Shale shakers are the first stage of solids control, and their screens take a beating: abrasive cuttings, high flow rates and constant vibration. Screens are expensive to replace, and a torn screen lets coarse solids through to every downstream stage. These practices help screens last longer and work better while they do.
Set the Deck Angle for the Flow
The fluid should cover most of the screen, with a dry beach of cuttings at the discharge end. If the fluid runs off the end, raise the deck angle; if the screen is mostly dry, lower it. Running with too steep an angle pools fluid and solids at the feed end, which overloads that part of the screen and wears it out first.
Spread the Feed Evenly
Uneven feed concentrates wear on one part of the screen. Check that the possum belly or feed weir distributes flow across the full width of the deck, and that flow is shared evenly between shakers when several run in parallel.
Choose the Right Mesh for the Section
Finer screens remove more solids but handle less flow and blind more easily. Running a screen finer than the shaker can handle leads to fluid loss over the end and to operators running at angles that shorten screen life. Use screen designations measured to a recognised test method, so you can compare screens from different suppliers on equal terms.
Wash, Do Not Blast
When screens blind with sticky clay or fine sand, wash them with a low-pressure spray from below or a soft brush. High-pressure jets and scraping tools damage the mesh layers and shorten life dramatically.
Handle and Store Screens With Care
- Keep new screens in their packaging until they are fitted.
- Store them flat, dry and away from direct sunlight, which can degrade bonding materials.
- Never stand on screens or use them as a work surface.
- Check the deck rubbers and seals each time a screen is changed, since poor seating causes vibration damage and bypass.
Read the Failure
How a screen fails tells you what to fix:
- Tears near the feed end usually point to impact from large cuttings or too steep a deck angle.
- Tears along the edges suggest poor seating or worn deck rubbers.
- Uniform wear across the screen with holes in the mesh points to normal abrasive wear: the screen has reached the end of its life.
- Blinding without tears points to mesh choice or formation: consider a coarser screen or better washing.
Plan Your Screen Stock
Once you know your consumption per section, you can stock the right mesh sizes on site before each hole section begins. Send us your shaker models and drilling plan and we will propose a screen stock that matches your program.