Fires on vibrating screen decks continue to pose a major risk to mining operations, with the potential to rapidly escalate into serious incidents that threaten worker safety, damage critical equipment, and disrupt production activities. To help address these challenges, Multotec has developed a new range of Flame Retardant (FR) rubber screen panels designed to improve fire safety while maintaining operational efficiency in demanding mineral processing environments.
Traditional rubber screen panels can easily ignite during maintenance procedures such as welding, grinding, and flame cutting. Sparks, heat, and hot metal fragments generated during these activities often create ideal conditions for fires to start and spread across vibrating screen decks.
Multotec’s newly engineered FR rubber screen panels are manufactured using specialised flame-retardant rubber compounds that are designed to resist ignition and self-extinguish in under 60 seconds once the heat source is removed. The panels have also undergone rigorous testing to comply with international fire safety standards.
Beyond improving safety, the panels are designed to deliver the durability and screening performance expected in modern mining operations. Backed by more than 50 years of mineral screening expertise, Multotec says the FR panels offer strong wear resistance while supporting continuous plant uptime under harsh operating conditions.
The technology was initially developed for the Australian mining market, where stricter fire safety regulations and insurance requirements accelerated the adoption of flame-retardant screening solutions. Today, many leading Australian iron ore producers have already standardised the use of FR screen panels as part of their risk management strategies.
According to Francois Fouche, Vice President of Screening Media at Multotec, the panels provide benefits that go beyond conventional screening applications.
“FR screen panels go beyond their primary screening function,” said Fouche. “By self-extinguishing when the heat source is removed and limiting flame propagation, these panels protect personnel, equipment, and assets while reducing unplanned shutdowns, ultimately supporting higher plant availability.”
He added that fire risks remain a constant concern during maintenance activities and that the panels were specifically designed to support uninterrupted mineral processing operations, even under South Africa’s extreme operating conditions.
The flame-retardant panels are suitable for both wet and dry screening applications across multiple commodities, including coal, iron ore, copper, platinum, manganese, zinc, and diamonds. They are available in both hard and soft durometer rubber variants, allowing mining operations to select solutions tailored to their specific processing requirements.
With mining companies increasingly prioritising both operational safety and productivity, Multotec’s FR screen panels demonstrate how advanced materials technology can help reduce risk while maintaining efficient mineral processing performance.
