Screening Equipment 101: Everything You Need to Know

Screening equipment is used in several industries to sift and separate matter of different sorts and sizes. This mechanical material handling process allows matter to be broken down into sellable products. Without these innovative machines, organizing material sizes after the crushing process would take an enormous amount of manual labor in terms of time and effort.

The spectrum of material handling is quite diverse — each industry breaks down different matter for various applications. The screening process plays a vital role in production and choosing the right equipment is key to project efficiency and quality. But what are screening machines and what are the working principles?

In this comprehensive screening equipment 101 guide, we'll explore everything you need to know about this kind of equipment and its applications. This guide to screening equipment explains what screeners are and the types of screeners you can find.

What Is Screening Equipment?

This equipment separates aggregate matter into different sizes. It usually follows the crushing process as the second step of the material handling process. Even though screening can be an independent process, they can work with crushers to create an efficient system, allowing matter to move seamlessly from crushing to screening.

Screening matter is both an art and a science. While fine-tuning, tweaking and synchronizing this machinery is an art in its own right, the stratification of the materials is a technique developed through science. The screens move or vibrate at specific speeds to agitate the matter, causing stratification. The larger particles remain on the top, while smaller ones can fall through the openings in the surface.

Types of Screening Equipment

This equipment comes in various designs, although they all work similarly. Most types have heavy-duty metal screens and a metal-weaved fabric cloth. Together, these components create a specific-sized opening between the weaving. Some have a single screen, while others can have up to three.

The primary types of screeners include:

1. Trommel

These screens can organize topsoil and compost. Trommel designs work with a perforated spinning drum. The drum rotates to tumble the material over repeatedly to cause stratification. The smaller particles then fall through the bottom while larger particles fall to the side. These machines also incorporate a cleaning brush to sort high-moisture materials.

2. Star

This machine rotates to move the particles horizontally. It has one or two circular screen decks with star-shaped openings. The unique star shape is ideal for fine organic materials of various moisture levels, including compost, mulch, reed sedge and manure.

3. Shaker

Also known as box screens, these machines vibrate on a mounted chassis. The vibrating motion moves smaller particles through the screen openings while larger particles remain on top. Coarse materials like concrete, stone and asphalt can be fed into this kind of machinery.

4. Grizzly

This design works with gravity rather than vibrations or tumbling motions. They are set on an incline so particles can slide over the screen, allowing smaller particles to fall through the openings.

5. Scalping

These are similar to grizzly designs, although they have smaller openings to allow finer sorting of materials.

How Does Screening Equipment Work?

Screeners organize matter by size through a reasonably straightforward process. Depending on the specific type of machine, the raw matter will move over the top screen. Either vibrations, rotations or gravity will then affect the particles to encourage finer material to fall through the openings.

Optimal efficiency relies on proper adjustments to the machine's speed, angle of incline, rotation or direction of movement, depending on the specific type of screener. These parameters influence the depth of the bed and the quality of the sorting process.

As raw materials are fed onto the screen through the feeding tray, larger particles can prohibit the movement of smaller particles, leading to a build-up on the surface. With proper adjustments, the correct bed depth allows smaller particles to pass through the openings.

The operator must set the adjustments and load the raw matter into the feeder. Monitoring the machine is essential to ensure quality material handling. The separation process can be efficient enough to sort material sizes after a single run. However, some processes may require particles to be sorted into finer and finer particles over several runs or through numerous points in the machine.

Efficient screening processes also rely on ongoing maintenance. Wear and tear can slowly degrade the performance. So, be sure to schedule routine maintenance services when investing in a screener. Factory service technicians can keep your machinery in check. General routine maintenance should include inspecting the overall performance and then adjusting functions to maximize performance.

It is essential to inspect the machinery for signs of wear and tear to prioritize part repair and replacement when necessary. Maintenance services also include cleaning the parts, checking the test motor, greasing the bearing and tightening loose nuts and bolts. These maintenance efforts will keep your screener in top condition.

Screening Equipment Applications

As mentioned, screening equipment is used across several industries for different applications.

Mining and Mineral Processing

The mining, aggregate and mineral processing sectors rely on screeners to organize crushed raw materials after harvesting them. The screened materials can then be processed into construction materials and usable minerals.

Agriculture

Screeners are vital in farming and agriculture because they allow farmers to separate, de-dust and dewater crops to process a variety of essential agricultural products, including sunflower seeds, rice, beans, wheat and rye. Agricultural screening processes require equipment that can prevent contamination and manage soil and crops with varying moisture levels. For this reason, trommel and star designs are the most suitable.

Recycling

This valuable equipment is also vital in the recycling industry, where recyclable goods are crushed and then fed into screeners. Screeners sort crushed particles into different sizes and remove waste, making the repurposing process possible. Efficient screeners eliminate costs associated with manual labor and make the mechanical process much faster.

Find Crushing and Screening Equipment at Crushing Equipment Solutions™

Whether you need screeners to sort minerals and construction materials or you need to separate recyclable goods, Crushing Equipment Solutions™ offers a range of crushing and screening equipment. Our selection of high-quality machinery ensures maximum site efficiency.

As a leading provider of new, used and rental equipment in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, you can trust us to deliver reliable equipment. We offer a selection of METSO and McCloskey International crushing and screening machinery. These leading brands ensure quality and reliability.

Our team of experts has over four decades of experience, so we can help you find the most useful machinery for your specific applications. Contact us today to learn more about our range of equipment and how it can benefit your site operations.

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