Grinder Screen Information & Troubleshooting

Selecting the right grinder screen is essential to achieving your desired material size and production efficiency. The screen controls the final size of the ground material, so choosing the right one depends on multiple factors, including the type of material, desired end-product size, and machine capabilities.

Here’s a Grinder Screen Selection Guide to help you make the right choice:

✅ 1. Understand Your Material Type

Different materials behave differently when ground. Consider:

  • Green Waste / Yard Waste: Softer, moist; can plug screens if not managed.
  • Wood Waste (Pallets, Lumber): Harder, more uniform; generally grinds cleaner.
  • Bark or Mulch: Variable consistency; often requires finer screens.
  • Compost / Food Waste: Moisture-rich, sticky; needs screens with larger holes to prevent plugging.

✅ 2. Choose Hole Shape

Round holes = no corners and least prone to cracking.
Sqaure/Rectangle holes = prone to conrer cracks or breaks, holes corners must be radiused to minimize risk.

✅ 3. Select Hole Size (Screen Size)

Smaller holes = finer product but slower processing.

✅ 4. Consider Screen Thickness

  • Thicker screens last longer but reduce open area (lower throughput). Most common screen thickness is 1"
  • Thinner screens wear faster but allow more material to pass.

✅ 5. Consider steel type

  • Many manufacturers only supply AR400 or AR450 steel screens, which is very long wearing, but also prone to cracking and breaking out, especially on contaminant hits.
  • Steel such as A572 is a good lower priced option that is long wearing but has some give on contaminant hits.

✅ 6. Machine and Engine Size Compatibility

Make sure your grinder's horsepower and torque are adequate for the screen size. Finer screens require more power and can slow production if your machine is underpowered.

✅ 7. Purpose of Screen Baffles

  1. Control Material Flow:
    • Baffles slow down or redirect material movement across the screen area.
    • This increases dwell time, ensuring better contact with the cutter tips for a more consistent grind.
  2. Improve Particle Uniformity:
    • By increasing how long material stays in the grinding chamber, baffles help ensure that only properly sized particles exit through the screen.
  3. Reduce Screen Wear:
    • Baffles can spread out wear by changing how material contacts the screen (vs. repeated impact in one spot).
    • This extends screen life and prevents blowout or cracking in one area.
  4. Prevent Over-Processing (or Under-Processing):
    • They help balance the grind, avoiding situations where fine material exits too soon or large pieces are repeatedly hammered.
  5. Prevent Plugging:
    • Strategically placed baffles can deflect wet or stringy material, like green waste or plastic, to minimize screen clogging.

SCREEN MEASUREMENT GUIDE: