What to Consider When Comparing Portable Screening Plants

Portable screening plants offer a great resource for a variety of industries, ranging from small to medium-sized operations. For example, landscapers can use them on the job site to beautify a property and save the expense and inconvenience of having topsoil brought to the site. Good portable screening plants can sift more than just topsoil, however.

Type of Portable Screening Plants

There are a number of types of portable screening plants, so it is a great idea to compare and contrast them to find just the right one for your company's needs.

A trommel works by feeding dirt, rocks, etc. into a drum. The rotation of the drums in these portable screening plants tosses the contents inside. A screen within the drum allows smaller material to be sifted out the bottom, as well as aerating the soil. Meanwhile, larger stones, sticks, etc. work their way to the rear of the drum and are removed out of the back.

Box screens include a frame with a screen mounted on top. The material is loaded on top of the screen, either with a front loader or even by hand with a shovel. The back of the screen is higher than the front, and as the material is vibrated toward the lower end, the smallest pieces are able to fall through into the box below. The larger items continue to slide until they are deposited off the front.

Construction and demolition screening plants are generally referred to as "C&D screens." The basic premise of this type of portable screening plant is that it is durable enough to be used for demolition and construction jobs. The materials being separated in this type of application are likely to be much rougher than in other situations, so a heavy-duty portable screening plant is helpful. The machine may also have the ability to sort material into more than one grade, such as "fines," "mediums," and "overs."

Accessories for Portable Screening Plants

The convenience of having a screening plant that is portable is certainly a huge advantage. Of course, different businesses have different needs for their machines. Fortunately, there are a number of potential accessories that can customize the plant for a variety of needs.

Conveyors can be a major help with certain machines or even on particular jobs. These can work to feed material into a box screen, for instance, or can haul away the material being sorted. If the platform for dumping is high, then a conveyor can make a big difference if loading is done by hand. An operator is often required to both load the machine and carry away the debris. A conveyor can eliminate at least one of these jobs.

Many portable screening plants give the option of changing out the screen. This is helpful because the one machine can be used in a number of situations. Screens might include punched metal, a fine mesh, or even piano wire. Each type of screen has its own list of attributes. For example, a larger mesh can be used to sift gravel into various sizes, while smaller mesh can clean the debris out of sand.

Portable Screening Plants for Personal Use

While there are many options for large portable screening plants that can be hauled to the job site, there are smaller models that are perfect for personal use. These compact models can be plugged into a 110 volt outlet to sift dirt by the shovelful. The fines sift through the screen and into a wheelbarrow, while the unwanted debris tumbles out of the back of the machine. At less than 150 pounds, you can't get more portable screening plants than these.