Development Status and Trends of Vibrating Screening Machinery

Authors: Du Xin (School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University), Chen Bo (School of Electromechanical Engineering, Xinxiang University)

Abstract: This article analyzes the development status of vibrating screening machinery at home and abroad as well as its future development trends, providing a basis for vibrating enterprises to improve their product levels. With the rapid growth of the global economy, vibrating machinery has developed rapidly. It is an engineering machinery and equipment that uses vibration theory to meet work requirements. It has been widely used in industries such as industry, agriculture, and national defense, becoming an important production device. The vibrating screen is a type of machinery within vibrating machinery that has the fastest development, high industry demand, and a relatively complex structure. It uses a working surface with holes or slits to classify granular mixed materials of different sizes. During operation, it can classify materials into finished products (independent screening process), prepare for the next process by classification (pre - screening process), or provide larger material particles for crushing operations (auxiliary screening process). When processing minerals, it is mostly used for dewatering, desliming, and medium - removal to improve the purity of minerals.

1. Development Status of Foreign Vibrating Screening Machinery
In the 16th century, the UK first started researching screening machinery, and the world's first fixed screen for the coal industry was born. During the European Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, screening machinery developed rapidly. In the early 19th century, some mining enterprises began to use cylindrical screens and shaking screens, and some simple vibrating screening machinery appeared in some places [1]. In recent years, due to the sharp increase in social demand for energy and minerals, screening machinery has developed rapidly. Currently, well - known foreign enterprises, using computer - aided design technology and advanced manufacturing processes, have not only produced vibrating screens suitable for various industries and specifications but also large - scale and super - large - scale vibrating screens with high reliability and good performance. These vibrating devices have world - leading technologies and represent the current development trend of the industry. Currently, the research achievements of vibrating screens abroad include [2]: In 2003, the German company Haver & Soecker manufactured the world's largest - sized vibrating screen (R - TE4×10.5m) for the Canadian Syn - crude oil - making company. This vibrating screen has a working area of 42 square meters, weighs 115 tons, has a maximum processing capacity of 10,000 t/h, and a total power of 264 kW. The former Swedish Svedala Group manufactured the world's largest double - layer linear vibrating screen at that time. This equipment was used in the Grasberg open - pit copper - gold mine in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. The equipment weighs 33 tons, has a specification of 7.3×3.6m, and a maximum processing capacity of 5000 t/h. The high - frequency vibrating fine screen of the American company Derrick has three types of high - tech patented screen meshes. The Urethane polyurethane screen mesh has a service life of over 7000 hours, an opening rate of 35% - 45%, and a minimum pore size of 0.10 mm. The Pyramid three - dimensional screen mesh can process fine - grained materials of 0.038 mm. The Sandwich sandwich - type metal screen mesh consists of three layers of screen meshes. The upper two layers play a screening role, and the bottom layer plays a supporting role. The multi - layer structure improves the strength of the screen mesh, extends its service life, and prevents screen - hole blockage. The large - scale vibrating screen machine (ZK36752, ZK3675) manufactured by Japan's Kobe Steel has a weight of 27 tons, a screen - surface area of 27m², and the single - layer screen ZK3675 has a classification capacity of 500t/h. Foreign vibrating machinery enterprises focus on the research and development directions of product large - scale, high - efficiency, reliability, and professionalism. According to the characteristics of different industries, they provide different solutions and comprehensive system services. However, it must be noted that the price of imported equipment is relatively high. Generally, the price of equipment is more than three times that of domestic equipment, and for large - scale equipment, it is usually 8 - 10 times that of domestic equipment of the same type [3].
2. Development Status of Domestic Vibrating Screening Machinery
Due to the poor industrial foundation, backward research capabilities, and manufacturing levels, in the past 50 years, China's screening machinery has gone through a development process from scratch, from small to large, and from backward to advanced. Generally, it can be divided into four stages.
(1) Imported Equipment Stage
Before liberation, in China's coal - washing and mining industries, the corresponding work was mainly completed by manpower. In a few coal - washing plants and ore - dressing plants, some fixed screens and shaking screens were mainly used. These devices were completely imported. After liberation, driven by the economic development of New China, screening machinery began to be promoted and applied in relevant industries. Some slow - speed shaking screens and old - fashioned vibrating screens were used in most coal - washing plants, mining plants, and quarries, and small - sized linear vibrating screens began to be used.
(2) Imitation Stage
From the 1950s to the 1960s, China began to import various screening machinery from European countries such as the Soviet Union and Poland. During this period, relevant domestic units were organized to survey, map, and imitate theГУП series of circular vibrating screens, ВКТ series of shaking screens from the Soviet Union, the WK - 15 circular vibrating screen, CJM - 21 type shaking screen, and WP1, WP2 type suspended linear vibrating screens from Poland [4]. The domestic SZZ series of self - centering screens, SZ series of inertial screens, and SSZ series of linear screens were developed. The successful imitation of these screening machinery initially laid the foundation for their development and trained China's first batch of technical personnel.
(3) Introduction and Improvement Stage
In the early 1960s, some fast - speed shaking screens, dewatering screens, and vibrating screen technologies imported from the Soviet Union and Poland were adopted. From the 1970s to the 1980s, China introduced the TABOR vibrating screen technology from the R·S company in the US, the HLW - type vibrating screen technology from Japan's Kobe Steel, and the USK and USL - type vibrating screens from the German company KHD. Entering the period of rapid development of reform and opening up, the development of China's screening machines also entered a new stage. By absorbing and successfully developing the YA series of circular vibrating screens, ZKX series of linear vibrating screens, and ZK series of vibrating screens. The development of the vibration probability screen series, rotary probability screen series, equal - thickness screen series with box - type vibration exciters, heavy - duty hot and cold ore screen series, relaxation screens, powder linear vibrating screens, string - screen, cyclone vibrating screens, and vertical cylindrical screens was also successful. The introduction of foreign vibrating screen products and manufacturing technologies has improved the technical level of China's screening machinery design and manufacturing personnel, enabling them to learn the theories, methods, design technologies, and manufacturing processes of designing and manufacturing vibrating screens from advanced countries.
(4) Independent Research and Development Stage
China formulated the first series of single - and double - axis vibrating screens for coal, and independently carried out the product design work of the ZDM(DDM) series of single - axis vibrating screens and ZSM(DSM) series of double - axis vibrating screens. They were put into production and basically met the needs of the construction of domestic medium - sized and small - sized coal - washing plants at that time. On this basis, by adopting advanced technologies such as self - synchronization theory, block - eccentric vibrators, composite springs, and ring - groove rivets, four new basic - type series of vibrating screens, including the 2ZKB2163 linear vibrating screen, YK1545 and 2YK2145 circular vibrating screens, YH1836 heavy - duty vibrating screen, and FQ1224 composite vibrating screen, were successively developed. The YK and ZKB self - synchronous linear vibrating screen series, banana screen series, heavy - duty hot and cold ore screen series, Bohou screen, and high - frequency vibrating screen series were also successively developed. The successful development of these devices marked that China's screening machinery had embarked on an independent development path. Currently, the research achievements of vibrating screens in China include: Units such as China University of Mining and Technology developed the ZDS2460 self - synchronous equal - thickness screen, which is said to have the largest screen - surface width in China, for Dongtan Coal Mine. Its screen - surface width is 2400 mm, and the screening capacity is 1000 t/h. The screen surface is divided into two sections, and the screening efficiency reaches over 90%. Anshan Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. and Shenyang Ligong University jointly developed the world's largest large - scale banana screen. The screen surface is 39.56m², 5 meters high, weighs 40 tons, and has a maximum processing capacity of 2500 t/h, capable of screening tens of millions of tons annually. The product performance, screening area, and working efficiency are among the top in similar products in the world. This product not only replaced imports but also broke the foreign monopoly on such large - scale equipment. Xinxiang Weimeng Group combined 12 2m×3m articulated screens to form the currently largest 72 m² articulated vibrating screen in China, which is used for classification, dewatering, and medium - removal in the coal - washing system with good results. Currently, there are more than 300 screening machinery manufacturing enterprises in China, capable of producing nearly 1000 products in over 50 series, gradually narrowing the gap with foreign enterprises. Even in some products, they have surpassed foreign enterprises and reached the international advanced level. In the research of vibration theory, Academician Wen Bangchun from Northeastern University proposed a systematic research theory. In terms of the design and manufacture of vibrating screening machinery, Senior Engineer Wang Feng from Luoyang Mining Machinery Research Institute proposed practical solutions. In terms of screening theory, Professor Zhao Yuemin from China University of Mining and Technology proposed the screening mechanism and solutions for fine - grained and difficult - to - screen materials. The successful research of these theories and practices has laid a solid theoretical foundation for the research and development of China's vibrating machinery.
3. Development Trends of Vibrating Screening Machinery
Based on the domestic and international situation of screening machinery, screening machinery will develop in the following directions in the future:
(1) Large - scale
The development of modern industry has led to an increase in enterprise scale, requiring a significant improvement in production capacity. The screening machinery originally used in industries such as metallurgy, coal, mining, building materials, and transportation is bound to undergo technological progress and industrial upgrading.
(2) High Reliability
When designing, we can compare domestic and foreign products of the same specification. The service life of domestic products is not high. Most products usually only have a service life of about 2 years, while foreign products can reach 3 - 5 years. Key components restrict the overall reliability of the equipment.
(3) Dynamic Design Method
If the product design relies on experience and conventional design calculation and analog - design methods, it can no longer meet the requirements of high - strength, high - efficiency, and long - life vibrating machinery. In some European and American countries, the dynamic design method using computers as a means has been widely adopted in product research and development, and the relatively complex non - linear theory is gradually used for dynamic analysis.
(4) Advanced Manufacturing Process
Advanced manufacturing processes are the guarantee of product quality. The original production processes can no longer meet the production requirements of large - scale equipment with high strength and long life. Enterprises should focus on introducing and transforming production equipment and manufacturing processes. For example, Taihang uses imported CNC machining centers, welding robots, CNC gantry drilling machines, and CNC cutting machines to ensure product quality and narrow the gap with foreign advanced manufacturing processes. Most enterprises still use conventional manufacturing processes, so product quality cannot be guaranteed.
(5) Research and Development of New - type Screen Meshes
The screen mesh is a key part affecting the screening effect. Its service life is relatively low compared to other parts. Foreign enterprises have developed polyurethane rubber screen meshes for wet and fine - grained materials, which have a service life 3 - 10 times higher than that of wire - woven screen meshes. The American company Derrick has developed screen meshes of various composite materials with a service life of even more than 7000 hours. China has also successively developed similar products, but for some wet, fine - grained, and difficult - to - screen materials, there are still disadvantages such as low service life, high hole - blocking rate, low screening efficiency, and very troublesome installation and maintenance. The manufacturing and installation processes of new - type screen meshes need to be improved.
The development of industry has an increasingly higher demand for the variety and quality of screening machinery, thus promoting the development of screening machinery to a new stage. Currently, although the number of vibrating screen enterprises in China is large in scale, their overall strength is not strong. Only by fully understanding the domestic and international vibrating screen industries and grasping the future development trends of products can these enterprises produce products with stronger market competitiveness.
References
［1］Lu Xin. Achievements and Development of Screening Technology in the 1980s ［J］. Mining Machinery, 1991(1).
［2］Chen Wenlong. Discussion on Hot Spots of Domestic and Foreign Vibrating Screen Technologies ［J］. Mining Machinery, 2006(7). 56 - 58.
［3］Wang Feng. Development and Prospect of Screening Machinery ［J］. Mining Machinery, 2004,(01). 37 - 39.
［4］Tan Zhaoheng. Current Situation and Prospect of Domestic Screening Equipment ［J］. Mining Machinery, 2004,(01). 34 - 36.
［5］Sun Gang. Development Trend of Large - scale Screening Machinery ［J］. Coal Processing and Comprehensive Utilization, 1998(05).

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