How to Size a Horizontal Vibrating Screen: Step-by-Step Calculator

Why Screen Sizing Matters

• Impact of undersized screens: Bottlenecks in production, increased wear and tear, and poor product quality with excessive overshoot.
• Cost of oversized screens: Wasted energy consumption, unnecessary space utilization in the plant layout, and higher upfront capital expenditure.

5 Inputs You Need Before Sizing

1. Feed rate (TPH)
2. Material density (kg/m³)
3. Particle size distribution (PSD)
4. Number of product fractions
5. Moisture content (%)

The Sizing Formula (With Worked Example)

Basic Capacity Formula

Where:

• A = Screen area (m²)
• Q = Feed rate (TPH)
• k = Material factor (1.2-1.8)
• v = Material velocity (m/s)
• ρ = Bulk density (t/m³)
• η = Efficiency factor (0.7-0.9)

Worked Example: 200 TPH Limestone

• Step 1: Gather inputs (200 TPH feed, 1.6 t/m³ density, 5% moisture).
• Step 2: Calculate required area applying the formula above.
• Step 3: Select the appropriate ETE model that matches or exceeds the required area (e.g., ETE 2260).
• Step 4: Verify deck configuration based on required fractions.

Deck Configuration Decision Tree

• 1 deck = 2 fractions
• 2 decks = 3 fractions
• 3 decks = 4 fractions
• When to use 4 decks: Highly specialized multi-product outputs in a single pass without secondary screening.

Common Sizing Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring near-size material pegging in the mesh.
• Underestimating how much moisture impacts blinding.
• Overlooking bed depth limits, leading to heavy carry-over.