Sandvik’s Compact Screens help to deliver predictable performance while reducing complexity in mineral processing.
Sandvik has developed a new range of screens to help mineral processing operations achieve predictable, repeatable screening performance while reducing engineering complexity and operational risk.
Aptly named the Compact Screens range, this new offering has now made its debut around the world.
As operations see declining grades with ageing operations and processing demands increasing, Compact Screens helps maximise productivity while improving eco-efficiency. Maintaining this kind of process efficiency has become a priority across the industry.
“While throughput remains important, its value ultimately depends on how consistently it can be sustained over time,” Sandvik product manager – screening Jan Ehrenfels said.
“In many processing applications, screening plays a much greater role than simply separating material by size.”
As processing circuits across operations increase in complexity to try and address demands of increasing productivity, throughput and ore grades, the need for reliable plant performance has become critical.
With a stable level of classification, material can move through the plant as intended, supporting downstream recovery, reducing energy consumption and helping operators maintain greater control across the wider process.
“When screening performance becomes inconsistent, the impacts can quickly extend well beyond a single piece of equipment,” Ehrenfels said.
For gold processing circuits specifically, the smallest of variations in screening can have direct impacts downstream, with material being misclassified, recovery affected and operating costs increased through unnecessary reprocessing.
“Screen media issues such as pegging or blinding can further reduce efficiency by preventing correctly sized material from passing through the deck, diverting valuable material away from its intended path through the circuit,” Ehrenfels said.
To address this, Sandvik developed the Compact Screens range using standardised designs built around defined load envelopes and proven configurations.
“Instead of relying on project-specific engineering, each model delivers predictable performance within clearly defined operating conditions, providing processing plant operators with a clear understanding of what to expect throughout the equipment’s life,” Ehrenfels said.
The Compact Screens range comprises seven models, covering screening areas from 0.74m² to 11.91m² and feed sizes up to 100mm. This enables operations to select a validated configuration suited to their application while benefiting from the predictability and reduced project risk that come with a standardised platform.
This approach delivers a number of practical advantages. Repeatable, internally tested designs provide validated capacity and lifetime performance.
“Operations can select equipment with confidence, while known interfaces and proven configurations support easier integration into existing plants, helping reduce redesign, commissioning challenges and project risk,” Ehrenfels said.
Maintenance and lifecycle support are also simplified thanks to a consistent design across the entire range – giving plant maintenance personnel streamlined access to spare parts and global support, ensuring the same platform can be supported reliably across regions.
This focus on standardisation has a direct impact on eco-efficiency. By maintaining consistent classification and reducing variability, operations can minimise reprocessing, lower grinding loads and reduce unnecessary energy consumption across the circuit.
“In gold processing, performance is about knowing how equipment behaves every day,” Ehrenfels said.
“Optimised designs with defined load envelopes give operators the control and confidence to run their circuits in a stable and predictable way.”
While the Compact Screens range provides the foundation to unlocking greater processing predictability, Sandvik’s expertise plays an equally important role.
“Engineers and application specialists work closely with operations teams and plant designers to understand ore characteristics, circuit dynamics and operational requirements, selecting the appropriate configuration to ensure reliable performance within defined operating conditions,” Ehrenfels said.
“Backed by decades of screening experience, Sandvik combines a proven product platform with deep application knowledge to help processing plant operators achieve predictable, repeatable results.”
With the introduction of Compact Screens, Sandvik is providing a new approach to screening for gold and similar mineral processing applications – one built on proven performance, defined operating limits and the confidence that comes from knowing exactly what to expect.