English
A Shaking Table and a Spiral Concentrator can both recover liberated gold by gravity, but they solve different problems. A spiral usually handles more feed and works well as a rougher. A shaking table treats less material, yet gives operators tighter control when cleaning a concentrate.
So, which one is better for your gold ore? Start with the job each machine must do. Feed size, gold liberation, clay content, capacity, target grade, and available floor space matter more than the equipment name.
Choose a spiral concentrator for continuous roughing or preconcentration of a classified, free-flowing slurry. Choose a shaking table when you need a cleaner concentrate, several visible product bands, and fine control over a smaller feed stream. For many gold ores, the strongest flowsheet uses a spiral first and a table second.
| Selection point | Shaking Table | Spiral Concentrator |
|---|---|---|
| Typical role | Cleaning, upgrading, final concentration | Roughing, scavenging, bulk preconcentration |
| Capacity per unit | Lower | Higher |
| Concentrate control | High; bands are visible on the deck | Controlled mainly by splitters and feed conditions |
| Moving parts | Deck drive and stroke mechanism | No powered moving parts in the trough |
| Footprint at high throughput | Can become large unless multi-deck tables are used | Multiple starts fit around compact columns |
| Best feed behavior | Well-classified, liberated fine particles | Steady, classified, low-slime slurry |
Slurry enters near one side of an inclined, riffled deck. Wash water flows across the surface. At the same time, an asymmetric stroke moves particles along the deck. Dense liberated gold stays close to the surface and travels toward the concentrate end. Lighter gangue moves sideways toward the tailings edge.
The separated bands are easy to see. An operator can change deck slope, stroke, frequency, wash water, and split points while watching the response. That visual control is useful when a plant wants a high-grade gravity concentrate. TOMINE’s three-deck Shaking Table lists a model range from 2 mm to 0.010 mm, but each deck and ore needs test work.
Slurry flows down a helical trough under gravity. Water flow, particle density, particle size, and the curved channel create bands across the spiral. Dense particles move toward the inner part of the trough. Lighter particles tend to travel farther outward. Splitters divide concentrate, middlings, and tailings.
A spiral runs continuously and the trough needs no motor. Pumps and distributors in the full circuit still use power. Feed preparation is critical. Uneven flow, excess slime, or a wide size range can blur the bands.
Spirals are attractive when a plant must reduce a large feed stream before another separation step. Several starts can share one column, which raises capacity per square metre. A table usually takes a smaller mass flow. In return, the operator can see and trim distinct concentrate, middlings, and tailings bands.
Neither machine can recover gold that remains locked inside quartz or sulphide. Both work best after enough crushing or grinding has liberated the valuable mineral. Classification matters too. Coarse particles settle differently from fine ones and can carry lighter material into the wrong product.
A shaking table can use coarse, fine, or slime decks for narrower size fractions. Spirals also come in different profiles, pitches, and turn counts. Do not copy a feed-size range from another mine. Check liberation and size-by-size recovery on your own sample.
A table often wins when concentrate grade is the main target. It can make a narrow cut and return middlings for retreatment. A spiral often wins when the first goal is to capture a larger share of liberated heavy particles from a bigger feed stream. The best result is not always the highest single-pass recovery. Mass pull and downstream cleaning cost also matter.
Clay and very fine slime change water behavior and can coat gold particles. They make separation less sharp on both machines. Spirals are particularly sensitive to changing feed rate and density because every trough needs even distribution. Tables also dislike surges, but the operator can see the change and adjust water or slope.
A spiral trough has no powered moving mechanism. Maintenance focuses on feed distributors, splitters, trough wear, and blockage. A table has a drive, bearings, stroke controls, and a moving deck. It also needs level foundations and regular checks. Water use depends on the selected model and flowsheet. Compare the whole circuit, including pumps and classification.
A large bank of single-deck tables needs substantial floor area and access around every deck. Multi-deck tables reduce that footprint. Spirals grow vertically and can place several starts around one support column. They still need head height, steady feed distribution, product launders, and safe splitter access.
A common test flowsheet sends classified ore to spirals first. The spiral concentrate then feeds one or more shaking tables. The spiral removes much of the light gangue at low operating complexity. The table works on a smaller stream and makes the final cut. Middlings can return to an appropriate point without overloading the cleaner.
Test a representative composite plus important ore variations. Screen the feed into useful size fractions and measure gold liberation. Run spiral and table tests at realistic solids density and flow. Record feed grade, recovery, concentrate grade, mass pull, water use, middlings load, and sensitivity to operating changes.
Then compare three cases: spiral only, table only, and spiral roughing followed by table cleaning. A small rise in recovery may not justify extra equipment. A lower mass pull may be valuable if it cuts downstream smelting or leaching costs. Our shaking table selection guide covers deck and operating details, while the spiral concentrator comparison explains when enhanced gravity may be the better alternative.
Send TOMINE your gold grade, mineralogy, liberation size, particle-size distribution, solids density, target capacity, and required concentrate grade. We can compare a Shaking Table, a Spiral Concentrator, or a combined circuit against the same ore sample.
A shaking table often produces a higher-grade final concentrate because the operator can make narrow visible cuts. The result still depends on liberation, feed classification, and table settings.
A spiral concentrator normally handles more solids per unit and is easier to arrange in large banks. Exact capacity depends on the spiral model, ore, feed size, and number of starts.
Yes, if the gold is liberated and the spiral is designed for the feed range. Very fine, flaky, or poorly liberated gold may need a table, centrifugal concentrator, flotation, or another recovery step.
No. Ore normally needs crushing or grinding, liberation, and size classification before table treatment. Feeding unclassified run-of-mine material gives poor separation and unstable operation.
Often, yes. A spiral can preconcentrate a larger feed, then a shaking table can clean the smaller heavy-mineral stream. Test work should confirm whether the extra stage improves total economics.
