"How do we clean our sieves?"
If you utilize test sieves on a daily basis, you may have asked yourself these questions.
We frequently receive these types of inquiries from our clients, and we want to help you better understand how to clean and operate your sieves.
Test sieves are technical equipment that separate particles. They are widely used in every industry around the world.
They can be used to process fine powders or abrasive materials in industries such as agriculture and mining. Regardless matter what you are filtering, it is critical to take proper maintenance of your sieves.
As the customer and user, you want to get maximum life out of your sieves. More importantly, if your sieve fails to fulfill your quality criteria (it becomes clogged or destroyed), you will not be able to meet them. This can cost your firm money and time, and no one wants that.
We wrote this post to help you better understand what you can do to extend the life of your sieve and keep it in its best condition. In the next parts, we will discuss cleaning, inspections, usage, storage.
Key Indicators Your Test Sieve Needs Cleaning
A visual check is the simplest way to assess whether your sieves need to be cleaned. Over time, you may observe that the mesh holes become blocked due to the buildup of large amounts of material. This is especially true when working with near-sized or water-soluble particles. Furthermore, while working with smaller mesh sieves, variations in sieve analysis results may occur, such as increased retention percentages for uncleaned sieves.
Consequences of Neglecting Regular Cleaning
The main concern with irregular cleaning processes is accuracy. As material collects in the mesh openings, they become narrower, resulting in biased findings.
Furthermore, extended material buildup has the potential to cause corrosion, although this is not probable.
Proper Cleaning Techniques
Cleaning larger opening sieves involves the following steps:
- Turn the sieve over and place it over a pan to collect any dislodged particles.
- Use a test sieve cleaning brush to gently brush the mesh's bottom in a circular motion.
- After brushing, lightly rub the side of the sieve frame to remove particles from the inside.
- Clean the sieve with a warm, mild detergent solution.
- The sieves can be dried either by air or with a controlled quantity of heat in an autoclave.
- To remove hard-to-reach particles from finer mesh sieves, use an ultrasonic cleaning with a mild detergent.
Best Way to Clean and Maintain Sieves
1. Regular Visual Inspections
The first advice is to make sure you inspect your sieves on a regular basis. Checking your sieves for wear and tear is a simple technique to ensure accurate analysis results. We recommend that you do a visual check on a timetable that you establish based on your requirements. Here's what to check for during a visual inspection:
Dents in the Mesh
This should be one of the easiest things to notice while inspecting the sieve. Holding the sieve up to excellent light should reveal that the mesh is still tightly stretched across the entire surface.
The picture above shows a damaged and dented portion of the sieve.
If you notice any dented patches, do not continue to use this sieve in your operation. Dents in the mesh can cause the openings to flex and alter size. This will affect the accuracy of your testing.
Scratches in the mesh
Just like dents in the mesh, you should visually inspect your sieves for scratches. The scratches might cause tears or rips in the mesh, which can affect your sieve analysis.
Cracks in the Epoxy
The epoxy is a grey material used to secure the sieve mesh to the frame. It looks clear rubber cement or adhesive. Check the sieve's edges, where the mesh meets the metal, to ensure there are no cracks.
The two images above are of sieves that were sent back to us by a customer after they had used them for a period of time. You can see in both images there are very prominent cracks in the epoxy. If this happens to your sieves, it can allow more particles to go through the sieve than are supposed to. This will skew your testing results.
2. Sieving Correctly
One of the best ways to keep your sieves in their top condition is to be sure you are using them correctly. It is not uncommon for us to hear that customers are misusing sieves. There are a few ways you could be using your sieve incorrectly.
- Pushing Particles through the sieve, If you are hand sieving, you should not be putting an excessive amount of pressure on the mesh in the sieve to push particles through.
- Placing too much of your sample or too many particles on the sieve at once. Doing this could cause blinding. Blinding occurs when the holes in the sieve get clogged up. This stops the particles from free flowing through the mesh and will skew results.
3. Cleaning your sieves
Do's
- Gentle Brushing:After each use, gently brush your sieves to recover all sample material. Use a gentle circular motion to brush the underside of the wire cloth, applying light pressure to dislodge of particles.
- Tap Lightly:Employ the wooden handle of the brush to lightly tap the sieve frame, aiding in the removal of particles. Be careful not to deform the frame.
- Use Warm Soapy Water:Cleanse the sieve using a warm soapy water solution, brushing the underside carefully to dislodge particles. For finer mesh sieves, consider employing an ultrasonic cleaner, as it can be highly effective. If using an ultrasonic cleaner, immerse the sieves in a solution of water and detergent. The ultrasonic agitation will facilitate the removal of particles.
- Inspect Carefully:Regularly inspect finer mesh sieves against a backlight or white background to identify any damaged openings or separations along the perimeter. Magnified viewing can be helpful if necessary.
Don'ts:
- Avoid Force:Refrain from using tools or compressed air to forcefully dislodge particles from the openings. Excessive force can damage the sieve.
- No Solvents: Avoid the use of solvents, as they might harm the protective lacquer coating on some sieve frames.
- Steer Clear of Acid Solutions:Stay away from acid solutions during the cleaning process, as they can alter wire diameter, enlarge openings, and weaken wire cloth weaving, ultimately affecting the accuracy of the sieve.
- Brushing Sieves Finer Than 45μm:For these sieves, option for ultrasonic cleaning rather than brushing.
- Worn or Damaged Sieves:If you observe worn, loose, or damaged wires, discontinue using the sieve. Regularly inspect your sieves to ensure the cloth is defect-free.
- No Attempted Repairs:Don't attempt to repair small holes or breaks. If you spot this kind of damage, it 's best to replace the sieve.
- No Dishwasher:Don’t attempt to us e the dishwasher to clean or an oven to dry your test sieves. This will ruin the test sieves.
- No Pressurized Air:Don’t clean your test sieves with pressurized air because this will damage the test sieves.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One of the most common errors when cleaning test sieves is using the wrong equipment to dislodge particle. Frequently, things larger than the mesh openings are used, resulting in broken or stretched mesh. Furthermore, excessive brushing force might harm the mesh and frame, particularly with finer mesh counts.
Maintaining your test sieves, including frequent cleaning and storing, is critical to preventing material buildup and ensuring reliable lab results. Preserving the integrity of these precision instruments will surely improve the dependability and consistency of your research and testing methods.