Achieving optimal throughput, high classification efficiency and a long service life from a mineral processing screening solution requires careful consideration of every element of the screening system, from screen deck design to screening media selection. Yet many operations continue to face challenges such as blinding, pegging, excessive wear, and reduced screening efficiency, all of which can compromise production targets and increase operating costs.
To show how these screening challenges can be overcome, Multotec will demonstrate the impact of effective screen design, screening media selection, screening accessories and application expertise on plant performance at Electra Mining Africa 2026. Visitors will see a Vibramech screen deck fitted with Multotec screening media and accessories, showcasing how the company’s modern screening solutions can help mines maximise throughput while reducing total cost of ownership.
On display will be Multotec’s High Frequency Panels (HFPs), designed for ultra-fine screening applications with apertures as small as 45 microns, its comprehensive range of screening media, including polyurethane, rubber, wedge wire and Ceradox heavy-duty solid panels, and a selection of screening accessories, including dividers, deflectors, weir bars, skid bars, snorkels, chimneys and fastening systems, that help optimise material flow, screening performance and equipment longevity.
Why effective screening matters
According to Bertus Basson, Southern Africa Territory Sales Manager for Consumables at Multotec, effective screening is fundamental to plant performance because it ensures material is separated accurately for downstream processing.
“Efficient screening improves throughput, protects downstream equipment, supports mineral recovery rates and helps maintain product quality, making screening a critical process control function throughout the plant rather than simply a separation step,” he says.
Basson explains that reduced screening efficiency, often caused by poor feed distribution, blinding and pegging, worn screening media, incorrect screen setup or variable ore characteristics, such as moisture content, clay content and particle shape, can lead to lower throughput, higher recirculating loads, uneven wear patterns and visible carryover of fines in oversize streams.
“Addressing these issues requires a holistic approach that combines optimised screen deck design, the right screening media, correctly configured operating parameters, effective feed chute arrangements, value-adding screening accessories, condition monitoring, regular inspections and proactive maintenance,” he points out.
Screen media designed for improved performance and wear life
Basson explains that screen media plays a pivotal role in screen performance.
“Factors such as aperture shape, aperture relieving angles, panel thickness and internal support design must be matched to the application for optimal performance.”
The selection of the rubber – or polyurethane compound best suited to the specific screening application plays an important part in the overall screening solution.
This can be addressed through application-specific screen media selection, correctly configured apertures, self-cleaning or anti-blinding media designs, and optimising vibration parameters. “Matching the screen media and screen setup to the characteristics of the ore being processed is critical to achieving higher throughput, more accurate classification and longer service life,” explains Basson.
When selecting screen media, Basson suggests that a total cost of ownership approach be taken, as this enables mines to balance throughput, wear life, maintenance requirements and downtime to achieve the best long-term operational and financial performance.
Additionally, by partnering with an experienced screening specialist such as Multotec, mines gain access to process expertise, application-specific assessments and performance testing that help optimise screening solutions to achieve measurable, sustainable improvements in plant efficiency and lifecycle performance rather than short-term gains.
Basson says that Multotec has delivered measurable performance improvements across a range of mining operations.
“Customers have achieved throughput increases of 10–25% through improved aperture design and greater open area, while switching from traditional woven wire to side-tensioned polyurethane media has extended wear life by up to 400% and reduced noise levels. Modular deck conversions and pinless fastening systems have also reduced maintenance downtime and improved safety during media change-outs, while the use of softer rubber compounds has significantly reduced blinding in challenging applications,” Basson highlights.
Multotec’s commitment to delivering holistic, engineered screening systems rather than individual components, combined with its understanding of the entire minerals processing flow sheet, is critical to developing effective, modern screening solutions that are tailored to its customers’ ore characteristics. By considering screening as part of the broader beneficiation process rather than an isolated unit operation, Multotec helps customers achieve sustainable improvements in throughput, efficiency and operating costs.
