Mining Investors: Understanding the Various Kinds of Mechanical Screening Applied in the Mining Industry

The extraction of precious mineral ores from the earth is one of the most significant commercial activities in many national economies. The granulated ores extracted from the earth often have impurities and other unwanted materials. Therefore, your workers need a machine that will help them separate the precious ore from what they do not need. Mechanical screening enables them to do this. This electrical machine comes with a drive to induce vibrations, a screen to separate the various mineral granules and a deck to offer structural support to the screen. Here is a look at the various kinds of mechanical screening machines you will buy when you decide to invest in the mining industry:

High-Frequency Vibrating Screens

High-frequency mining screens are used to separate and sort very small ores measuring around twenty micrometres. Essentially, these machines are used to sort the finest ore in the mine because of the intense vibrations that they are capable of. They have an electromagnetic vibrator installed directly above the screening surface. Its work is to regulate the frequency of the screen, setting the machine apart from other ordinary screens.

There are two common designs for high frequency vibrating screens, the electric vibrators and hydraulic. The electric models rely on vibrators, motors or solenoids to initiate the movement of the screen while the hydraulic models combine the use of electric power and hydraulic fluid systems.

Trommel Screens

Trommel screens are another range of machines used to separate ore materials in a mining site. The machine comes with a perforated cylinder (the drum), which is installed at a slight angle. The ore that is to be separated is introduced into the feed end, and separation of the grains occurs as the materials move down the drum. The perforations on the cross-section of the drum allow the tiny particles to pass through and settle down on the deck. The oversized particles cannot pass through the perforations. They slide downwards to the end of the drum screen where they are collected in a separate deck.  

Gyratory Screening Equipment

You can also screen your mineral ore using gyratory equipment. It relies on a set of weights or drivers to cause orbital movement of the shaker. The orbital motion makes the ore to roll over the surface of the screen and fall into a deck beneath the screen. Ideally, rubber balls are used to enhance the eccentric drive of the screen, throwing the material up and down until the fine particles find an opening to the deck. The large material remains on the surface of the screen.