When discussing screening efficiency, industry people often say, “Well, I can always get more capacity from an inclined screen.”

Ed Sauser, a vibratory product specialist at Superior, says he hears that all the time. So, is it true? Do inclined screens always outperform horizontal screens?

When choosing screens, Sauser notes that producers are most concerned about throughput, product gradations, and fines removal - and some may assume that since inclined screens operate at a steeper angle, gravity alone will lead to more throughput. But that’s not always the case, especially when the inclined is overloaded – a common situation that leads to material carryover, recirculating loads, and out-of-spec product.

True Capacity Explained

“When we size a screen, the real question is how much material can pass through the deck openings, not how much can slide across them,” Sauser explains.

He notes that what some operators call “more capacity” on an inclined screen is often just more "material handling," or material moving quickly over the surface instead of actually passing through it.

Plant operators often assume that faster material travel on an inclined screen translates to higher production. In reality, a horizontal screen will outperform an overloaded incline when you're measuring sellable tons per hour. Horizontal screens look slower, but that added time on the deck creates more chances for proper material stratification. Without that, producers pay for it later through increased wear, reprocessing, and higher cost-per-ton.