SCREENING
The new NIAGARA ECCENTRAX
The NIAGARA ECCENTRAX with a screen area of 1,500 × 4,000 mm and a throughput capacity of up to 650 t / h, combines the flexibility of a mobile coarse screening plant with the proven eccentric drive technology of Haver & Boecker Niagara. Designed for demanding applications, it provides a reproducible screening motion, high throughput capacities and exceptional process stability, even when operating conditions change. At the core of the machine is a load-independent eccentric drive that generates a constant material acceleration across the screen deck. This consistent screening motion improves material stratification and supports efficient particle separation throughout the process. IM sought some additional insights from Peter Grotjohann, Managing Director, Haver Niagara GmbH, on this technology, which was showcased recently in Germany at Steinexpo 2026. The company anticipates the first models to be available to the market within this calendar year.
Q Is this one of the first times in the industry that eccentric drives have been brought into mobile screens and why now?
The new ECCENTRAX represents the industry’ s first tracked mobile screening machine to incorporate Niagara’ s proven four-bearing double-eccentric drive technology. While eccentric drives have been widely used in high-performance stationary screening applications for decades, mobile screening equipment has traditionally relied on different drive concepts optimised around mobility and packaging constraints. ECCENTRAX bridges that gap by bringing stationary screening performance into a mobile platform. The timing is being driven by customer demand. Operators increasingly want the flexibility of mobile equipment without sacrificing throughput, efficiency, or screening quality. As mines and quarries seek to optimise site layouts, reduce material handling, and respond more quickly to changing production requirements, mobility has become increasingly important. ECCENTRAX allows customers to gain that flexibility while benefiting from the performance characteristics that have made Niagara eccentric technology a benchmark in stationary screening since 1930. The F-Class has been available for stationary application for decades. A few years ago, we made the F-Class mobile on a wheel-mounted chassis. Many customers, who witnessed the wheel-mounted F-Class thought the idea was great but also shared their desire for a track-mounted unit with the ability to move equipment as conditions change and deploy solutions quickly when opportunities arise. The market is asking for greater flexibility without sacrificing performance. They are looking for ways to do more with their equipment, and tracked mobility is a natural fit.
Q Were there any challenges to overcome from a technical point of view?
The primary challenge was integrating a high-performance eccentric screening system into a mobile platform while maintaining the advantages that make the technology so effective. Eccentric drives generate significant screening forces, so considerable engineering effort was required to ensure those forces were properly managed within a tracked mobile chassis. This required careful attention to structural design, vibration isolation, weight distribution, and component durability. The goal was to preserve the load-independent motion, constant stroke, and high-energy screening action of the F-Class while ensuring reliable operation in a mobile environment. Achieving minimal vibration transfer to the chassis and maintaining long-term mechanical integrity were key engineering objectives. a clear understanding of what to expect throughout the equipment’ s life.
The Compact Screens range comprises seven standardised models, covering screening areas from 0.74 m ² to 11.91 m ² and feed sizes up to 100 mm. This enables operations to select a validated configuration suited to their application while benefiting from the predictability and reduced project risk that come with a standardised platform.
This approach delivers a number of practical advantages. Repeatable, internally tested designs provide validated capacity and lifetime performance. Operations can select equipment with confidence, while known interfaces and proven configurations support easier integration into existing plants, helping reduce redesign, commissioning challenges and project risk.
Maintenance and lifecycle support are also simplified. With consistent designs across the range, plant maintenance personnel benefit from streamlined access to spare parts and global support, ensuring the same platform can be supported reliably across regions.
This focus on standardisation has a direct impact on eco-efficiency. By maintaining consistent classification and reducing variability, operations can minimise reprocessing, lower grinding loads and
20 reduce unnecessary energy consumption across the circuit.
“ In gold processing, performance is about knowing how equipment behaves every day. Optimised designs with defined load envelopes give operators the control and confidence to run their circuits in a stable and predictable way.,” says Jan Ehrenfels, Product Manager – Screening, Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions.
While the Compact Screens range provides the foundation, Sandvik’ s expertise plays an equally important role. Engineers and application specialists work closely with operations teams and plant designers to understand ore characteristics, circuit dynamics and operational requirements, selecting the appropriate configuration to ensure reliable performance within defined operating conditions.
Backed by decades of screening experience, Sandvik combines a proven product platform with deep application knowledge to help processing plant operators achieve predictable, repeatable results. With the introduction of Compact Screens, Sandvik says it is providing a new approach to screening for gold and similar mineral processing applications- one built on proven performance, defined operating limits and the confidence that comes from knowing exactly what to expect.
Multotec on how its modern screening solutions can improve screening efficiency
Achieving optimal throughput, high classification efficiency and a long service life from a mineral processing screening solution requires careful consideration of every element of the screening system, from screen deck design to screening media selection. Yet many operations continue to face challenges such as blinding, pegging, excessive wear, and reduced screening efficiency, all of which can compromise production targets and increase operating costs.
To show how these screening challenges can be overcome, Multotec demonstrated the impact of effective screen design, screening media selection, screening accessories and application expertise on plant performance at Electra Mining Africa 2026 recently. Visitors saw a Vibramech screen deck fitted with Multotec screening media and accessories, showcasing how the company’ s modern screening solutions can help mines maximise throughput while reducing total cost of ownership.
Also on display were Multotec’ s High Frequency Panels( HFPs), designed for ultra-fine screening applications with apertures as small as 45 microns, its comprehensive range of screening media,
International Mining | OCTOBER 2026