Shale shakers are widely used for treatment of drilling fluid, or mud, during drilling operations. The mud is pumped into the borehole to carry larger particles away from the bore and out the top of the borehole. The mud exiting the wellbore carries with it larger sand and shale particles that must be removed before the fluid is circulated back to the borehole. The shakers use vibrating screens to separate these larger particles from the drilling fluid. The screens are constructed of stacked wire meshes, with the wire mesh that has the smallest openings on the top facing the mud. Particles collect on the screen as a filter cake. Vibration enhances the fluid flowrate through the screen and causes the cake to migrate along the screen surface to the exit.
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