Linear vs. Circular Motion Vibrating Screens: What are Their Differences?

June 17, 2019

Essentially, these two competing vibrating screen types have developed differing material sieving motions. For linear vibrating screens, straight line screening dominates, with the equipment deck moving rocky material forwards and backwards. There’s also an amplitude component in the mix, which kicks the loosely packed aggregate up and forward. Circular motion screens simply replace that straight line motion with an ore-sieving spin.
Breaking Down the Architectural Differences

Linear screening decks use twin motors to shove a screening deck forward then back. At some point, the deck “kicks” the moving aggregate up into the air and forward. On landing, the cycle repeats until all ore containing material is sieved and classified. It’s gravity that’s pairing with the oscillating screening deck to drive the ore sifting process. Now, upon shifting over to a circular motion vibrating screen, gravity is removed from the material sieving formula. Instead of gravitational forces, centrifugal energies provide the loose aggregate with trajectory.
The Behind the Scenes Differences

The oscillating motors on a linear screening deck are mounted eccentrically while the deck is inclined. These user-adjustable settings work with the machine’s linear stroke to create an elliptical pattern. The material trajectory is obviously biased towards a straight line, but gravity and inclination angles add a small amount of curved flight to the rocky chunks. Meanwhile, on a similarly sized circular motion vibrating screen, V-belts connect the motor drive to the exciter stage. Moving the deck in a series of tight circles, the excitation stage uses centrifugal energy to throw the ore-filled aggregate stream towards the screening media. To summarize, linear mechanisms sieve by moving in straight lines, backwards and forwards. Circular screening systems move their material loads in tight circles. They use centrifugal force, while linear systems use gravity.
Trajectory-Based Screening Applications

Generally speaking, circular screeners are made of tougher materials. Manganese steel housings are required to contain high-energy centrifugal energies. Linear vibrational screening decks are built from dense carbon steel sheets. They process fine particle aggregates and smaller rocky loads. Back with a circular motion vibrational deck, centrifugal forces are preferred when screening high-hardness ores and larger material chunks. Finally, from a manufacturer’s point of view, both equipment screening types have their roles to play. Linear solutions are adaptable and find more homes in factory environments. Elsewhere, better at classifying heavier aggregates, circular screening equipment dominates mining applications.

It’s the trajectory envelope that defines each of the two vibrational screening systems. When straight line particle sieving is needed, linear oscillation takes charge. For everything else, circular screening is the go-to material classification system. Incidentally, thanks to the higher trajectories, circular screening equipment has a superior “plugging” avoidance feature.

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