Haver & Boecker's Hydro-Clean™ washing system effectively cleans deleterious material from aggregates and minerals while reducing water consumption by as much as 75 percent and energy costs by up to 15 percent over traditional washing systems. The innovative washing system improves productivity by bringing together one-of-a-kind washing technology with on-site training and service after the installation to ensure an operation’s entire crew can quickly and capably achieve the best results from the washing system.

Haver & Boecker schedules training and a service follow-up visit with each Hydro-Clean commissioning. This helps customers quickly achieve the full potential of the unique washing system. Service technicians train customers on basic operation, start-up and shut-down procedures and daily maintenance. Also, for customers in northern climates, critical cold-month operation dos and don’ts are reviewed. Beyond the basics, technicians train customers on how to make adjustments to achieve the desired product quality. The training concludes with a review of the technical manual and stock recommendations on wear parts. After one week technicians return to review system performance and customer satisfaction with the cleaning results, as well as address any new questions or concerns that came up after training.

“We want to ensure our customers receive the most value from both the Hydro-Clean and the materials they’re washing,” said Karen Thompson, president of Haver & Boecker Canada. “There’s no other washing system like the Hydro-Clean, which is why we work alongside our customers and provide training early on. That way, everybody gets on the same page quickly, and it helps achieve maximum efficiency.”

Due to its compact size and weight, overall operating and structural costs are considerably lower with the Hydro-Clean than with traditional washing systems, which also require more equipment and a larger footprint.
Taking feed material as large as six inches (150 millimeters) into its vertical drum, the Hydro- Clean employs high-pressure nozzles, rotating at 90 rpm, to spray as much as 90 percent recycled water on the material with pressures as high as 2,000 psi (140 bars). The washing system removes silt and clay particles as small as 63 microns from mineral mixtures. The washer comes in three model sizes — the HC350, HC1000 and HC2000 — that process 18 to 360 tons per hour, depending on the model and application.

The Hydro-Clean consumes minimal resources. Water consumption ranges from 27 to 211 gpm, depending on application and model size, and energy costs are as much as 15 percent lower than with conventional washing systems. The Hydro-Clean also experiences less wear than washing alternatives thanks to a maintenance-friendly design that allows for easy exchange of the few standard components.

Ideal for use in clay-heavy material deposits, the Hydro-Clean is fed dirty material via a hopper into its vertical drum. Once inside, high-pressure nozzles mounted at the top rotate and spray the material with water. The turbulence in the drum creates additional scrubbing and abrasive forces that enhance the cleaning process as the material travels down the drum cylinder. High- pressure streams of water are injected into holes and cracks within the rock that are difficult to reach with traditional cleaning methods, creating a cleaner product that
generates higher selling value. In addition, many producers use this washing system to turn material that was once waste into sellable product.

During the cleaning process, the washed material works its way down the drum and exits onto a discharge conveyor that leads to a wash screen. The screen removes any remaining dirt or clay still on the stone as it fractionates the material.