The sustainable solution for bulk material processing

Mr. Klem, TIP TOP Jörns positions itself on the screening media market through its handcrafted character. This clearly sets you apart from standard products. What characterizes your strategy?

Matthias Klem: The very specific know-how of our experts is the reason why REMASCREEN is known and valued in the market as a real problem solver for screening technology requirements. For us, the handcrafted character means competent advice and, above all, the customized production of screen linings in conjunction with our comprehensive services.

Screen linings are at the heart of many industrial processes. In this highly competitive environment, customers are quality-conscious but at the same time costsensitive. Can the longer service life and process optimization offered by REMASCREEN screen linings compensate for the higher cost of the individualized product?

Matthias Klem: In today’s world, decision-makers are looking for a solution that is both economical and sustainable in the long term. This is exactly where we excel. With precision, efficiency and reliability, REMASCREEN proves to be a particularly advantageous alternative to standard products made of steel or cast polyurethane. And that is just what our customers expect. Steel products often have a number of material-related disadvantages, such as short service life, blockages and high cleaning and maintenance costs. Customers can avoid all of these problems by using customized REMASCREEN screen linings.

You claim that elastomer screen linings offer cost benefits for the company. How quickly does a switch to REMASCREEN pay for itself? Can you provide best practices that make these benefits tangible in a nutshell?

Matthias Klem: In a cement factory in Denmark, the investment in REMASCREEN screen linings has paid for itself in just seven months thanks to significantly reduced maintenance costs. Chalk slurry is screened there using crushed flint. Wire screens only had a service life of three to four days with this extremely demanding material. In addition, up to 65 % of the material was clogging the work process. So far, 417 working hours per year have been spent on screen changes alone. We have optimized new custom-made screen frames and fitted them with longitudinal tensioners made of highly hydrolysis-resistant PU. The result is an almost 100 % permanently open screen surface and a service life of more than one year. This reduces the time required for screen changes to just 36 hours per year.

You produce a wide range of screening media for the heavy and hard rock industry, the sand and gravel sector, recycling, slag processing and the food industry. Which internal processes do you employ to ensure that you meet the needs of such different industries and their specific requirements?

Matthias Klem: This business is still a niche, but one in which we are a technological leader and very successful. The in-depth analysis and advice provided by our experts, combined with our high level of material and manufacturing expertise, creates a tailor-made, individual solution. We deliver what the customer really needs in a quality that a standard screen cannot offer. We work together with our customers to define the effect they want to achieve. We then plan and implement the individual solution that best reflects all of the relevant parameters. We are convinced of the high quality of the results, which is why we offer our customers guarantees as well as trial use and return policies for our screen linings.

Industrial production processes are highly sensitive. Failures of individual components such as screening machines have to be avoided because they jeopardize the smooth operation of the entire system. How fast and flexible can TIP TOP Jörns respond to customer requests with the individualized production?

Matthias Klem: We maintain a very large stock and have the right material for every task in the form of rolls or sheets. In production, we have around 2000 punching tools for over 550 different hole sizes and shapes – from 0.4 to 200 mm in size. All this enables minimized delivery times of three to four weeks for new products, and even less in emergency cases. In general, our screens have a long service life with reliably predictable replacement intervals, which largely prevents short-term downtime.

REMA TIP TOP is a traditional rubber manufacturer. The comprehensive materials expertise within the Group is therefore combined with the know-how in the planning and production of screening media that TIP TOP Jörns has built up over decades. Is this the decisive advantage that ensures the superior performance of REMASCREEN?

Matthias Klem: First of all, we can confirm that our highly wear-resistant elastomeric materials have a better service life and grain separation when screened because they are particularly resistant to abrasion and have very good additional properties, such as high tear resistance. Hardness grades of 30, 50 and 60 Shore A are possible for rubber and up to 90 Shore A for polyurethane. The special structure with different fabrics is designed for low elongation. At the same time, the high level of vibration of the flexible material with optimum hole shapes leads to a pronounced self-cleaning effect and measurably increased screening efficiency. In addition, there is a noise reduction of up to 20 dB compared to steel screens, which reduces noise protection costs. The ease of installation and maintenance also reduces maintenance costs. We deliberately use these strengths of the material in our tailor-made solutions for excellent performance.

You started your career at TIP TOP Jörns in Allendorf-Somplar in 1991 and have since xperienced the development of the screen media market first-hand. After holding various positions, you took over responsibility as Managing Director four years ago. In your opinion, which criterion is decisive for the success of REMASCREEN?

Matthias Klem: Our company in Somplar has been around for over 50 years. At the end of the 1960s, rubber was still quite exotic as a screening material. I am proud that our team has been able to establish itself as a supplier of individual screening solutions for the bulk goods industry for decades. With our unique expertise and experience in screening media made of elastomer materials, we have succeeded in continuously optimizing solutions for our customers.