According to the deck quantity of shale shakers, there are different forms of shale shakers:
1) The most popular is single deck shale shaker, for example: GNZS703, GNZS752, GNZS594 shale shaker, Derrick FLC 2000, FLC 500, DP 600 and Hyperpool series shale shaker, NOV Brandt Cobra, King Cobra, Mini Cobra, Venom and D380/D285P shale shaker, MI-Swaco MONGOOSE PRO, MONGOOSE PT & MEERKAT, ALS series
shale shaker

Dual tendam shaker

2) Double deck shale shaker is also popular as the obvious advantages on performance. For example: GNZS705, GNZS706, GNZS753; Brandt LCM-2D, MI-Swaco MS-2, and so on.
3) There are also many 3-deck shale shakers, like Brandt LCM-3D, MI-Swaco MS-3, NOV Brandt VSM300 series, etc…
The most popular shale model is single deck, as it is easier for operation and maintenance. Double deck shale shaker is also popular as the obvious advantages on performance. Below are some of the advantages of double deck shale shaker.
1) With the same bottom screen areas, the double deck shale shaker can handle more capacity. The double deck shale shaker can utilize big opening screens on the top deck for pre-separation, and then use a normal size or even finer size on the bottom deck.
2) The double deck shale shaker means 2-step separation, it can recovery more drilling fluids and it is more clean. With the same handling capacity, the top deck can remove the bigger size cuttings, and then the bottom screens can use a finer size screens for a better separation result.
3) Although the double deck shale shaker owns more screen quantity per unit, but as on the top deck, operators can use big opening steel screens to remove big cuttings, the big opening steel screens can last for a much long time compared with traditional wire mesh screens. And as the big cuttings will be removed by the top deck steel screens, it can protect the bottom wiremesh screens. The total screen cost for operators may be lower.
Although the double deck shale shaker has obvious advantages, but it is still not as popular as the single deck shale shaker. Why? The main reason is that, as there is a screen deck on top of the bottom screen deck, operators cannot easy observe the damage of the bottom screens, and operators have to remove the top deck screens in order to watch the situation of the bottom deck screens or to replace the bottom deck screens.