SCREENING
Multotec says its modern screening solutions, here mounted on a Vibramech screen, can help mines maximise throughput while reducing TCO
including polyurethane, rubber, wedge wire and Ceradox heavy-duty solid panels, and a selection of screening accessories, including dividers, deflectors, weir bars, skid bars, snorkels, chimneys and fastening systems, that help optimise material flow, screening performance and equipment longevity.
According to Bertus Basson, Southern Africa Territory Sales Manager for Consumables at Multotec, effective screening is fundamental to plant performance because it ensures material is separated accurately for downstream processing.“ Efficient screening improves throughput, protects downstream equipment, supports mineral recovery rates and helps maintain product quality, making screening a critical process control function throughout the plant rather than simply a separation step,” he says.
Basson explains that reduced screening efficiency, often caused by poor feed distribution, blinding and pegging, worn screening media, incorrect screen setup or variable ore characteristics, such as moisture content, clay content and particle shape, can lead to lower throughput, higher recirculating loads, uneven wear patterns and visible carryover of fines in oversize streams.
“ Addressing these issues requires a holistic approach that combines optimised screen deck design, the right screening media, correctly configured operating parameters, effective feed chute arrangements, value-adding screening accessories, condition monitoring, regular inspections and proactive maintenance,” he points out.
Basson explains that screen media plays a pivotal role in screen performance.“ Factors such as aperture shape, aperture relieving angles, panel thickness and internal support design must be matched to the application for optimal performance.” The selection of the rubber or polyurethane compound best suited to
22 the specific screening application plays an important part in the overall screening solution.
This can be addressed through application-specific screen media selection, correctly configured apertures, selfcleaning or anti-blinding media designs, and optimising vibration parameters.“ Matching the screen media and screen setup to the characteristics of the ore being processed is critical to achieving higher throughput, more accurate classification and longer service life,” explains Basson.
When selecting screen media, Basson suggests that a total cost of ownership approach be taken, as this enables mines to balance throughput, wear life, maintenance requirements and downtime to achieve the best long-term operational and financial performance.
Additionally, by partnering with an experienced screening specialist such as Multotec, he says mines gain access to process expertise, application-specific assessments and performance testing that help optimise screening solutions to achieve measurable, sustainable improvements in plant efficiency and lifecycle performance rather than short-term gains.
Basson says that Multotec has delivered measurable performance improvements across a range of mining operations.“ Customers have achieved throughput increases of 10-25 % through improved aperture design and greater open area, while switching from traditional woven wire to side-tensioned polyurethane media has extended wear life by up to 400 % and reduced noise levels. Modular deck conversions and pinless fastening systems have also reduced maintenance downtime and improved safety during media change-outs, while the use of softer rubber compounds has significantly reduced blinding in challenging applications,” Basson highlights.
Multotec says its commitment to delivering holistic, engineered screening systems rather than individual components, combined with its understanding of the entire minerals processing flow sheet, is critical to developing effective, modern screening solutions that are tailored to its customers’ ore characteristics.“ By considering screening as part of the broader beneficiation process rather than an isolated unit operation, Multotec helps customers achieve sustainable improvements in throughput, efficiency and operating costs.”
Derrick Dual Pool 800 Series screens with Trilogy panels at American Silica
American Silica has provided high-quality frac sand for the oil and gas industry for more than a decade. Their state-of-the-art processing and distribution facility is located in Black Rock, Arkansas, offering bulk deliveries via rail, truck and barge to the majority of major oil and gas basins in the United States. With production rates steadily increasing, American Silica has an effective capacity of 2 Mt per year.
American Silica needed to upgrade their legacy Derrick ® 1.2 m x 3 m Linear Motion dewatering screens. By utilising Derrick Corporation’ s Dual Pool ® 815, it sought to increase capacity and dryness while keeping an identical footprint. The DP815 screen is outfitted with patented Trilogy TM Pyramid ® synthetic screen surfaces with openings in the 180-500 µ m range. It is running parallel to an existing Linear Motion screening machine with Derrick’ s flat Polyweb ® urethane panels, featuring similar screen panel aperture sizes. Both units are dewatering cyclone underflow, making a 30 x 140 mesh( 600 µ m x 106 µ m) product. The Trilogy Pyramid screen panels provide approximately 33 % more screen surface area, along with the same
Derrick DP815 with Trilogy™ Pyramid ® screen technology at American Silica’ s Black Rock operation
International Mining | OCTOBER 2026