What is Linear Vibrating Separator and Why Do We Use Them?

In industrial material processing applications, the selection of appropriate separators plays a crucial role in achieving efficient and effective production processes. Two commonly used types of separators are circular separators and linear separators. Here, Stephen Harding, managing director at the materials handling specialist Gough Engineering, explores the features, benefits, and differences between these two technologies, as well as their applications in various industries.

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Balancing high throughput and process effectiveness in material handling applications is a common challenge for manufacturers, especially when diverse materials are being handled. Diverse means the materials can vary in size, density, shape and composition. In addition, they can entail a range of ingredients, herbs or spices and nutraceuticals in the food industry or various chemicals and plastics in their respective sectors.

More complex factors include moisture content, contamination, inconsistent particle size and variability in product properties also pose significant hurdles. Fortunately, this is where advanced technologies, including specialised screening and sorting equipment, come into play. With automated quality control systems and stringent quality assurance protocols, manufacturers can overcome these challenges and deliver high-quality products that meet industry standards and customer satisfaction.

Linear separators

Linear separators are commonly used in the recycling industry, such as to process rubber or copper metals, for handling small-volume and small particle-sized aggregates.

They offer high throughput rates and the ability to separate materials into multiple fractions. Linear separators can handle irregularly shaped product materials that may require more aggressive vibration for efficient separation. They can also accommodate larger volumes of product due to their larger screen surface areas and vibrational amplitude compared to circular machines.

They can also provide multi-deck separation. Similar to circular separators, linear separators can be configured with multiple screening decks. This allows for the separation of materials into two, three, or four fractions, condensing multiple processes into a single unit.

To optimise the performance of circular and linear separators on production lines, it is crucial to integrate them with complementary and co-harmonious equipment. This integration ensures a smooth material flow and maximises overall process efficiency.

Circular separators

Circular separators are suitable for fine powders, granular materials, and pellet products. They utilise controlled spiral vibration flow during separation, designed for differing particle sizes and ensuring precise grading and accurate separation. They are particularly effective in fine classification, ensuring product quality before packaging or forming machines.

Circular separators, such as the Vibrecon® Vibratory Separator (GVC) by Gough Engineering, offer a rotary action separating and sifting system. These separators excel at processing materials on an industrial scale, providing accurate particle separation based on size.

The GVC system, with the correct mesh(es) or perforated plate(s), can handle multiple fractions and can be configured with single or multiple screening decks. This allows for the separation of materials into specific grades or fractions based on particle size, increasing process effectiveness for superb classification. Gough Engineering's circular separators are designed to be robust and easily maintained, resulting in minimal spares over the machine’s operational lifetime and reduced full cleaning downtimes, respectively.

Areas for growth

Gough Engineering stands out from its competitors in the vibratory separator market due to its fit-for-purpose solutions and extensive knowledge and experience. The company offers trials and utilises a comprehensive database of previous applications to provide tailored solutions to various industries. Moreover, Gough Engineering provides full parts and service backup, ensuring reliable support throughout the equipment's lifecycle.

Several Gough Engineering customers use circular and linear separators. Molecular Products, a world leader in the design and manufacture of life critical devices for the treatment of breathable gases, utilises circular separators for fine classification, removing oversize materials and fines from breathable gas treatment products. GA Pet Food Partners, a dry pet food manufacturer, uses a linear vibrating screen to remove fine from dry kibble products before packaging. Each solution designed specifically for the customer’s product materials and operational requirements.

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In the coming years, Gough Engineering envisions expanding its vibratory separators and linear screens into new markets and applications. Promising areas for growth include proteins and nutraceutical production lines, and entomophagy — the use of insects for protein and minerals in certain food production.

Circular separators and linear separators are essential tools in industrial material processing applications. Their individual features and benefits make them suitable for different industries and production challenges. Gough Engineering's vibratory separators, with their fit-for-purpose solutions, dedicated customer support, and extensive knowledge base, provide efficient and reliable solutions for a wide range of industrial applications.

Industrial vibratory screen separators are a great way to sort product flows into multiple fractions quickly, thoroughly, and without particle sizing errors or cross-contamination based on particle sizes. However, it's crucial to know how to best specify a screen separator to ensure the unit meets production performance. Here's our mini-guide.

What Is a Vibratory Screen Separator?

A linear vibratory screen separator is either a twin out-of-balance or an electromechanical drive machine that uses combinations of mesh aperture / perforation plate hole sizes to classify mainly dry and free flowing products.

Circular separators use rapid-vibration (designed specifically in vertical and horizontal movement) to process incoming solid or liquid particulate streams using either linear or circular motion. As with mechanised/manual sieves and filters, high-speed vibration allows a constant vibratory motion to separate particulates of varying sizes and helps catch / trap or separate contaminants or debris.

With the correct vibration settings and a suitable aperture mesh, vibratory separators can process granular foodstuffs, organics, minerals, dry powders, and liquid-solid mixes. Separators can sieve, separate, classify or grade by size and even control its flow on a continuous basis.

Considerations For Selecting The Right Machinery

1) Quality of the mesh: The quality of the mesh is important, especially its tension using fine mesh and ultrasonics to produce a reliable screening process. Wire mesh or perforated plates can both be used where for certain product applications perforated plates can be more durable with heavier material.

2) Correct aperture: Whether you use mesh or perforated plates, the aperture size is crucial to correctly separate your product into the required fractions and divisions. Small aperture meshes (20 to 500 µm) are susceptible to blinding and may require ultrasonic actuation to de-blind the screen.

3) Feed rate – It is important to ensure the product feed rate and delivery to the screen area is correctly setup. Feed rate can vary by product and normally is calculated for materials in a ‘dry and free-flowing’ state. Several factors may affect flow including moisture content, environmental moisture, temperature, fat content and agglomeration.

4) Temperature of materials and moisture: All materials have an innate level of viscosity, so temperature and environmental moisture levels should be closely controlled to avoid issues such as blockages and sticking (which may impact screening accuracy and production volume). The screening/sieving process can also be affected by your screening requirements – including the number of fractions needed, particle size, feed rate and flow, vibration settings etc).

5) Bulk density and material volume: The bulk density is important to define and is used to determine the size of the separator screen required i.e. diameter and screen area for linear machines. Low bulk density products typically require a larger unit to achieve the same kilograms per hour throughput as for a higher bulk density material. Applications with a high material volume also generally require a larger screen area to sustain the same throughput rate.

6) Dust proofing and safety considerations: For product safety reasons, some vibratory screens may require dust proofing, utilising dustproof covers to keep airborne particulates away from the product. Gough units can be supplied for use in both safe areas and certain ATEX rated zones which are defined by the customer. However, usually our equipment is exempt from internal ATEX requirements due to its design and operation having no moving parts.

7) Product-specific considerations: A vibratory screen separator should be tailored to the needs of your application and the product properties – as well as for integration with other equipment in your production line. Some equipment may also require regulatory approval for use with certain products, such as FDA approval for the foods industry.

Ensuring Product Quality

• A trusted supplier – In our case, we are a supplier of high specification machinery, designed, manufactured and commissioned with superb aftercare. Our equipment has been supplied to industries over many years with patents e.g. such as a Vibrecon, Vibraflo and Swinglink bucket elevators.
• Industrial-grade stainless steel construction - durable, hygienic, and damage resistant.
• Proven vibration – designed and operational performance delivered to all customers over many decades.

Next Steps

At Gough Engineering, we design and supply a wide choice of high-quality vibratory separators and screeners for dry product processing applications.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Linear Vibrating Separator. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.