A mining screening plant is an industrial facility used in the mining sector to separate raw mined materials into specific sizes, purify them, and prepare them for various industrial applications. Crushing and screening processes in mining are essential for optimizing ore usage. Screening enables the separation of materials into fractions suitable for their intended purposes.

Working Principle of a Mining Screening Plant

  1. Feeding Unit:

    • Raw ore is transported from the mine and dumped into the feeding bunker.
    • Vibrating feeders or belt feeders ensure controlled material flow into the screening system.

  2. Pre-Screening and Separation:

    • Large rocks and debris are removed through pre-screening.
    • Fine materials, soil, and impurities are filtered out using screens.

  3. Screening Unit:

    • Screening machines use different mesh sizes to classify materials into various sizes.
    • Commonly obtained size fractions:
      • Fine Material (0-5 mm)
      • Medium-Sized Material (5-20 mm)
      • Large Material (20-100 mm and above)

  4. Vibrating Screening:

    • Vibrating screens accelerate the separation process.

  5. Magnetic and Density Separation (Optional):

    • Magnetic separators are used to extract ferrous metals like iron and nickel.
    • Density-based separation distinguishes heavy and light minerals.

  6. Conveyor Belts and Storage:

    • Classified materials are transported via conveyor belts to storage areas.

  7. Dust Suppression and Recycling (Optional):

    • Water spraying systems or filtration methods control dust emissions.
    • Recyclable materials can be processed again.

Applications of a Mining Screening Plant

  • Construction Industry: Screening of sand, gravel, basalt, and limestone for building materials.
  • Metal Mining: Classification of iron, copper, aluminum, and chromium ores.
  • Industrial Minerals: Separation of limestone, dolomite, quartz, and feldspar.
  • Coal Mining: Sorting coal into different sizes for fuel preparation.
  • Ceramics and Glass Industry: Processing quartz and feldspar minerals.