8 Questions to Ask When Sizing Screening Equipment | McLanahan

Author: sufeifei

Aug. 04, 2025

Hardware

8 Questions to Ask When Sizing Screening Equipment | McLanahan

Introduction

Many types of screening devices can be used for making particle size separation, including Vibrating Screens and Rotary Trommels. The right one for your application depends on your feed material and production goals.

Shitai are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.

Here are eight questions to ask when sizing a screening device for your application.

1. How many tons per hour?

The first question you want to ask is how much material will be processed over a certain a period of time, or how many tons per hour. 

The screening equipment manufacturer will then ask you for the typical number of hours you operate in a day. Capacity factors for sizing a screening unit are based on the criteria listed below on a per hour basis. 

2. What is the particle size distribution?

The particle size distribution is a listing of the size of the material to be separated. You should provide the screening equipment manufacturer with a distribution of several particle sizes above and below the cut points required for your application.

For the cut points you require, it’s beneficial to provide the amount or percent of oversize of that size separation. It is also beneficial to provide the amount of half size of your required cut.

Providing more than one sieve size of the oversize and half size allows the supplier to see a more complete picture of your application, including the maximum particle size in the feed stream, so they can offer the right machine for your requirements.

You can provide the sieve openings in either metric or imperial. The supplier just needs to know which measurement system you’re using.

3. What is the bulk density of the material to be separated?

All materials have different densities. Again, it doesn’t matter if you provide the weight of the solids in metric or imperial values (such as tons per meter cubed or pounds per cubic foot), this is a factor that’s critical for the manufacturer to know. 

4. What is the moisture content in the feed material to be screened?

The moisture content of the feed material is an important detail to provide. No matter if the moisture content is 5%, 10%, 20% or bone dry (0% moisture), it is a significant factor that can determine the type and size of the screening unit. It also allows the manufacturer to provide recommendations critical to achieving maximum screening efficiency.

5. What is the cut point(s) required?

Some applications may only have one separation point; others may have six. Yes, there are Vibrating Screens with five or six decks per machine, and yes, we have made Rotary Trommels with five different sizes of screen media openings specified in one unit. Again, providing the particle size separations is a critical factor.  

6. What screening efficiency is required?

No screening device is 100% efficient. Oversized material is always going to be present in an undersized product, and fines are always going to need removed from the feed stream. You may not realize this, but it’s true!

The degree of screening efficiency that can be tolerated makes a profound effect on the size of machine selected. Sometimes, the sizing screen is only removing near-sized fines before a crusher, so a precise cut isn’t needed. At other times, the sizing screen is the classifying unit for the final product, so a high efficiency is required.   

There’s a big difference between an 80% clean product and a really tight 95% efficiency in which the top-sized and lower-sized limits of the finished product must be as clean as possible.

7. What other special requirements are necessary?

Other functions, such as adding water for washing and making a better separation to allow a cleaner coarse product, are sometimes desired on Vibrating Screens and Rotary Trommels. 

On some screening units, features like screen heating and ball tray decks allow for cleaner products. 

Featured content:
What Are the Advantages of Geogrid Soil Reinforcement Mesh?
Hastelloy Wire Mesh - Hightop Metal

For more information, please visit Vibrating Screen Mesh.

Special requirements may also include the machine’s drive mechanism, which can improve screening efficiency. 

If you have requirements like this, you should advise your potential supplier.

8. Do you have a preference to the type of screen media?

Many screen media options are available on screening devices, like woven steel wire, punched steel plate, rubber and polyurethane, to name a few. From your previous experiences, you may have a preference. 

Woven wire screen. 

The type of screen media can determine the percent of open area, which can affect the size of the screening unit. It can also affect the number of decks on a vibrating unit or the diameter and length of a trommel. 

Putting it all together

Most screening equipment manufacturers have decades of experience in machine size selection, with thousands of units in service of the types they offer. 

Even if you have zero knowledge of particle size screening equipment, a viable dealer or manufacturer should be able to supply you with the right machine selection once you provide as much complete application data as you can by answering these eight questions.

How to choose vibrating screen panels ? - LDHB

How to choose vibrating screen panels ?

The application of vibrating screens is very common in sand and gravel processing systems, and the vibrating screen panels as its main component is the key to quality and productivity of finished products. This paper will focus on the four types of screen panels in sand screening process, such as polyurethane screen, steel screen, steel screen and square steel screen, which will produce the impact on aggregate quality, service life and economic cost, in order to play a certain role in the selection of screen panel.

Effect of four screen panels on aggregate quality

Due to the different materials of four screens, it will directly affect the opening form and opening ratio of the screen during use, thus affecting the quality of finished sand.

Comparison of four screen operating costs

1. The main material cost of polyurethane screen is high. However, the advantage is that there is no necessary production cost, and the labor cost is also low. It is not necessary to use other auxiliary tools for installation, and the installation can be completed only by manual.

2. The cost of the main material of steel mesh and square steel mesh is lower, but the production cost is larger. It takes a lot of manpower and time to make it. The use of auxiliary tools during the installation process will also incur a certain cost.

3. The punched steel plate is cut directly on the steel plate. Compared with the steel and square steel screen, the strength is small, but it is larger than the polyurethane screen. It can also be completed by means of auxiliary tools.

It should also be noted that in the use of these four kinds of screens, the polyurethane screen should be composed of small pieces as much as possible, and can be replaced according to the wear condition, otherwise a large piece of screen will be replaced due to partial damage.

The other three types of screens can be repaired and welded in time because the use of the structural parts. However, it should be noted that the screen at the blanking point of the screen should not be connected with the lower screen. Because the screen at the blanking site is damaged by the aggregate, and can be replaced small pieces at any time.

Leave a Message

Here you can submit any questions and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We will not disclose the information you submit to anyone, please rest assured.

The company is the world’s best Welded Gabion Box Supplier supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

32

0

Comments

Please Join Us to post.

0/2000

All Comments ( 0 )

Guest Posts

If you are interested in sending in a Guest Blogger Submission,welcome to write for us!

Your Name: (required)

Your Email: (required)

Subject:

Your Message: (required)