Q: What is an FRP shaking table?
In one sentence: it is a mineral processing machine that separates heavy and light minerals by density — finely ground ore slurry is spread on an inclined deck that shakes back and forth; heavy minerals stay, light waste rock is washed away, and high-grade concentrate is produced.
"Shaking table" refers to the back-and-forth shaking deck; "FRP" means the deck is made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic — lighter, more wear-resistant, corrosion-proof and non-deforming than the old wooden decks.
Think of it as the mechanized version of gold panning: just like swirling a gold pan by a river — sand and water wash away, and the heavy gold grains stay in the pan. The shaking table mechanizes and speeds up that principle, processing large amounts of slurry continuously.
Q: How does it actually work?
It relies on the combination of vibration + water flow + density, in three simple steps:
Feeding – Finely ground ore slurry flows onto the deck from the feed chute at the upper corner, while a wash-water trough flushes water across the slightly inclined deck, forming a thin layer of flow.
Stratification – The deck moves in asymmetric reciprocating motion (slow forward, fast return). Under vibration, water flow and friction, particles stratify by density: heavy minerals sink to the bottom, light minerals float on top. The riffles (grooves) on the deck hold the heavy minerals back.
Fanning out & discharge – Heavy minerals roll along the deck toward the concentrate end; light minerals are washed away to the tailings side; a middlings fraction can also be collected. The products fan out across the deck and are collected separately as concentrate, middlings and tailings.
The whole process is continuous, and one machine can handle roughing, cleaning or scavenging duties.
Q: Is the separation accurate?
Yes — its separation precision is among the highest of all fine-particle gravity separators, and it is especially good at recovering fine grains of precious and rare metals like gold, tin and tungsten.
Q: Which industries use it, and what minerals does it process?
It is mainly used in mineral processing (ore dressing), across a wide range:
| Application | Description |
|---|---|
| Non-ferrous / precious metals | Tungsten, tin, tantalum, niobium, gold, silver and other rare & precious metal ores |
| Ferrous metals | Iron, manganese, chromium, titanium ores |
| Coal | Coal washing, coal/rock separation |
| Non-metallic purification | Removing impurities from quartz sand, kaolin, etc. |
| Tailings reprocessing | Recovering valuable minerals (e.g. gold) from tailings |
| Waste processing | Separating metal from non-metal in e-waste, etc. |
Q: How fine can the feed be?
Effective recovery size range is about 2–0.04 mm, divided into coarse-sand, fine-sand and slime fractions, each with its own riffle configuration.
Q: Why is the deck made of FRP (fiberglass)?
Compared with wooden or metal decks, the FRP deck is lighter, more wear-resistant, corrosion-proof, smooth and non-absorbent — longer service life and lower maintenance. It is now the most mainstream deck material (the common model is the 6-S shaking table).
Q: What is the capacity?
A single unit typically processes about 15–60 tons per day (roughly 0.5–2 t/h), depending on deck size and material.
Q: Does the ore need to be ground first?
Yes. The shaking table processes fine particles, so the ore must first be crushed and milled to a suitable size before separation.
Q: How is it different from spiral concentrators and jigs?
Shaking table – highest separation precision, ideal for fine particles and precious metals, but smaller per-unit capacity;
Spiral concentrator – large capacity, small footprint, good for medium/coarse particles, but lower precision;
Jig – even larger capacity, suited to coarser sizes, often used for roughing. In practice these machines are often combined in one circuit.
Q: How is it maintained?
Daily work mainly covers checking deck wear, lubricating the drive mechanism and adjusting wash water. The FRP deck lasts a long time, so maintenance is light.
