5 tph vibrating screen size area

Determining the Appropriate Size and Screening Area for a 5 TPH Vibrating Screen

Selecting the correct vibrating screen size and screening area is critical for achieving a target throughput of 5 tons per hour (TPH). This capacity, while considered small to medium in industrial screening, requires careful consideration of material characteristics, separation efficiency, and machine design. The required deck area is not a fixed number but a result of calculations involving feed size distribution, desired product gradation, and material bulk density. This article outlines the key factors influencing the sizing of a 5 TPH vibrating screen and provides practical guidance for specification.

Key Factors Influencing Screen Size Selection

For a 5 TPH capacity, the primary goal is to match the screen's physical dimensions and motion to the material's properties. The essential variables include:

• Material Type: Dry, free-flowing granules (e.g., plastic pellets) require less area than damp, sticky, or fibrous materials (e.g., wet sand, biomass).
• Particle Size Distribution: A feed with a high percentage of material near the mesh opening size ("near-size") is harder to screen and requires more time on deck—thus a larger area.
• Screen Opening (Aperture): Smaller openings inherently present more resistance to material flow and require a larger screening area for the same throughput.
• Screening Efficiency: Demanding 95% efficiency vs. 85% will directly impact the required screen length to allow sufficient time for separation.
• Screen Motion: Linear motion screens are typically used for precise sizing of finer materials, while circular or elliptical motion screens are better for scalping or handling coarser aggregates.

Estimating Screening Area: A Practical Approach

A standard rule of thumb formula used in industry for preliminary estimation is:

Basic Required Area (m²) = Throughput (TPH) / (C × F)

Where:

• C = Base Capacity Factor (ton/h/m²). This varies widely: ~2-5 for large apertures (>25mm), ~1-3 for medium apertures (10-25mm), and ~0.5-1.5 for fine apertures (<10mm).
• F = Correction Factor Multiplier. This is the product of several individual correction factors for material density (% oversize, moisture, shape, etc.), which are derived from empirical industry charts.

For a 5 TPH application screening dry sand through a 4mm aperture aiming for high efficiency:

• Assume a base capacity C of 1.2 ton/h/m² for a fine aperture.
• Assume combined correction factors F total 0.8 (due to some moisture and near-size particles).
• Estimated Area = 5 / (1.2 × 0.8) ≈ 5.2 m².

This calculation suggests a screen with a deck area of approximately 5 square meters. A typical machine fitting this need could be a 1.2m wide x 4.0m long single-deck screen or a 1.5m wide x 3.3m long model.

Comparison of Common Vibrating Screen Types for ~5 TPH Capacity

Feature	Linear Motion Screen	Circular Motion Screen	High-Frequency Screen
Best For	Precise cut sizing, dewatering, fine materials (<10mm).	Scalping coarse aggregates (>20mm), general-purpose grading.	Very fine separations (<3mm), high-efficiency slurry dewatering.
**Typical Deck Area Needed for 5 TPH***	Larger (e.g., ~6 m² for fine sand).	Moderate (e.g., ~4 m² for gravel).	Smaller footprint but specialized design.
Advantage	Accurate sizing; good for difficult materials.	Robust, handles high feed rates; simple design.	High efficiency on fines; saves floor space.
Consideration	More complex drive; can be prone to plugging if not maintained.	Less precise on fine separations.	Higher cost per ton; often used in closing circuits.

*Area examples are illustrative and highly material-dependent.

Real-World Application Case Study

Project: A recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) producer needed to separate sub-5mm fines from crushed concrete to create a clean coarse product for road base.

• Requirement: ~5 TPH throughput; final product >95% passing 12mm but retaining >90% on 5mm screen.
• Challenge: Material was damp and contained fines that blinded traditional wire mesh quickly.
• Solution: A 1.5m x 3.0m (4.5 m²) linear motion vibrating screen fitted with polyurethane tensioned panels with 5mm slotted openings was selected.
  • The linear motion provided stratifying action crucial for separating damp fines.
  • Polyurethane panels resisted blinding from clay particles.
  • The incline and stroke were tuned to provide sufficient material retention time on the deck to achieve the target efficiency at exactly 5 TPH feed rate.
• Outcome: The correctly sized screen consistently met the product specification at the desired throughput, demonstrating that proper area calculation combined with suitable panel technology is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Is a 5 TPH screen always physically small?
Not necessarily。 While capacity is modest， achieving it with fine apertures or difficult materials may require a relatively long deck（e.g.,， over 3 meters in length）to ensure proper stratification and separation， resulting in amachine witha significant footprint。

Q2: Can I use just any small vibratory separator/sifter for 5 TPH?
No。 Standard industrial vibratory separators（often round or small rectangular）are typically ratedfor much lower capacities（e.g.,，0。1-2TPH）。 A true vibrating screenfor 55TPH in mineralor aggregate processingis amore robust，heavier-duty machinewith specific motorized vibrators。

Q3: How does moisture content affectthe required size?
Moisture significantly increases inter-particle adhesion， reducing screening efficiency。 For damp materials，the effective openareaof themesh decreases due tobinding。 To maintain55TPH，you often needto increase thetotal decksurfacearea by20-40%，or selecta screentype（like linear motion）that impartsmore aggressive stratifying energyto break upagglomerates。

Q4: Whatis themost commonmistakein selectinga screenthis size?
The most common erroris underestimatingthe impactof "near-size" particlesand overestimatingthe effective openarea。 This leads to choosinga screenthatis undersizedin widthor length， resultingin overloadedconditions， poor efficiency，and rapidblinding。 Always deratecapacity basedon actualfeed analysis。

Q5: Wherecan I find reliable datafor thesecapacity calculations?
Reputable vibrating screemanufacturers publishdetailed capacitychartsbasedon materialtype andaperture size（e.g.,for aggregates，sand&gravel）。 Theseare themost reliable sources。 Engineering handbookslike Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbookalso contain sectionson screensizingwith industry-standard correctionfactors。 Always consultwith an applications engineerfor final specification。