Stacking Sieve Screen instruments arrange the sieve stack so the largest opening Test Sieve Screen is located on the top of the stack, followed by smaller and smaller Test Sieve Screens until reaching the bottom pan.

Analyzing powder samples in this fashion will result in the larger particles blocking the passage of smaller particles. Additionally, finer particles have a greater surface area making them more susceptible of adhering to larger particles.  These features alone will result in inaccurate particle size analysis, which further could relate when this type analysis device is used for process control in the over-grinding of the material, increasing energy costs and reducing the viable product yield.

Air Sieving on the other hand begins an analysis using the finest opening Test Sieve Screen, removing the fines before they become attached to the larger particles.  Additionally, the distribution of the sample is enhanced by using a jet of air that is emitted from a rotating slit wand.  This allows the entire sample to come in contact with the sieve cloth openings. Those particles that are small enough to pass through the opening are carried away in the reverse air stream current.  This process results in a more accurate, more repeatable analysis.

Some people will argue that the Air Sieving process is more time consuming due to the single Test Sieve Screen sieving operation, but this is off set by the accuracy of the analysis which directly relates to a reduction in production costs and the increase in the product yield.

In conclusion pneumatic particle size analysis as performed using the Mikro Air Jet Sieve® has quickly become the first choice of clients in the Food, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Mineral and Chemical industries enabling those clients to perform FAST, ACCURATE, REPEATABLE dry particle size sieving analysis.