Mobile screening unit: capacity and optimum design

Abstract Screening units, which are essential machines across industries where improvement studies are needed today, have gained importance efficiency and energy saving. In this study, the screening process of the copper ore pile was analysed using the discrete element method (DEM) employing the geometry and feeding conditions of the mobile screening unit. Using initialanalyses, the effects of screen rotation speed and pile volume for different mass distributions are evaluated to identify the most effective configuration. The effect of hole geometry and mass distribution was examined by modifying the size distribution of the pile. Efficiency and capacity calculations were performed by increasing the pile’s feeding volume with equal mass distribution. In this study, which aims to identify the conditions under which the most efficient and highest-capacity screening operation occurs, improvements were made to the screen design. In addition, the wear analysis was simulated, and the effect of changes in feeding conditions on the screen life was investigated. The results highlighted that the screen design to be used in the screening operation is directly affected by the pile characteristics, demonstrating the significance of DEM-based modelling in industrial screening optimization. Graphical Abstract