Trommel Screen Specifications
The figures below describe typical industry specifications for this class of equipment rather than a single fixed model. Use them to scope a requirement, then confirm exact figures against the supplied unit before purchase.
| Specification | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.8–2.0 m typical |
| Length | 4–10 m |
| Aperture | 8–25 mm for alluvial gold; coarser for scrubbing |
| Drive | 2.2–15 kW, chain or trunnion |
| Speed | 30–50% of critical, typically 10–20 rpm |
| Water | High. Often 1–3 m³ per m³ of feed |
| Scrubbing | Internal lifters and a punch-plate scrub section |
| Capacity | 10–150 t/h depending on diameter and clay content |
| Mounting | Skid, trailer or static frame |
What a Trommel Screen Is Used For
- Alluvial and eluvial gold plants
- Clay-bound gravel scrubbing
- Sizing ahead of sluices and jigs
- Mobile exploration bulk-sample plants
Maintenance Schedule
Most premature failures in this equipment class trace back to a missed routine check rather than a design fault. The intervals below are a practical starting schedule; adjust them to your duty cycle and the manufacturer manual.
| Interval | Task |
|---|---|
| Every shift | Inspect screen plates for holes and blinding; confirm spray bars are all firing; listen for trunnion or chain noise. |
| Weekly | Check tyre or roller condition; inspect internal lifters; grease trunnions. |
| Monthly | Measure plate thickness; inspect frame and drive-chain tension. |
| Annually | Replace screen sections as a planned set; overhaul drive. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Trommel or vibrating screen for alluvial gold?
Trommel, when the feed has clay. The tumbling and residence time break clay that a vibrating screen will smear into blinding. Vibrating screens win on hard, dry crushed rock. Alluvial Tanzanian ground is usually clay-bound, which is why trommels dominate that duty.
How much water does a trommel use?
A lot. One to three cubic metres of water per cubic metre of feed is common, more in fat clay. Recycle through a settling pond is not optional in water-constrained districts. Undersupplying water is the usual reason gold stays in clay balls and reports to oversize.
What aperture should I run?
Coarse enough that gold-bearing gravel reports to the sluice, fine enough that rocks do not choke it. 10–16 mm is a common alluvial starting point. Too fine and the trommel packs; too coarse and the sluice sees rocks instead of pay gravel.
Supply and Delivery Across Tanzania
Bart Mining supplies trommel screen and related equipment to mining operations throughout Tanzania, with primary coverage of the Lake Victoria Goldfields (Mwanza, Kahama, Geita, Shinyanga and Bukombe), alongside the Lupa Goldfields around Chunya and Mbeya, and delivery nationwide from Dar es Salaam.
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Need a trommel screen specified for your site?
Tell us your duty, depth or throughput and available power supply. We will come back with a specification and price, and flag anything on site that needs to change to make it work.