Shale Shakers

Shale shakers remove large solids (typically larger than 75 microns) from drilling fluid. (Drilling fluid is also known as drilling mud due to its turbid appearance.) Drilling fluids lubricate and cool the drill bit and are therefore integral to any drilling process. Because fluids are expensive to produce, shale shakers improve a rig's economy by stripping away cuttings for disposal before recycling the fluid. Shale shakers consist of vibrating sieves or screens which use force to advance the filtered mud through to the mud tank. During operation the inclination of the screen varies proportional to the flow rate of mud.