polyurethane Screen Type Do You Need?

Choose the panel format and aperture that match your material, moisture, and machine.

Panel Formats

• Modular Panels (e.g., 305×305 mm): Fast change-outs, common on deck systems with pin-and-sleeve or snap-lock fastening.

• Tensioned Screens: Hooked edges for retrofit into wire-cloth frames on side-tension machines.

• Trommel Panels: Curved sections for rotary drums with bolted or clip-on systems.

• Flip-Flow Mats: Highly elastic mats for sticky fines that require large amplitude.

What Aperture Shapes Work Best?

Aperture geometry governs stratification, throughput, and blinding behavior.

Aperture Options

• Square: Balanced accuracy and open area for general sizing.

• Slotted (Rectangular): Higher open area; choose slot direction to fight blinding.

• Tapered/Conical: Wider at the bottom to reduce pegging and keep holes free.

• Dewatering Slots: Narrow slots with high open area to accelerate drainage.

How to Size a Polyurethane Screen

Start with target cut size, moisture, and feed gradation, then match thickness and hardness to duty.

Sizing Guidelines

• Cut Size (D50): Typically select aperture 1.2–1.5× desired top size of the undersize for wet screening; closer to 1.0–1.2× for dry, well-graded feeds.

• Panel Thickness: Thicker panels extend life but reduce open area; use thinner faces in finishing decks.

• Shore Hardness: 85–95A for general wear; softer compounds for sticky fines; harder for coarse, high-impact scalping.

• Open Area: Balance capacity and life; higher open area boosts throughput but may wear faster.

How to Reduce Blinding and Pegging

Moist, clay-bound feeds often blind screens. A Polyurethane Screen can mitigate this with the right design.

Practical Fixes

• Choose tapered or slotted apertures with longitudinal slots for sticky feeds.

• Use flip-flow or high-frequency decks to increase acceleration.

• Add ball decks or ultrasonic assists where compatible.

• Adjust feed rate and distribution to ensure uniform bed depth.

Installation and Fastening

Correct fastening ensures flat seating and consistent cut.

Best Practices

• Verify deck support spacing and panel compatibility (pin sizes, clip types).

• Pre-tension tensioned PU screens to manufacturer values.

• Stagger panel joints across the deck to avoid wear lines.

• Check for proud fasteners that can damage the Polyurethane Screen.

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Routine checks extend service life and protect downstream equipment.

Inspection Checklist

• Look for rounded edges of apertures (indicates wear and shifting cut).

• Replace panels with cracks at bolt holes or pins.

• Monitor pressure spray nozzles for alignment on wet decks.

• Track tons per panel to predict change-out windows.

Cost and Service Life

While unit price may be higher than wire, a Polyurethane Screen often lowers total cost per ton through longer life, fewer change-outs, and stable cut. Consider inventory commonality—standard modular sizes simplify stocking and reduce downtime.

Factors That Influence Life

• Abrasiveness and top size of feed

• Deck inclination and vibration frequency

• Water addition and washing pressure

• Aperture shape, panel thickness, and hardness

Selection Checklist for a Polyurethane Screen

• Target cut size and allowable by-pass

• Feed moisture, clay content, and temperature

• Deck type (modular, tensioned, trommel, flip-flow)

• Aperture shape (square, slot, tapered) and open area

• Shore hardness and panel thickness for duty

• Fastening system compatibility and change-out speed

FAQs About Polyurethane Screen

Will a Polyurethane Screen increase capacity?

Often yes, due to tapered apertures and reduced blinding that keep effective open area high during operation.

Can a Polyurethane Screen handle high-impact scalping?

Use thicker panels, reinforced ribs, and higher hardness. Consider hybrid decks (rubber on impact zone, PU on sizing zone).

Is a Polyurethane Screen good for dewatering?

Yes. Narrow slots and high open area deliver rapid drainage and sharp separation on dewatering decks.

How do I know it’s time to replace panels?

When undersize carry-over rises, apertures show rounding or elongation, or panel fixings loosen repeatedly, schedule a change-out.

Bottom Line

Match panel format, aperture geometry, thickness, and hardness to your feed and deck. With the right specification, a Polyurethane Screen delivers clean cuts, high uptime, and lower cost per ton across wet and dry screening applications.