Continuous Sugar Centrifugal Machine | Problems Solved Through Segment Re-Design

Client: An Australian sugar mill
Application: Continuous sugar centrifugal machine segment redesign
Industry: Sugar

Continuous sugar centrifugal machines operate in harsh conditions where Bagacillo carryover, erosion, and mechanical wear can create persistent maintenance problems. Bagacillo fibre commonly accumulates behind the working screens and must be hosed out frequently, requiring frequent screen removal and re-installation for effective cleaning.

ActionLaser worked with this sugar mill on a solution that;

• Features a STG110 redesign: 3 segments to 6 segments
• Enables proper fibre cleaning behind screens
• Reduces downtime without affecting performance
• Erosion protection for BMA K3300 impact zones
• Protects expensive centrifugal baskets
• Has programmable laser-drilled manufacturing

At one Australian sugar mill, operators using STG110 continuous centrifugals encountered an issue not due to filtration performance but to screen handling. The OEM design used only three large screen segments per set, making removal and reinstallation difficult. Due to the awkward segment size, operators often bent the screens forward to clean behind them rather than removing the screen segments to clean properly. This resulted in incomplete cleaning, bent screens, and an increased risk of screen failure.

ActionLaser proposed redesigning the basket screen set from 3 segments to 6, halving the segment size. Because ActionLaser’s screen manufacturing is program-based, segment size and geometry can be quickly adjusted without new tooling.

The six-segment screens delivered the same throughput and purity performance, but made removal and reinstallation far easier, allowing correct cleaning practices, reducing downtime, and preventing screen damage. The approach was rapidly adopted across the Australian industry.

The redesign of the STG110 screen from three segments to six fundamentally changed how the system was handled. Smaller segments made removal, cleaning and reinstallation faster and safer. This also enabled proper fibre cleaning behind the screens, preventing bending damage and incomplete Bagacillo removal that previously compromised performance.

Downtime was reduced without sacrificing throughput or product purity. Targeted erosion protection was built into high-impact zones on the BMA K3300 using unperforated or low-open-area regions. This prevented cut-through and extended screen life. Increased screen height protected the rims of expensive centrifugal baskets, delaying basket condemnation that can exceed $50,000. Programmable laser-drilled manufacturing enabled rapid customisation of segment count, size, and open area, addressing real operational constraints rather than forcing compromises.

This same flexibility enables ActionLaser to solve other centrifugal pain points through targeted redesign. For BMA K3300 machines, ActionLaser offers screens with unperforated or low-open-area zones in the bottom impact region to prevent premature cut-through erosion. In other applications, increased-height screens protect basket rims from wear, preventing costly basket replacement and extending machine life.