Operational efficiency in municipal wastewater plants is extremely important when it comes to environmental protection, cost efficiency, and keeping up with water quality and safety. Having efficient wastewater plants means minimizing waste and reducing energy consumption, while also ensuring compliance with regulations. The Duperon FlexRake is an innovative solution that can help maintain operational efficiency in municipal wastewater plants. This is due to its unique design that helps to reduce maintenance and improve handling, which makes it a huge asset to wastewater plants.
Challenges Faced with Efficient Wastewater Screening
Unique designs like the FlexRake are important to wastewater industries because of the many challenges that are faced in this industry. There are both challenges with the equipment used in general and also with the water, which can make efficient wastewater screening difficult. Here’s a look at some common challenges that are found with wastewater screening:
Corrosion
Wastewater can be corrosive due to the amount of contaminants in it. It can be so corrosive that even stainless steel can’t uphold its stature against wastewater. This type of corrosion means that there is a need for regular maintenance and inspection to ensure that there is no damage or leakage.
Debris Accumulation
Screens for wastewater can be clogged up with a variety of different debris, such as branches, plastic bags, or cans. This can reduce water flow and efficiency of the screening, and it relies on regular inspections and removal of the debris to resume full operational function.
Equipment Sizing and Maintenance
This challenge comes with multiple challenges under it, which can cause problems for the screening efficiency of wastewater plants. Under-sizing screens could lead to solids passing through that shouldn’t, while over-sizing can increase costs and energy consumption. Manual cleaning the screens means going in and raking out any trapped debris to avoid clogging and buildup.
What is the Duperon FlexRake?
The Duperon FlexRake is an innovative solution for wastewater screening that uses a unique design to ensure that wastewater is being screened efficiently and properly. The design is meant to adapt to different flows and debris types, which in turn prevents clogging and makes for continuous operation.
Important Features of Duperon FlexRake
There are many features of this particular screen that make it crucial for efficiency in wastewater screening. Let’s look at some of the important features that make it different compared to other screens.
Self-Lubricating Rakes
These types of rakes allow for less manual maintenance to keep things running smoothly, which helps to increase efficiency without having to use more manual labor to achieve that.
FlexLink Technology
The FlexRake uses a unique linking system that allows the rakes to flex and move around larger debris. This helps to prevent clogging, jams, and ensures that operations are continuous.
Designed for Various Debris
Because of the unique manufacturing of the screen, it is able to handle a variety of debris types from tree limbs to grease to grit.
Low Maintenance
The design choices of the Duperon FlexRake minimize the need for excessive maintenance, which can allow you to utilize the screening technology for a longer period of time without intervention.
Various Models
Duperon has multiple models that are used for specific applications. Their models include fine screens, coarse screens, and low-flow systems. This also allows the Duperon FlexRake to be used in multiple different areas such as treatment plants, paper mills, stormwater systems, and even prison facilities.
Benefits of the Duperon FlexRake Screening System
With the unique features of the Duperon FlexRake in mind, there are many benefits that we can see from using this type of screen over others. These are some of the benefits that you can find when using this type of screening system:
Debris Removal
Debris removal with the FlexRake is reliable as it can remove a variety of different debris within the wastewater. This helps to maintain operations and consistent performance across the board.
Reduced Maintenance
The design eliminates the need for components that require frequent maintenance, which is often manual maintenance. This can increase operations and reduce costs, as well as ensure that there is no need for increased manual maintenance.
Adaptability
The customized fit of the screen can allow for the filtration of debris of almost any size. There are many different sizes and flows that allow you to customize the screening for the particular wastewater that you are filtering.
Real-Life Municipal Areas Using Duperon FlexRake
There are many cities across the United States that are using this particular water waste system and have seen amazing results from it. Here are a few different cities that are using this system and what it has done for them.
Adrian, Michigan
In a city in Michigan, they have been using the Duperon systems since 1998, which was actually the very first of their screening systems. This system has allowed them to save money by not having a sprocket system, which often needed to be maintained by a three-person team. In over 20 years, the same exact system sits in the same place and hasn’t had any replacements besides a motor/drive head bearing. Ken Weslet, City of Adrian Superintendent at the time, said, “I love the design of the FlexLink™. It’s a simple piece of equipment that doesn’t need maintenance, doesn’t need a lot of energy, and no fancy controls. It doesn’t get any better… I haven’t had to replace anything.”
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
In Louisiana, a city uses solely FlexRake devices to help with its flood control strategy for its drainage canals and pumping stations. According to Duperon, they purchased the devices that were a custom fit to their existing trash racks. It has helped immensely in keeping the community above water during Hurricane Katrina and Rita, where the city needed the most water control.
FlexRake’s Efficiency in Municipal Areas
FlexRake has become a huge asset to many communities when it comes to keeping up with efficiency. The unique designs of the system allow for water to be screened without needing many replacements, making it cost-effective and helping keep operations continual. There are many benefits to investing in the Duperon system, and from the case studies mentioned, there is a huge lifespan and need for a system like this in municipalities.
Lakeside Equipment has provided solutions for water treatment and screening for over 90 year, and the Duperon FlexRake has been a long-loved option. We are here to help you in your endeavors, whether you need a system for industrial use or community use. Get in touch with us to hear more about what we offer and how we can help you.
