How confident are you in the hook hardware of your screen sections and their ability to properly bring your screen into proper tension? This is critical to your operational success, as the hooks you use play a significant role in the performance and longevity of your screens.
Making a selection can be daunting, given various factors such as ease of installation, durability, and tensioning requirements. So, I pose the underlying question, "What hooks "should I be outfitting my screen section with?"
Knowing this, W.S. Tyler has leveraged our 150 years of screening experience to develop and supply a variety of industry-leading hook solutions, all in an effort to improve the reliability of your screening process.
With that, we wrote the following article to help you select the best hooks for your screen sections. You will learn:
- The importance of selecting a suitable hook for your screen section
- The standard hooks available to you
- The hook accessories you can use to improve screening efficiency
- The specialized attachment that can accommodate specialized processes
Why Are Hook Sections Important to Industrial Wire Screen Sections?
Several parameters go into the fabrication of industrial wire screen sections. The hooks you attach to your screen sections play a critical role in securing and tensioning the screen once it is placed into a vibrating screen deck.
The hooks allow for adequate tensioning of your screen sections, which is directly related to combating screen sagging and shifting. This, in turn, works to ensure accurate and repeatable separation performance.
To that end, the hooks are responsible for disputing the load across the screen section. Using dependable hooks results in loads being distributed evenly, which helps reduce wear and tear.
Not to mention, well-designed and properly attached hooks make installing and removing screen sections a seamless process.
What Hooks Are Used on Industrial Wire Screen Sections?
Now that we've established that hook selection is critical to achieving optimal results, we can introduce the two main hook types used to fabricate industrial wire screen sections: Type A and Type C.
Standard Hook Strip - Type A
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The type A hook strips are standardized for wire diameters greater than 1 mm (.039 in). These hooks are essentially flat sheet metal formed into a U-channel, positioned onto the ends of the mesh, and then formed into the hook shape.
Small spot welds are applied near the edge of the hook hardware to ensure they remain attached to the mesh throughout the screen section's life span.
It is essential to note that the bottom edge of the hook hardware is slightly shorter than the top edge. This prevents the bottom edge from deforming the mesh after the screen section has been properly tensioned.
To learn everything you need to know about tensioning industrial wire screen sections, read the article below:
This hook variant presents the risk of cutting or breaking the wire on finer wire mesh specifications. That is why type A hooks are reserved for wire diameters greater than 1 mm.
In terms of opening profiles, hooks intended for side tensioning applications will have an opening angle of 45 degrees. Hooks intended for end tensioning applications will have an opening angle that leaves the top and bottom leg parallel.
Standard Hook Strip - Type C
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The type A hook strips are standardized for wire diameters smaller than 1 mm (.039 in). Referred to as a double-folded hook strip, they feature 180-degree folds at both the edges and the tips.
The folds on the edges create a rounded, smooth surface that won't cut and break the smaller wire diameters. The folds at the tip keep the mesh in place, as it could potentially pull away from the hook hardware once the screen section is tensioned.
Screen Section Hook Accessories
In specific applications, selecting screen section hook accessories is as important as the hooks. These accessories include PU Strips and Side seals.
PU Strips
Polyurethane stripes are adhered to the edges of your screen section at 22mm or 38mm widths. These strips protect the wire cloth edging and barriers.
Side Seals
If you use end tension machines, side seals can be used to ensure unintended material drops to the decks below before being screened. There are black rubber seals, white rubber seals, and silicone seals, all of which are either stapled or glued to the mesh.
Special Screen Section Hook Executions
As no screening process is the same, there are instances in which a customized screen section must be used to achieve the desired result. Regarding the hook of your screen sections, food-proven hook strips and multi-stretch hooks offer unique performance to handle unique screening requirements.
Food Proven Hook Strips
This hook attachment is made especially to accommodate the demanding food industry guidelines. Rather than the mesh going inside the hook like the Type A and C hooks, the mesh is welded onto a plate that is formed into the hook.
The seam of the mesh weld is then sealed using FDA-approved adhesives. As a result, food particles cannot make their way into the hook hardware, eliminating contamination of open hooks.
Multi-Stretch
Multi-stretch hooks are designed to deliver the best possible tensioning of critical screen sections. These hooks allow for multidirectional tensioning and ensure uniform tautness throughout the screen section.
These characteristics work in combatting sagging and promoting peak screening efficiency.
Make Peak Industrial Screening Results a Reality With Properly Installed Wire Mesh Screen Sections
Creating an optimal screening operation relies on your ability to pinpoint hook hardware that allows your screen sections to be properly tensioned. When brought into adequate tension, your screen will produce efficient results for much longer.
However, there are several other factors that can affect the performance of your screen sections, which is why it is critical that you know how to install them. In fact, how well you install your screen sections is directly tied to how well they separate and classify material.
For over 150 years, W.S. Tyler has been dedicated to empowering our customers by sharing the knowledge we have within our four walls. With this knowledge, informed decision-making will support your screening process, which ultimately leads to groundbreaking improvements.
Learn more about what it takes to properly install your ind wire screen sections in the article below: