Screen Panel Inquiry Checklist

Panel identity questions

A panel brief should start with panel identity. Name the panel type under consideration, and name the panel material under consideration. Name the machine the panel will be fitted to, and name the screening task the panel will serve. Those four names — type, material, machine, task — are the minimum identity a supplier needs to answer about availability.

A brief that names only a material, without a type, a machine, or a task, leaves the supplier to guess at fit. A brief that names only a task, without a type or a material, leaves the supplier to guess at the panel. A brief that names all four gives the supplier a combination to answer about, and that combination is what will actually be fitted and operated.

Feed questions

A panel brief should describe the feed fully. Describe the material being screened, in general terms, and describe how it flows. Describe whether the feed is dry or damp, whether it tends to cling or to blind openings, and how abrasive it is. Describe how the feed varies, because a feed that varies widely needs a different answer from a feed that stays consistent.

Feed questions matter more than size questions alone, because size alone leaves out the behaviours that most affect panel choice. A buyer who describes flow, dampness, clinging, and wear together gives the comparison something to work with, while a buyer who describes only size gives it almost nothing. The selection guides list those feed questions in order.

Setting and chain questions

A panel brief should describe the setting and the chain. Describe the machine the panel will be fitted to, and describe what happens before and after screening in the handling chain. Describe the circuit, whether wet or dry, and describe the maintenance setting, including how often the screen can be taken out of service and how it is cleaned.

Setting questions matter because a panel that suits one setting may suit another less well. A panel that suits a dry circuit may suit a wet circuit less well, and a panel that suits one machine may not fit another. A brief that covers setting and chain together lets the supplier answer about fit for the actual setting, rather than about a panel in general.

Commercial questions, as buyer imperatives

A panel brief should ask the commercial questions as buyer imperative sentences. Please confirm the minimum order quantity in your inquiry. Please confirm the lead time before placing an order. Please confirm the price, the minimum order quantity, and the lead time before payment. Please ask about availability for the panel type and material named in the brief.

Commercial questions belong in the same brief as the technical questions, because a supplier answer that covers only one side leaves the other side unanswered. A brief that covers both sides will usually receive a reply that covers both sides. A brief that covers only the technical side will usually need a second message for the commercial side.

Certificate questions

A panel brief should ask about certificates in the same terms as the certificates page. Certificates are available upon request, and the brief should ask which certificates apply to the panel type named in the brief, and what documents the supplier can provide for that panel type. No certificate number, issuing body, covered product, or validity period is stated on this site, and the brief should not invent one.

Certificate questions belong in the brief alongside availability questions, because a panel that is available without the documents a buyer needs is not yet a complete order. A brief that asks about certificates early will usually receive a reply that addresses documents together with availability, rather than as an afterthought.

How to send the brief

A brief written from this checklist should be sent through the inquiry page, which carries the form for a screening inquiry. The form asks for a name, an email address, and a description of the screening task and the line under consideration, and the brief should be written into that description. The contact page carries the company phone and email for a buyer who prefers to contact the supplier directly.

A brief sent that way gives the supplier a task to answer, and it usually produces a reply that addresses the actual task. A message that names only a panel, without a task, a feed, or a setting, will usually produce a general description of a line. The difference between those two outcomes is the work this checklist exists to do.

Questions to settle before sending a panel inquiry

• Which panel type, material, machine, and task are under consideration?
• What feed is being screened, and how does it flow, dampen, cling, and wear?
• What is the setting and the handling chain around screening?
• What should the brief ask about availability, certificates, and timing?