What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of Disc Screen Separator

Trommel screens have an easy-to-use design, and they can handle a wide range of materials. But these machines are susceptible to damage caused by binding and plugging, and they aren’t as efficient as vibrating or disc screens.

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In this post, we’ll cover common disadvantages of trommel screens and explain how the Freedom Disc Screen offers a more robust solution.

Clogging and Wrapping

Industrial screening equipment is deployed in many industries to screen and size a variety of materials. In many cases, certain materials prove particularly challenging for screening. Often, materials like biomass, municipal solid waste, and plastics place extra demand on traditional equipment, like trommels and star screens.

After just a few hours of operation, a trommel screen drum or conventional star screen shaft becomes wrapped and clogged with stringy and damp material. Without frequent cleaning, these machines produce inefficient screening and require frequent maintenance stoppages.

Meanwhile, the Freedom Disc Screen’s anti-clogging system keeps the deck free and clear, providing efficient screening of the most difficult materials. This is because of its unique faceted disk shape. The faceted disks help to agitate the material, freeing entrapped fines while simultaneously protecting the shafts. The reliability of the Freedom Disc Screen and lack of time required for cleaning means more operation time and production volume through your system.

Size of Separation

With a trommel, the size of separation is fixed with the screen media on the deck. Changing the screen sizing requires several hours of downtime for a complete change of the screen mesh in the machine.

The Freedom Disc Screen allows for instant changing of screen size by adjusting the speed of operation. By increasing or decreasing the speed of the machine, the separation size can be changed plus or minus 20%.

Running the machine faster produces a finer product while running slower will produce a coarser product. This simple ability allows the operator to quickly adjust to changing material conditions without costly downtime and the need for tools or parts expenditures.

Accurate Sizing in 3 Dimensions

An additional problem of screen size is the passage of elongated material and spearing. With the action of a trommel screen constantly lifting and dropping material, it lifts long pieces and then drops them vertically through the smaller screen openings. 

Because the shafts of the Freedom Disc Screen are driven, spearing is greatly reduced. Elongated pieces or pokers are laid down on the screen deck and propelled horizontally across the screen, reducing the opportunity for them to orient themselves and contaminate your product.

Related Article: Learn more about the disadvantages of trommel screens.

Screening Capacity and Footprint

Screening in a trommel is only accomplished on the bottom of a drum. With any given trommel diameter and length, the screen area of the machine is defined by 1/3 of the drum diameter by the screen length. And the Freedom Disc Screen’s large effective area of the screen provides substantial capacity advantages in a given footprint.

Large trommels require large motors and associated energy consumption to move their mass. A typical 40’ trommel machine requires 40 HP and 30 kilowatts per hour to run the machine. For the same capacity, an energy-efficient Freedom Disc Screen only requires a 10 HP motor and corresponding 7.5 kilowatts per hour.  

Compact Size and Screening Flexibility

Compared to the dimension of a trommel sized for a given application, the Freedom Disc Screen provides significant space savings and a compact footprint. Our disc screens can be arranged with multiple cut sizes in a single deck, or units with different separation sizes can be stacked on top of each other. A cascade arrangement with several screens can also be configured in a small footprint.  

The ability to arrange your shredder and screen in a compact footprint provides significant cost savings during construction in reduced structure, conveyor, and building requirements.

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There are a number of available material screening solutions. Material specifications will dictate the type of screening equipment that is most efficient for the given process.

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Trommels are one of the most commonly deployed screens for a number of jobs – from ores and minerals to aggregates, compost, and municipal solid waste. However, despite their wide usage, trommel screens have a number of disadvantages that can make them less than ideal.

What is a Trommel Screen?

Trommel screens (also known as drum screens or rotary screens) are cylindrical drum-like machines used for sorting and separating materials based on size. It consists of a cylindrical drum that rotates around its axis, and material is fed into one end of the drum. As the drum rotates, the material tumbles and rolls, allowing smaller particles to fall through the openings in the drum while larger particles are retained.

Diving into the drawbacks of trommel screens will help you make informed decisions for your specific application needs.

Low Efficiency

While trommels are frequently used to process materials, they do so inefficiently. Trommel screens are simple in design.

The advantage of this design is a relatively lower cost. In fact, basic, small trommels can be made at home with relative ease. However, for heavy duty industrial applications, that same simplicity results in an overall inefficient design.

When compared to other solutions, like vibrating screens, trommels simply cannot handle the same volume of materials. While rotating, only a portion of the screen is being utilized for sizing. Comparatively, the entire screen surface of other material screening solutions can effectively size materials. This not only places the trommel drum at a volumetric disadvantage to other screening equipment, but can also lead to additional material flow concerns.

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Energy Consumption

Trommel screens often have high energy requirements during operation, especially when dealing with large volumes of material. This not only contributes to increased operational costs, but also raises concerns about their environmental impact.

Screen Plugging

When screening multiple particle sizes or when material begins to back up, trommels also have the disadvantage of plugging. Plugging occurs when a larger feed material gets stuck in the screen aperture. This can lead to further plugging or back up of material traveling through the drum.

When a plug happens, it can halt production, in turn lending to additional maintenance. Wet materials, though commonly processed through trommel screens, can cause additional hindrances to the screen.

Screen Blinding

Much like plugging, when sorting wet materials, trommel screens are prone to blinding. As wet feed materials (such as compost or solid waste) pass through the rotating drum, they can begin to clump and stick to the screen. This can cause further materials to build-up, leading to less efficient sorting if not halting production.

Even when blinding does not require immediate attention, it still requires cleaning of the trommel and can lead to additional maintenance. Cleaning of the drum and replacing trunnion wheels and cleaning brushes can be costly.

Drum Damage

Plugging, blinding, or simply regular use can cause damage to the trommel’s drum. While some minor damage is to be expected and can be prevented through proper usage and care, larger damage can be costly. One of the biggest disadvantages of the trommel screen’s design is the inability to replace part of the drum when damage occurs.

In the event that damage is unable to be repaired, the entire drum must be replaced. This is both expensive and can halt further production.

Size and Space Constraints

The large physical footprint of trommel screens can be a hindrance, especially in facilities with limited operational space. Finding suitable areas for installation can be a logistical challenge.

AEI Solutions

Aggregates Equipment, Inc. manufactures screening solutions which overcome the disadvantages of trommel screens. The BIVITEC® Screen operates using a flip-flow principle and features a dual-vibratory process which prevents clogging and blinding.

The BIVITEC® is an ideal screening solution for applications commonly using trommel screens, including sorting C&D waste, roofing shingles, compost, and more. Learn about the benefits of vibratory screens or contact our sales team to request a BIVITEC® for your operation.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Horizontal Refuse Transfer Stations. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.