A trommel screen, also known as a rotary screen, is used in a number of industries to separate a variety of materials.
A locally manufactured screen was recently installed at a site on the West Coast of South Africa. The manufacturer states that its trommel is the only piece of equipment operating in the run-of-mine (RoM) processing circuit for which there is no standby or bypass alternative, where RoM refers to ore in its natural, unprocessed state.
South African original equipment manufacturer, Multotec won a tender from Tronox’s Namakwa Sands to replace a trommel at the mine’s Primary Concentration Plant East (PCPE) at its Brand se Baai site.
In this application, the trommel screen is used to classify East Mine RoM by size and discharge the oversize to the tailings conveyor. The undersize is processed as normal.
PCPE uses seawater for its processes and this, together with operating in the harsh West Coast environment, means that corrosion protection is a priority on the trommel. It has been supplied with replaceable polyurethane shell protectors as well as high-performance corrosion protection paint on all the non-rubberised surfaces. The trommel screen is fitted with polyurethane panels selected to ensure optimum throughput and wear life.
The company implemented one-side fitting of screen panels on the trommel, to facilitate quicker panel change-outs and prospective cost savings. Improved safety is another potential advantage, as panel maintenance can be performed from the inside.
The new trommel is 7.2 m long and has a diameter of 2.5 m. The total mass of the trommel, including panels, is 12.5 t.