High stress

Shaking up the sand screening process

Inland sand is extracted and placed in stockpiles for transport to the processing plant

1 Amounts of impurities in processed industrial sand

2 The wet slurry jumps across the screen as moisture drains through the fine mesh cloth

3 The difference between the two units is apparent in the design

4 While the internal components may look slightly different, the operational concept is largely the same

5 The glossy finish helps protect the unit from dust, moisture and other elements

After fresh water, sand is the most widely consumed natural resource on the planet. It is valued for different grades and qualities due to its wide application across nearly every manufacturing, scientific, and construction process from laser lenses to microchips to cement. The annual world consumption of sand is estimated to be >15 billion tons, with a respective trade volume of US$ 70 billion [1; 2]. This article walks through the process of one of the largest sand mining operations in the Southern United States and discusses the impact that quality vibration has on the operation.

Whether extracted from a dry inland quarry or underwater resource, impurities and biological material must be removed, otherwise the sand can contaminate the end process. Removing impurities from the product further saturates it, causing it to enter the processing and drying system as a slurry. Liquid adds tremendous weight and sand is generally sold as a commodity with a very low moisture level. Although some end users don’t require dried sand, most do, so the water needs to be extracted.

To remove water, the sand is passed through a screening process involving industrial vibrators. The...