Do you have an old style inclined screw concrete reclaimer that won’t do the job you need or does not meet expectations by failing to “produce the goods”?
Are you considering the purchase of a new reclaimer?
Are you a bit uncertain about what type to install?
Here we look at two very different Reclaimer types and the principles behind their respective designs and ask a rhetorical question at the end of the article.
Inclined screw reclaimer operating similar to a de-watering screw
ZSF30 Rotating drum reclaimer operating on the Trommel Screen principle.
Type 1 - Inclined screw reclaimer operating similar to a de-watering screw
Advantages:
1. A basic single inclined trough with a large diameter screw that separates the waste slurry from the aggregates and sand mixture.
2. It has a relatively simple installation procedure.
3. There is a minimal uncomplicated control system.
Disadvantages:
1. Old technology now superseded by better maintenance friendly designs.
2. Unable to separate the sand from the aggregates as the single screw can only discharge sand + aggregates mixture.
3. The sand/aggregates mix can only be used for bagging into small bags of “premix” for general use.
4. Single discharge point for the waste slurry mix often to a single waste pit
5. Unless discharged through multiple settlement pits, the discharged slurry cannot be processed through a Filter Press.
6. Screw bottom bearing at the low point, submerged and susceptible to fines ingress and hence higher maintenance.
Type 2 – Rotating drum screen, similar to a trommel screen
Disadvantages:
Non!
Advantages:
1. Integrated pre-wash trough for the waste concrete uses high volume water to dilute the slurry mix, pre-clean the sand and aggregates and wash the mix into the rotating screen.
2. Modern patented design incorporating a perforated drum screen with internal and external helical screw flights, separates the sand and aggregates and allows for re-use of both products in the batch plant.
3. Drum screen allows the granular sand to drop into a collector trough and be conveyed by the external helical flighting to the sand discharge point.
4. Drum screen internal helical screw flights convey the aggregates to the opposite end to the aggregates discharge point.
5. Continuous washing of the waste product ensures maximum cleanliness of the sand and the aggregates.
6. Integrates settlement pit allows the fine sand particles to be settled and combined with a suspension slurry pit, renders the residual cement ladened slurry suitable for successful processing through a Filter Press with pH correction dosing to allow the recycled water to be re-used in concrete batch production.
7. Fully computer operated with all operations controlled through the PLC.
8. Financial benefits of recovered materials ensure a good ROI for the plant.
The question now is – For maximum operational benefits, materials recovery and re-use combined with financial rewards, why would you select anything other than our patented technology ZSF30 Concrete Reclaimer and associated Filter Press?