Service Questions with Mark: Preventative Maintenance for Screen Cloth 

As everyone in the industry knows, preventative maintenance is the cornerstone of keeping heavy equipment running smoothly and avoiding costly downtime. For service technicians working with rock crushers, one critical yet often overlooked component is the screen cloth. As the first line of defense against wear and tear, the screen cloth plays a vital role in ensuring optimal performance and material output. In this “Service Questions”, we’ll tap into the expertise of seasoned Eagle Crusher Service Technician, Mark, and uncover practical tips and insightful strategies to extend the life of screen cloths to help keep your rock crusher operating at peak efficiency.  

Purchasing the Right Fit 

Screen cloth can be purchased in various sizes, styles, and wire diameters. When purchasing your replacement screen cloth, you’ll want to keep in mind the various screen clamp hardware that manufacturers use. For example, Eagle Crusher uses two different styles of screen clamp hardware: pins and wedges or bolts and washers 

Installing the Screen Cloth Properly 

When installing screen cloth, you should always install the piece at the top, of the deck that you are installing it on. This will prevent you from having an unnecessary gap in the top of the screen. This area especially needs to be kept tight to prevent contaminated product size. 

During the installation of your screen cloth, it is important to have two employees tightening the clamps simultaneously from both sides. This will help to stretch your screen cloth evenly across the screen deck crown bars, thus prolonging its life.  

After replacing your screen cloth, it is important to run your screen for a recommended four hours and then tension the clamps again. The screens will loosen up as they begin to take form to your screen’s crown bars.  

Screen cloth will be worn based on its daily usage, so keeping the proper tension on your screens will help prolong their life. 

Screen Deck Crown Bar Protections 

If you find yourself making only one product, or only using one deck of screen cloth, it is imperative that you put on a protector deck to protect the unused screen deck crown bars, or the skeleton bars that your screen cloth lays on. An example of a screen cloth on the reliever deck could be four inches. If you choose not to protect the crown bars, you would more than likely need to purchase a new screen.  

Other Items to Check on Your Screen 

Running a vibration analysis test on your screen also helps to ensure that the screen is vibrating properly. The quicker you notice any improper vibrations; the sooner you can correct the issues and have less downtime in the future. 

Changing the oil on your screen should be after every 300 hours, which is the same time you should change your feeder oil and engine oil. Since the various sizes of screens take different amounts of oil, feel free to contact Eagle Crusher Service Team for your screen’s particular needs. 

Putting in the Work Now to Save Time Later 

Effective preventative maintenance of rock crusher screen cloths is not just about minimizing wear—it’s about maximizing performance, reducing downtime, and cutting costs in the long run. By staying proactive and applying the insights shared by experienced service technicians, you can ensure your equipment runs smoothly and consistently meets production demands. Remember, a small investment of time and effort today can save significant resources tomorrow. Keep your screen cloth in check, and you’ll keep your operation on the path to long-term success. 

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Eagle Crusher’s Service Team. Make sure to check out our previous “Service Questions” and come back next month when Service Technician James starts the new year with a general overview of rock crusher maintenance.