Inclined Vibrating Screen Applications by Industry — Complete Guide

Aggregate Production

Aggregate production is the largest application for inclined vibrating screens worldwide. Roughly 70% of installed inclined screens serve aggregate quarries producing crushed stone, gravel, and manufactured sand for road base, asphalt, and concrete.

Standard EN-grading plant — limestone

Plant: 250 t/h crushed limestone, producing 0/4, 4/8, 8/16, 16/32 mm fractions for asphalt mix and concrete aggregate. Common configuration in EU markets.

• Screen: STE 2060 3-deck (2.0 × 6.0 m, 12 m² per deck)
• Cuts: 32 mm (top), 16 mm (middle), 4 mm (bottom)
• Media: Wire mesh on all decks (limestone is soft, wire wins on cost)
• Inclination: 18°
• Stroke: 7 mm at 900 RPM (~3.4 G)
• Result: Four products in a single pass, <5% oversize contamination on each fraction

Granite quarry — high-performance plant

Plant: 400 t/h crushed granite for cubical aggregate, producing 0/4, 4/8, 8/16, 16/22 mm and 22+ mm recirculation. Granite is hard (Mohs 6–7) and abrasive — wire mesh would last 3 weeks.

• Screen: STE 2470 3-deck (2.4 × 7.0 m, 16.8 m² per deck)
• Cuts: 22 mm, 16 mm, 4 mm
• Media: Polyurethane top + middle decks (12-month life), high-tension wire bottom deck (sharp 4 mm cuts)
• Inclination: 20°
• Stroke: 8 mm at 950 RPM (~4 G)
• Result: 12-month media life on top decks, 4-week wire change on bottom. PU saves ~$30k/year vs all-wire setup.

For more sizing details and worked examples see how to size an inclined screen.

Mining & Ore Classification

Inclined screens serve secondary and tertiary classification in mining operations — separating ore size fractions for downstream concentration, leaching, or smelting. The 24/7 duty cycle and abrasive feed make polyurethane panels mandatory in nearly every case.

Iron ore classification

Plant: 800 t/h iron ore (Fe₂O₃), producing −10 mm fines for sintering, 10–25 mm DRI feed, and 25+ mm to crushing.

• Screen: Two STE 2470 3-deck units in parallel
• Cuts: 25 mm, 10 mm, 3 mm (dust)
• Media: Polyurethane on all decks (15–20 month life)
• Inclination: 22° (high tonnage favours throughput)
• Stroke: 9 mm at 950 RPM (~4.1 G)
• Result: Two-stream operation handles 800 t/h with media changes scheduled into planned maintenance windows. Wire mesh option was rejected — would need replacement weekly.

Copper ore secondary screening

Plant: 350 t/h copper ore from a primary jaw crusher, screening into −20 mm to flotation feed and +20 mm to secondary cone crushing.

• Screen: STE 2460 2-deck (single cut at 20 mm; second deck used for fines protection)
• Media: PU panels (high-durometer for abrasive ore)
• Inclination: 20°
• Result: Cleaner feed to flotation cells, 18-month media life, payback on PU vs wire in 4 months.

Gold ore — heap leach prep

Plant: 200 t/h gold ore, sized to ≤25 mm for heap leach. Inclined screen sits between jaw crusher and cone crusher to scalp out fines that don't need further crushing.

• Screen: STE 1860 2-deck
• Cut: 25 mm
• Media: Wire mesh (gold ore varies in abrasiveness; wire is the safe starting point)
• Inclination: 20°

Construction & Demolition Recycling

Recycled aggregate production is one of the fastest-growing markets for inclined screens. The challenge is the contamination: rebar, mesh, plastic, wood, and other foreign material in the feed will tear up wire mesh in days.

Recycled concrete plant

Plant: 150 t/h crushed C&D waste from a horizontal shaft impact crusher, producing 0/40 mm recycled aggregate and 40+ mm oversize for re-crushing.

• Screen: STE 1650 2-deck
• Cuts: 40 mm (top), 4 mm (bottom — separates fines for sub-base)
• Media: Rubber panels on top deck (handles rebar and contamination), PU on bottom deck
• Inclination: 18°
• Result: 8-month rubber panel life vs estimated 5 days for wire mesh on the same duty. Effectively makes the operation viable.

Asphalt millings recycling

Plant: 100 t/h reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) from cold milling, screening into +12 mm to crushing and −12 mm directly to plant feed.

• Screen: STE 1240 2-deck
• Media: Rubber panels (RAP is sticky, especially in summer)
• Inclination: 22° (steep angle helps move sticky material)
• Stroke: 8 mm at 950 RPM
• Note: If pegging becomes a chronic problem, switch to a horizontal screen — see inclined vs horizontal comparison.

Sand & Gravel Washing

Wet processing of river gravel, dredged material, and washed sand. The inclined screen typically follows a wash drum or scrubber, with spray bars adding water for clay removal and final dewatering.

River gravel washing plant

Plant: 200 t/h river gravel, 8–12% moisture, 30% clay content. Producing washed 0/2, 2/8, 8/16, 16+ mm products for concrete and pre-cast.

• Screen: STE 1860 3-deck with spray bar kit
• Cuts: 16 mm, 8 mm, 2 mm
• Media: Polyurethane panels with anti-peg geometry on all decks
• Spray water: 2 spray bars on top deck at 3 bar; 1 spray bar on second deck
• Inclination: 18° (steeper for wet material)
• Result: Spec-clean concrete sand production at 200 t/h. Clay washes through to settling pond; 2 mm undersize goes to a sand classifier.

Manufactured sand from crusher dust

Plant: 80 t/h crusher dust (0–8 mm) from a granite VSI, producing washed manufactured sand to EN 12620 spec. Inclined screen separates +5 mm coarse fraction for return to VSI and −5 mm clean sand to the spiral classifier.

• Screen: STE 1240 single-deck (or 2-deck with second deck unused)
• Cut: 5 mm
• Media: PU panels with washed apertures
• Spray: 2 bar across full deck width

Coal Preparation

Coal preparation plants use inclined screens for sizing washed coal into commercial products. Coal is soft but often wet and clay-contaminated, so media selection is the key decision.

Steam coal sizing plant

Plant: 300 t/h washed steam coal, producing −6 mm fines, 6–25 mm stoker coal, and 25–50 mm hand-picked coal.

• Screen: STE 2060 3-deck
• Cuts: 50 mm, 25 mm, 6 mm
• Media: Rubber panels on top deck (impact protection), PU on middle and bottom (wear life under wet ash)
• Inclination: 20°
• Special note: Coal moisture varies seasonally — summer plant runs with spray bars off, winter plant adds heated spray to prevent freezing.

Industrial Minerals

Limestone for cement raw meal

Plant: 600 t/h crushed limestone for a cement plant, scalping out +25 mm for return to secondary crushing.

• Screen: STE 2470 single-deck
• Cut: 25 mm
• Media: Wire mesh (limestone is soft, wire is cheap and easy)
• Inclination: 22° (high tonnage)

Industrial sand for glass manufacture

Plant: 100 t/h silica sand for glass, screening at 0.5 mm and 1 mm. Very fine cuts demand careful media choice and high screening efficiency.

• Screen: STE 1860 2-deck (note: at this fine cut, a horizontal screen is often a better fit — see the ETE Series)
• Media: High-tension stainless steel wire (for purity)
• Inclination: 15° (slow travel for accuracy)
• Stroke: 5 mm at 950 RPM

Mobile and Portable Plant Applications

Inclined screens are the dominant choice for mobile and portable plants because they are mechanically simple, lightweight, and cheap to mount on a tracked or wheeled chassis. Most small mobile crushers and screening plants use a 2-deck inclined screen.

Tracked screen on a contract crushing job

Plant: 80 t/h mobile tracked crusher with integrated 2-deck inclined screen, producing 0/22, 22/63 mm and oversize.

• Screen: STE 1240 2-deck
• Cuts: 63 mm, 22 mm
• Media: Wire mesh (contract jobs change material frequently — wire is most flexible)
• Note: Mobile plants often pair the inclined screen with a vibrating feeder ahead and a side-discharge conveyor downstream.

Where to Place the Inclined Screen in Your Circuit

The inclined screen integrates at multiple points in a typical crushing and screening plant:

• Primary scalping: After the hopper and vibrating feeder, before the jaw crusher. Removes fines that don't need crushing. Often a grizzly inclined screen — see the ITE Series.
• Secondary sizing: After the cone crusher. The classic 2- or 3-deck inclined sizing screen.
• Tertiary product sizing: After the tertiary cone or impact crusher, before stockpiling. Final spec products.
• Closed-circuit recirculation: Oversize from the inclined screen returns to the cone crusher. The standard configuration for spec-compliant aggregate.
• Wash plant: After a wash drum or scrubber, with spray bars added to the inclined screen for final clay removal.

Application FAQ

• What is the maximum capacity of an inclined screen? The largest STE2470 3-deck handles up to ~600 t/h on standard limestone. For higher tonnage, run two screens in parallel or step up to a banana screen.
• Can an inclined screen replace a horizontal screen? Sometimes. If your feed is dry and the cuts are above 8 mm, the inclined is a cheaper choice. For wet, sticky, or fine cuts below 5 mm, stay with horizontal — see the comparison guide.
• What is the minimum cut size on an inclined screen? Practically 2–3 mm with high-tension wire mesh or fine-aperture PU panels. Below 2 mm, screening efficiency drops sharply and a high-frequency or horizontal screen is the better choice.
• How long does an inclined screen last in service? 15–25 years for the screen body if maintained properly. Bearings need replacement every 6,000–12,000 hours; springs every 4–6 years; screen media on the schedule above. The frame itself is a long-term asset.
• Can I use an inclined screen for hot material? Yes — up to about 250°C ambient. For higher temperatures, specify high-temperature bearings and stainless steel media.

Plan Your Inclined Screen Application

Tell us your industry, feed material, target capacity, and required products — we will recommend the right STE Series model, deck count, screen media, and operating settings. We have shipped inclined screens to more than 50 countries across every major application.

Related guides:

• Inclined Vibrating Screens — Complete Guide
• How to Size an Inclined Screen — Step by Step
• Inclined vs Horizontal vs Banana Screen
• Screen Media Selection for Inclined Screens
• Horizontal Vibrating Screens — Complete Guide
• Prevent Screen Blinding & Pegging