Sieve Shaker (Analytical Sieving)
Shakes a stack of test sieves so a powder or granule separates into size fractions. Weighing each sieve gives the particle size distribution by mass.
- Pharmaceutical
- Food & beverage
- Chemicals
- Mining and construction
- Agriculture
Test your Sieve shaker knowledge
Multiple-choice questions
Pick an answer to see whether you are right and why.
Q1. How are sieves arranged in a stack?
basicQ2. Analytical sieving is best suited to particles larger than about:
basicQ3. Sieve blinding means:
intermediateQ4. A sieve with a torn mesh will make results appear:
intermediateQ5. The sieving end-point is reached when:
intermediateQ6. Which standard sets the tolerances for test sieve apertures?
advanced
Viva questions
Think of your answer first, then open it to compare.
1. How do you check mass balance in a sieve analysis and why?
Add the masses retained on all sieves and the pan and compare with the starting mass. A loss of more than a small amount (commonly about 2%) suggests dust escaped, material is stuck in the sieves, or a weighing error, so the result may not be reliable.
2. How should test sieves be cleaned?
Brush gently from below with a soft brush, or use an ultrasonic bath with mild detergent for fine meshes, then dry. Never push particles through with a hard brush or fingers, because this stretches the wires and enlarges openings.
3. Why might granules break during sieving, and how is it controlled?
Fragile granules can wear down (attrition) when shaken hard or for long, making results finer. Amplitude and time are chosen during method development to reach the end-point without significant breakage, and are then fixed in the method and calibrated on the shaker.
Keep every Sieve shaker in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.