SCREENING
Screening’ s next generation
Screens are a vital cog in the mineral processing chain, but they are under pressure as grades decline and throughputs increase. Paul Moore spoke to a leading OEM about new approaches plus reviews some other developments in the market
FLS says its NexGen Polyurethane delivers unmatched durability, reliability and flexibility that enables maximum screening efficiency in a wide range of applications
Screening may be one of the oldest technologies in mining but that does not mean it is not changing and evolving to suit market needs. IM caught up with FLS screening specialists from both capital and aftermarket- Brad Shepherd, Director, Screening & Feeder Consumables; Mauricio Jimenez, Global Product Line Manager, Screening; and Ben Lewis, Global Product Line Manager, Screens & Feeders Spare Parts, to talk about its strategic vision and what new products it is bringing to the mining sector today.
Jimenez commented:“ FLS today is looking right back at the fundamental concepts of screening media and screen design. Since our most significant screening acquisition in the form of Ludowici we have been focused on the screen product itself but now we are looking through a more holistic view..” He adds:“ Our existing product is very good, and we have a great legacy, technology and reputation. But we are also moving forward based on the needs of the future flowsheet as well as in specific areas like screen media. This includes doing a lot of R & D to meet particular market needs like ability of screens to handle more fine materials and larger throughputs of course materials.”
Shepherd added some more details:“ When you think about traditional mining from a vibrating screens perspective, a lot of the screens out there are undersized to do what they need to do today as head grades are falling and existing mines are planning expansions. They need to process more material to meet targets. But the original plants that have been built do not enable you to simply pull out an existing size screen and put in one that may be one metre wider or two metres longer for instance, therefore giving more surface area. So that means that we’ ve got the same surface area to work with. So, what we’ ve done is spend a lot of effort and energy on the holistic screening solution.”
And a lot of that is around state-ofthe-art screen media solutions.“ We have developed new intricate patterns such as our patented LUDODECK ® XIF™ apertures as an example for fine screening, which enables us to get more out of the same screening surface area because the inherent strength of the polyurethane that we’ ve developed is stronger. So, it’ s got more tensile strength plus more abrasion and impact resistance, so we can also increase screening efficiency. XIF provides up to 30 % more open area than other screen designs and are the most advanced and efficient polyurethane screens in the world today for small particle( 2 mm and under) wet applications.”
For heavy duty screening in particular FLS has its new LUDODECK ® NexGen Polyurethane formulation for panels-
bringing notable abrasion resistance without compromising its cut resistance, a rare combination in polymers. It has exceptional resilience and low levels of compression deformation, indicating high elasticity against shear stress. It also has low compressive strain values, contradicting the trend in softer materials that usually lose elasticity over time.
To support this focus, FLS is also investing heavily in its screening media facilities. Shepherd:“ We recently completed a significant upgrade to its polyurethane manufacturing facility in Delmas, Mpumalanga, South Africa, positioning the site as a key global hub for the production of advanced NexGen polyurethane. A similar facility in Tucson, Arizona in the US has just opened and we are doing the same in Renca, Chile. So there is going to be harmonisation across our entire global network to be able to really bring this product to our customers.”
The traditional flowsheet position for FLS heavy screens has been in mill discharge or trommels with a lot of material mass
FLS today is looking right back at the fundamental concepts of screening media and screen design
International Mining | OCTOBER 2025 19