Why is a used Virto-Cuccolini sieve a good choice?

As we could observe over time, Virto-Cuccolini vibrating screens have always been synonymous with quality as used screens too.

Among the reasons that customers give for choosing one of our used sieves compared to those of other brands, we have for example the fact that, obviously if well maintained, a Virto-Cuccolini screen can last even twenty or thirty years. We can also confirm this through the requests for spare parts that reach our Aftermarket Division!

If you are planning to buy a used Virto-Cuccolini industrial sieve, here are some simple recommendations:

– Check that the identification plate with the serial number is present; it will be useful to require us information where necessary

– Check the year of production: if it is prior to 2000, it is necessary to check with our Aftermarket Division that the spare parts are still available

– Preferably, buy our vibrating screens from companies specialized in the resale of industrial used items, because they carry out the necessary checks before their purchase and can advise you on the possible use of the sieve; Virto-Cuccolini’s Aftermarket Division staff can also support you in this verification based on your new application

– Before starting to use your used Virto-Cuccolini screen, our Aftermarket Division is available to give you the necessary assistance to find out how it should be used, to receive user and maintenance manuals and other advice for the right adjustment

To contact our Aftermarket Division, write to: aftermarket@virtogroup.com indicating the serial number of the screen in question (and possibly attach a photo).

Are you planning to include a Virto-Cuccolini sieve within your plant?

Let’s go through some important tips concerning installation and use within a plant so that you can get out the best from Virto-Cuccolini sieving equipment and avoid later issues.

A vibrating or tumbling sieve is a piece of equipment which – differently from any other comparable processing equipment – needs to move.

Of course, a sieve must be firmly installed on the ground or on a suitable structure, studied to exclude resonance phenomenon both when the sieve is running dry or with the product. In case such a phenomenon appears, please consider reinforcing the structure accordingly.

Apart from the bottom part of the sieve, which hosts fixation holes (in its basement or frame), the rest of the sieve structure is moving during the sieving process by vibration or tumbling.

Therefore, the sieve needs to be installed in a suitable area in which no other rigid structure is present around the sieve in a position that may interfere with the sieve’ movements.

Analogously, all inlets and outlets must have a flexible connection, in a minimum measure covering 1.5 times the diameter of the inlet or outlet (i.e. diameter 200 mm requires a flexible connection D200 with a minimum height of 300 mm). This means that feeding and discharging equipment shall remain at a reasonable distance from the sieve. Moreover, flanges are not suitable for connection; nothing shall hang from the outlets but the flexible connection alone.

The sieve is supported by springs; in case the springs are bending or inclined, this means that something is interfering with the sieve stability (maybe some other piping) and a check around the sieve is required.

Moreover, around the sieve, there must be enough room to allow periodical checks and maintenance. Consider for instance that the mesh supporting ring, whose dimensions are equal to the diameter of the sieve, may need to be disassembled from the machine to allow mesh replacement. With medium and big diameters and depending on the height at which the sieve is installed if not directly at the ground floor, lifting equipment may be needed to carry out this replacement.

Another important concept to remember is that a sieve can never be used as a buffer. Meshes and their supporting ring are not engineered to support weight, but just a time-limited passage of product through the mesh. Product weighing on the mesh may cause the mesh to relax or even mesh breakage, apart from being a major disruption within the range of allowed vibrations, potentially damaging so the structure of the sieve.

Should you have any questions concerning sieves installation, do not hesitate to contact Virto-Cuccolini and receive guidance!

With more than 20.000 sieves installed worldwide, Virto-Cuccolini has recently decided to reorganise their spare parts and assistance sales by creating a specific Division dedicated to After-Market support.

Based on the feedback received during decades, a sieve is more frequently than not a “forgotten” unit after installation, especially when the process is continuous.

“Unless the user is focussed on the sieve’s process for some practical reason – like the need to replace the mesh size due to handling different products or product’s cut points within a process, or a frequent cleaning of the unit for hygienic purpose in food or pharma industries – unfortunately, most of the maintenance operators are forgetting to check sieve’s conditions periodically”, says Katia Motta, Virto-Cuccolini’s CEO and Head of the newborn After-Market Division. “This may be experienced as a good sign – the sieve is not requiring much attention, needs only a few spares and is statistically less subject to failure. Therefore it may be seen as a “maintenance manager’s best friend”; on the other hand, there is a downfall when the right maintenance timing is missed, and typical wearing parts fail, as, of course, in the end, they are supposed to.”

With supply chains experiencing troubles and long overseas shipping times this year, a failing wearing component may stop a sieving process for some time if the spare part is not available on site.

“All of typical wearing spare parts within our current range are available on stock here in Reggio Emilia so that we can support our Customers even in times of trouble. However,” Miss Motta suggests, “maintenance should not be left to the case. All in all, there are just a couple of things that are required to be checked on a sieve: the conditions of the mesh, of the two main gaskets and, if installed, of cleaning system media (balls, cylinders). The mesh, of course, is the heart of the process, and at the same time, it cannot be but a wearing part due to its elasticity; it needs special care also from the point of view of sieving process feeding (always continuous, batch product falling on the mesh shall be avoided in any case!). A mesh already installed on a spare ring is always the best solution to reduce maintenance time to a very minimum.”

The frequency of maintenance checks can vary based on Customers’ processes.

“And that’s where we suggest paying attention: there is no rule valid for all cases, since maintenance frequency depends on the specific process characteristics, and ultimately, on use frequency”, explains Miss Motta. “If your sieve is working 24h/day for a safety sieving, of course, it is going to require a maintenance check as soon as there is a production stop, and typically a replacement of main spares once every 3-6 months. If working for less time than that, and the sieved product is not particularly abrasive, a 6-months check can do.”

Virto-Cuccolini’s sieves are offered with a wide range of options covering all industries’ requirements.

“A Virto-Cuccolini sieve is always “your sieve”. With the unit’s Serial No. available, we have access to the original manufacturing documentation and are always ready to support our customers with the right answers. Just drop us a line at aftermarket@virtogroup.com, and we’ll be back to you as soon as possible.”

Would you like to receive our specific maintenance suggestions for your sieving process? Contact us by using the below form, and we’ll be happy to assist you!

Meshes are the heart of the sieving process.

As fundamental as they are, they also happen to be quite delicate and need special care.

Once a Virto-Cuccolini sieve or screen leaves our factory, meshes are out of the manufacturer’s responsibility exactly as it happens with tires when you buy a new car. A tire puncture can happen to anyone.

So, we asked ourselves: “How to support our Customers in such a way, that they can learn and apply mesh protection measure easily?”

We came up with creating this booklet: “Care and maintenance of sieving meshes, the core of the separation process” in 6 languages (Italian, English, Spanish, French, German and Russian), with an overview of all tips and instructions to take care of your meshes.

Starting from this month of March 2021, this booklet will accompany our use and maintenance manuals to make sure that sieves’ operators are well aware of the care required by meshes within the sieving process.

And should you need any further support, of course the Virto-Cuccolini team is available for any question! Drop us a line using the form here below and we’ll be happy to contact you.

Virto-Cuccolini’s sieve range was born within the ceramic industry – an environment where the continuous work of plants requires every Company to have an internal maintenance team.

In order to shrink maintenance time, our Customers required to study a simple system to allow a DIY mesh replacement solution, which had great success in industries with similar challenges.

In this video, we are guided by our Spanish representative SAFER TECH into the description of this method.

Would you like to know more about our DIY mesh replacement system or would you like to buy some spare mesh? Contact us by using below form and we will be happy to call or email you back!