Quality Assessment of the Filtering Screens Used in Sugar Processing Centrifugals

The condition of the filtering screens used for separating sugar crystals and molasses in continuous centrifugals has a major influence on sugar losses, separating efficiency and throughput. Several methods, which characterize screen quality in terms of the slot width, uniformity, per cent open area and the resistance to fluid flow have been assessed by Sugar Research Institute. These are a photographic method, an automated microscopic technique, video image analysis and screen flow resistance measurement. Various applications of the methods are discussed.