NCC Industry impressed by the lifetime and accuracy of new Sandvik WX6500 screening media

NCC Industry in Södra Sandby, Sweden has experienced dramatic results with new Sandvik WX6500 screening media. After nearly a year, the company’s first test panels are still in place and performing reliable fine screening.

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NCC Industry’s Stone Materials division has long chosen rubber screening media over wire mesh. The choice is crucial in Södra Sandby, where abrasive quartzite produces excessive wear on metal components. Yet despite its preference, the company has struggled to find a long-term rubber solution for fine screening.

A turning point came when Elna Hovén, Product Manager Screening Media at Sandvik, approached NCC Industry about a full-scale test of Sandvik WX6500. Specifically designed for fine screening in the 2–32 mm range, the new rubber media was presented as a light, thin, and yet highly durable alternative.

“When I first saw Sandvik WX6500, I really wondered about the thinness of it,” says NCC Industry Supervisor Magnus Klinte. “With the aggressive raw material we have, I thought it would wear out directly.”

Easy to install but suprisingly strong

NCC Industry agreed to try Sandvik WX6500 on a Mogårdshammar FH C 2172/3 screen, which would receive a feed size of up to 32 mm from a Svedala H6800 crusher. Five panels with 26 mm holes were delivered as rolls and installed on the upper deck in summer 2016.

“The outer dimensions of this screen are big, but it’s a very tight fit inside,” says Klinte. “The WX6500 was thin and very easy to roll out, which makes a difference when there’s little space between the decks.”

Klinte also notes that the panels could be installed with a much higher tension than other rubber media, producing a drumskin-like fit that benefits the screening result. “The material is thin, but you can get a lot rougher with it,” he explains. “Media in standard materials with the same thickness can’t be installed with the same amount of tension.”

Almost one year without media changes

The real revelation, however, came the first time the test installation was inspected. “There was so little wear,” says Klinte, “that you could still see the structural markings from the manufacturing process.”

Now, nearly one year later, around 285,000 metric tons have been fed to the Sandvik WX6500 panels. This far exceeds the 30,000 metric tons that would have been achievable with wire mesh. Nonetheless, the media is in excellent shape. “It’s still going strong,” Klinte remarks. “I’m surprised every time I look into the screen.”

Combined with the ease of installation, this durability means further ways to extend the media life. When the panels at the feed end of the deck eventually begin to wear, they can be removed and reinstalled at the far end, where they take less of a beating.

“If you remove a wire mesh panel, you won’t be able to reuse it. It’s sharp, nasty, and complicated to get off in one piece—and even if you could it would be a struggle to get it tight again,” Klinte explains. “WX6500 is light, flexible and absolutely perfect to reuse on the screen.”

Less blinding, pegging, and noise

Product lifetime, of course, is only valuable if the media achieves results. NCC Industry has found that Sandvik WX6500 provides highly accurate sizing, ensuring a finished product with the desired maximum dimension of 32 mm.

“The material is so thin that it really doesn’t plug, so we have no problems with the blinding and pegging that you get with thicker media,” Klinte says. “We do both weekly and monthly checks of the finished product for our CE declaration, and WX6500 does a perfect job.”

The problem-free sizing makes the media popular with operators, who also experience 50 percent less noise compared to wire mesh. “Our plant is indoors to contain the silica dust,” Klinte says, “so any improvement in noise levels makes a big difference.”

The way forward for fine screening

As a former service technician, Klinte likes the balance of performance and ease of use offered by Sandvik WX6500. “I’m happy about the lifetime, but I also like the fact that it’s so worker-friendly and easy to change,” he says. “For anyone running wire mesh, this is going to be a big change.”

These factors together mean long-term economy, which is why Klinte is convinced that NCC Industry will continue using Sandvik WX6500 after the test batch retires. “Downtime is expensive, and reprocessing if the media breaks down is very expensive,” he says. “With this media, I think Sandvik has found the right way forward.”