CONTURBEX

The worm/screen centrifuge

State-of-the-art centrifuge design

developed from decades
of experience
Introduction
Continuous filtration technology is where Sieb-
technik centrifuges offer the greatest benefits from
experience. In 1938, the first vertical continuous Sieb-
technik worm/screen centrifuges were developed for
industrial applications with a diameter of 1,000 mm.

Under the product name CONTURBEX, the first

horizontal worm/screen centrifuge was supplied
by Siebtechnik in 1948. The CONTURBEX quickly
became a global term for separation technology and
centrifuge construction principle. This machine design
has developed into a very versatile screening centrifuge
for a wide variety of separation requirements.

Today, several thousand Siebtechnik CONTURBEX

centrifuges are operating worldwide in the chemical,
bulk goods processing, food products and environmental
industries.

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 The solids/liquids separation principle CONTURBEX
The worm/screen centrifuge is composed of a drive
unit located in a bearing housing, the screen retaining
basket, the screen element, the transport worm and the
product housing enclosing the rotating parts.
The solids/liquid mixture flows into the machine via
a central feed pipe to the inside of the worm. The
interior of the worm has a feed cone that preaccelerates
the slurry and also distributes it uniformly onto the
screening element inside the rotating basket.

The screen basket and screen

element are normally of conical
design to meet the
process requirements.

Inside the basket

and screen is a
concentrically
located worm where the
flight tips are set at a clearance of
0.5 - 4 mm from the screen surface.

These components make up the

rotating wetted parts which are of
single bearing design cantilevered
from the drive housing. The worm
rotates at a slightly different speed
than the screen basket which
results in uniform product
acceleration and distribution.
This makes the machine very
insensitive to fluctuations in the feed concentration and
other operating conditions.
The solids/liquid mixture enters the rotating The transport power required for this is relatively low
components in the area of the smallest diameter and based on the machine design and experience.
the majority of liquid is separated through the screen.
In this area the circumferential speed is lowest resulting Another advantage of the worm/screen centrifuge is the
in smaller power demand compared to cylindrical way the solids are handled on the screening element.
design machines for the same purpose. The Conturbex operates via thin cake filtration, i.e. no
Most solids will slide toward the largest diameter dense, hard solids layer inside the basket. Due to the
under the influence of centrifugal force, where they conical basket design, the solids layer thickness reduces as
are discharged into the product housing over the it progresses toward the larger diameter which loosens
open basket end. If the solids try to stick to the the “cake” allowing further dewatering. It also allows
screening surface, the worm pushes them forward and the removal of fine impurities via a displacement wash
if the solids try to slide out too quickly, the worm holds through the thinning solids layer near the discharge end
them inside the basket. of the basket.
The transport worm acts as a control mechanism by
regulating the solids` sliding speed and retention time. However, important choices for successful
If the coefficient of friction of the wet solids is low, the operation and performance are the correct selection of
flights hold the solids back, and near the discharge end the screening element and the operating parameters
of the screen basket if the dewatered solids friction for the machine. This is based on existing experience or
force is high against the screen, the worm will advance through pilot scale tests.
the solids to discharge.

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The construction principle CONTURBEX

While there is a general tendency towards Here the screen basket and the worm are
standardization, Siebtechnik focuses on detailed, cantilevered into the product collection
application-related design. Our application specialists housing. This single bearing overhung
and engineers design and build the unit based on the design allows for distinct separation of
process/product and customer requirements. the drive and the process sides of the
The construction principle of the worm/screen machine.
centrifuge is based on a proven basic design, where
the geometry of the rotating parts and the operating At the same time, the bearing housing has the
parameters are adjusted to the particular separation function of a machine basic frame and contains the
requirements. machine’s lubrication reservoir and supply. The product
housing is also cantilevered from a large front flange.
In the traditional construction principle, the complete The bearing housing is the main carrying element of the
rotating assembly is incorporated into a heavy duty entire machine.
bearing housing.

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Vibration isolation of the bearing housing from the duct housing, consisting of the screen basket, screen
foundation or the structural steel support is done insert and transport worm.
with rubber buffers. These eliminate 95% of any/all
dynamic loads which would be transmitted to the sup- The rotor is V-belt driven by the main motor located on
port structure. the side of the common base frame. The robust gear
The rotating components consist of the drive section ensures predetermined differential speed between the
installed in the bearing housing including the gear unit drum and worm and results in uniform transport of
and the process rotating parts projecting into the pro- solids.

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The "CX Series" construction principle CONTURBEX
With nearly 60 years experience building these worm/screen
centrifuges for a wide variety of processes and applications,
a new generation CONTURBEX has been developed. Using
contemporary design construction and manufacturing
methods, the new designation “CX Series” offers economic
benefits to operation and
maintenance, in addition
to larger machine sizes
and greater throughput
capacity.

This modern machine design has been produced under

the aspect of process efficiency and technical reliability
with maximum throughputs with a view to minimise
component expenditure.
In the conceptual design of the CX range, less than
20 main components have been used, broken down
into 4 groups:

n base frame
n rotor unit
n product housing
n oil supply

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 The "CX Series" basic design
The rotor’s simplified bearing is self-centering within The ability to quickly exchange pre-assembled rotor
the tubular bearing housing and independent of the assemblies or individual wear parts, reduces downtime
product housing. This yields a guaranteed centering and loss of production.
axis and resulting optimal running behavior.
Despite a reduction in components, the mass of the
This simplified bearing design allows maximum machine and properly positioned center of gravity
assembly access, which bring about lower cost ensure quiet and low-vibration operation of this design.
spare components.
The gear and all bearings are connected to a
single external oil supply system and are continuously
lubricated via a circulating flow.
This guarantees optimum lubrication even for low
temperature applications and extends the lifetime to a
maximum level with minimal maintenance or expense.

The robust gear designs utilize short and strong drive

shafts which produce high output torque. The drives
are reliably and effectively protected against overload
by a patented disengaging coupling.

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Standard - CONTURBEX available executions

H H H H H H H H H H H
Type
200 250 320 350 400 450 520 600 700 900 1000

Drive motor approx. kW 3.0 5.5 7.,5 11 15 22 30 37 55 75 90

Length mm 700 910 940 1150 1150 1150 1480 1560 2150 2400 2600

Width mm 880 1050 1165 1500 1500 1500 1920 2000 2100 2600 2700

Height mm 570 800 950 970 1150 1150 1470 1470 1650 2600 2600

Weight kg 230 560 700 900 1000 1100 1800 2000 4000 7000 8000

We reserve the right to make changes which serve technical progress.

CX - CONTURBEX available executions

Execution size II III IV

Type CX CX CX
Drum
mm 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1500
Diameter
approx.
Drive motor 45 55 75 90 90 110 110 137 250
kW
Length mm approx. 2000 approx. 3000 approx. 4200

Width mm approx. 2000 approx. 2400 approx. 2760

Height mm approx. 1700 approx. 2300 approx. 2600

Weight kg approx. 4000 approx. 8000 approx. 13000

We reserve the right to make changes which serve technical progress.

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The "CX Series"

CONTURBEX CX 1500

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CONTURBEX - successfully used for
Adipic Acid Dimethylterephthalate Pentaerythrite Sodium Bisulphite
AH-Salt = DMT from Methanol Plastic Granules Sodium Carbonate
Amino Acetic Acid Dipterex Plexiglas Beads Sodium Chlorate
Ammonium Persulphate Disodium Phosphate Polyethylene Sodium Chloride
Ammonium Phosphate Finely chopped onions Polymethacrylate Sodium Formiate
Ammonium Sulphate Fungal Mycel Polystyrene Sodium Gluconate
Ammonium Thiosulphate Glacial Acetic Acid Polyvinylalcohol Sodium Metaborate
Anthracene Glauber Salt Potash Sodium Nitrate
Aspirin Greaves Potash Alum Sodium Nitre
Bisphenol Gypsum Potash Solvent Residue Sodium Perborate
Borax Hops frome Potassium Bicarbonate Sodium Phosphate
Calcium Formiate Methylene Chloride Potassium Bichromate Sodium Sulphate
Carboxy-Methylcellulose Ion Exchange Resin Potassium chloride Sodium Sulphite
Celluloid Wool Ironsulphate Heptahydrate Potassium Monochromate Sodium Tetraborate
Cellulose Wool Lactose Potassium Pensulphate Sodium Thiosulphate
Chocolates (broken) Manganese Sulphate Potassium Phosphate Tartaric Acid
Citric Acid Methylcellulose Potassium Sulphate Tin Sulphate
Coal Slurry Monosodiumphosphate PVA Trisodium Phosphate
Coffee Freeze Concentrate Naphtionate PVC Vegetables
Coffee Grounds Nuts (broken) Pyrazolene Vegetable Extracts
Copper Sulphate Nylon Chips Rock Salt Zinc Sulphate
Cotton Linters Oxalic Acid Rubber Regenerate
Crystal Soda Patent Soda Silver Nitrate
Date Stones Pearl Polymerisate Sodium Acetate and many others

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 General CONTURBEX design variations
Building a machine for a specific product or application is based on many variables, in addition to gas-tight or
explosion-proof designs.

Screen basket geometry Material executions

based on product: All process contact parts can be manufactured in
n 0° cylindrical execution corrosion-resistant, austenitic steels, Hastelloy, nickel,
n 10° drum inclination titanium, etc. depending on the particular application.
n 15° drum inclination Machines for the coal and sand industry are typically
n 20° drum inclination carbon steel construction. In all applications, proper
wear protection is available for abrasive feed material.
Different screen executions:
n Slotted screen inserts CIP – cleaning
n CONIDUR® - screen plate inserts Our CONTURBEX centrifuges are equipped with standard
n Laser-cut screen plate inserts spray nozzles, so the machines are self-cleaning without
additional expense.
There are three possible variations For special requirements, the centrifuge can
for drive execution: be provided with a CIP cleaning system. Included are
n Cyclo gear unit special washing tubes, nozzles and if necessary, a slow
n Siebtechnik planetary gearing speed drive to allow flooding of the product contact
n Hydraulic drive (variable worm speed) parts.
With all rigid gear executions, machines can be supplied
with dual drive motors to control differential speeds via ATEX execution for application
variable frequency drives. in EX protective zones
Pursuant to EU directives 94/9/EG (ATEX 100a), all
Centrifuge housing seals in accordance with Siebtechnik centrifuges can be provided with an ATEX
the production process and are standardized package corresponding to the hazard zones.
in the following executions:
n Open labyrinth sealing
n chamber packing for vapor-tight execution
n PTFE chamber packing for gas-tight execution
n Pressure-tight execution with slip ring seals

Additional special accessories or designs:

n Filtrate discharge via cyclone
with or without vent
recirculation
n Solids discharge via
collecting ring
n Product feed via screw
conveyor
n Product washing unit
n Separate wash liquid discharge
n Food-grade design

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 Delivery Program

Screening Machines &

Process Equipment
Circular- and elliptical-motion screening machines
Linear-motion screening machines
Banana and excenter screening machines
Multi-deck screening machines
Tumbler screening machines
Jigs and channel conveyors

Sampling, Crusher &

Laboratory Equipment
Individual units and complete installations
for sample taking and preparation
Pneumatic tube systems
Comminution equipment
Control screening machines
Laboratory equipment
Automation solutions

Centrifuges
Screen worm centrifuges
Pusher centrifuges
Sliding centrifuges
Vibrating centrifuges
Decanter centrifuges
Screen decanter centrifuges
Laboratory centrifuges

SIEBTECHNIK GmbH Phone +49 (0)208 / 58 01 - 00

Platanenallee 46 Fax +49 (0)208 / 58 01 - 300
45478 Mülheim an der Ruhr e-mail: [email protected]
WB261e/12.2017 Germany website: www.siebtechnik.com