Screening is an indispensable unit process for separation of materials. Large vibrating screen is extensively used in coal processing because of its large production capacity. In this study, a novel large vibrating screen with duplex statically indeterminate mesh beam structure (VSDSIMBS) was presented. The dynamic model of VSDSIMBS was proposed, and characteristic parameters were obtained by theoretical calculations. In order to obtain more reliable and believable research results, model of a traditional vibrating screen (TVS) with the same mass was also established for comparisons with VSDSIMBS. The finite element (FE) method was applied to study the performance of VSDSIMBS and FE analysis of VSDSIMBS and TVS was completed by using characteristic parameters. Modal analysis results indicated that VSDSIMBS could avoid the resonance and run more smoothly than TVS. Furthermore, harmonic response analysis results showed that VSDSIMBS could improve the entire stress distribution, reduce high stress areas, and increase the strength of vibrating screen. With DSIMBS, the maximum stress of vibrating screen decreased from 130.53 to 64.54 MPa. The full-scale experimental tests were performed to validate the credibility and accuracy of FE analysis results. The stress and displacements of VSDSIMBS were measured under working conditions. The test results obtained are in good agreement with simulation results, and accord with conclusions made from FE analysis.

Low-rank steam coal is an important coal resource, but has high water and ash content, which needs to be separated to improve its quality and calorific value. In this paper, the process of screening using a flip-flow screen and density separator using a shallow groove dense-medium separator for steam coal was proposed and applied to the Lijiahao coal preparation plant. Kinematics of the screen box and the surface of the flip-flow screen were investigated using an acceleration and laser displacement measurement and analysis system. The mechanism of the flip-flow screen to overcome aperture blocking and to enhance the screening performance for moist and fine coal was discussed. The results from an industrial experiment when screening at 3 mm showed that the screening efficiency was 82.51%, while the total misplaced materials were 5.91%. The commercial separation of a wide size range of coal using a shallow groove dense-medium separator was analyzed. The results showed that the system exhibited satisfactory separation performance for 100–3 mm coal, whereas the corresponding E_p value was found to be 0.06 g/cm³. Compared with the 6 mm separation system, the yield of clean coal increased by 8.50%, which remarkably increased the economic benefits for the company.

Equal-thickness screening is a critical part of mineral processing; recently, the multistage variable-inclination equal-thickness screen (MSVIETS) has been utilized in the mining industry across the world. In this work, a model of the collision mechanics between particles and the multistage variable-inclination screen surface was established. The maximum collision force (F _max) was found to be closely related to amplitude, frequency, screen surface inclination, and number of stages. The time-frequency response characteristics of multistage (3-, 4-, and 5-STAGE) screen surfaces were studied by the vibration test analysis system. The permeation screen distribution law of grain groups on the screen surface was revealed. The obtained results show the best screening performance can be obtained from the 5-STAGE scheme with a screening efficiency of higher than 95% and total mismatch content of less than 2%. The synergistic mechanism between two of the parameters was revealed by Box-Behnken response surface methodology (BBRSM). Then, the correlation between the screening evaluation index and the multiple parameters was obtained, and the significant order of the parameters influencing the screening evaluation index was F _t > f > n.