sieve
Enable an agent to recognise a physical sieve, assess its suitability and condition, and determine how it may separate or classify a material safely and reliably.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise a physical sieve, assess its suitability and condition, and determine how it may separate or classify a material safely and reliably.
A sieve is a physical separation tool with a mesh or perforated surface that allows particles or fluid to pass through its openings while retaining particles whose size and shape prevent passage.
It can be Select a sieve whose openings, contact materials and mounting suit a stated feed and separation duty.; Arrange compatible sieves in a stack with a receiver to collect successive fractions.; Apply a documented loading and motion or washing procedure, then collect retained and passing material.; Inspect openings, joints and seating for blockage, distortion, damage or bypass.; Clean and dry the sieve using a method compatible with its surface and intended use.; Remove a damaged or insufficiently verified sieve from an application that requires reliable separation..
Distinguishing features
A candidate has an apertured working surface through which material passes while another fraction remains; a solid sorting tray does not qualify.
Separation depends on access to and passage through openings, rather than principally on magnetic attraction, density separation or adsorption.
The sieve is the separating surface and its immediate support; an entire powered screening machine includes additional mechanisms and requires a broader model.
A test sieve requires an identified opening specification and applicable verification evidence; a household sieve cannot be assumed suitable for measurement.
Names such as screen, strainer and colander overlap in physical construction; intended separation duty and working-surface geometry must establish the boundary.
Scope
+ Apertured working surface, frame, seals and supporting components
+ Opening geometry and the material characteristics that govern passage or retention
+ Dry and wet sieving arrangements and required motion
+ Retained and passing fractions, separation performance and sample recovery
+ Inspection, cleaning, wear and application-specific suitability
- Complete screening plants and their drives, conveyors or process controls
- Feed substances and separated products as independently modelled materials
- Filtration systems whose separation depends principally on depth media, adsorption or membranes
- Statistical interpretation and laboratory procedures beyond the sieve's own role
- Mathematical and computational sieves
- Individual product catalogues, commercial product lines and inventory records
Characteristics
- Separation duty
- particle classification | oversize removal | solids recovery | liquid drainage | other declared duty Determines whether opening accuracy, throughput, recovery or drainage is the primary suitability criterion.
- Working-surface construction
- woven wire | perforated plate | polymer mesh | other identified apertured surface Affects opening geometry, durability, cleaning and compatibility with the feed.
- Opening specification
- opening dimensions in µm or mm, with shape, nominal designation and tolerance where known Defines the intended passage geometry; a mesh designation alone may not establish opening size.
- Effective sieving area
- cm² or m² of usable working surface; open-area proportion in % Helps assess loading and available passage area.
- Frame and mounting interface
- compatible holder, stack, shaker or machine; interface dimensions in mm Determines whether the sieve can be supported and sealed without bypass.
- Contact materials
- identified materials and coatings of mesh, frame, joints and seals Supports assessment of corrosion, abrasion and contamination risks.
- Feed suitability
- intended feed linked to particle shape, size range, moisture, cohesion and chemical compatibility Passage depends on feed behaviour as well as nominal opening dimensions.
- Operating arrangement
- dry | wet; manual | gravity-fed | externally vibrated | externally shaken | other specified motion Identifies the conditions and external equipment needed for separation.
- Permitted loading
- g or kg per batch, or kg/h for continuous service, under stated conditions Excess loading can obstruct openings and reduce separation quality; limits require application-specific evidence.
- Working-surface condition
- intact | blinded | worn | torn | distorted | loose | unassessed Defects can prevent passage, admit oversized material or release fragments.
- Separation outcome
- retained and passing mass in g or kg, or mass fractions in %, with operating conditions Records actual performance without treating nominal aperture as an exact particle-size cutoff.
- Verification status
- unverified | documented inspection | verified against identified requirements | failed | review due Distinguishes a usable separator from a sieve supported for a particular measurement or regulated application.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 19 findings · 33 questions.
Separation identity Establishes the physical sense of sieve and the separation duty it serves.
The name overlaps with neighbouring tools and does not by itself establish a measurement capability.
Physical sieve boundary
Identifies the separating surface and distinguishes it from the surrounding apparatus.
Apertured separator
Recognition requires a working surface that permits passage through openings while retaining a fraction of the feed.
- Which surface performs separation, and what passes through or remains on it? definition
- Does the named thing denote the sieve component, a complete screening machine, or a nonphysical sieve? boundary
Duty and neighbours
Locates the sieve's intended role among classification, screening and straining uses.
Declared separation duty
The intended retained and passing fractions establish what successful use means.
- Is the duty size classification, oversize removal, solids recovery or liquid drainage? definition
- Which registry boundary governs overlap with screens, strainers, colanders and filters? boundary
Opening and construction Describes the geometry and physical construction that govern passage.
Opening labels are insufficient without geometry, usable area and an intact support arrangement.
Passage geometry
Captures the dimensions and distribution of working openings.
Opening specification
Opening shape, dimensions and variation define the geometric basis of separation.
- What are the nominal opening dimensions and shape, expressed in µm or mm? measurement
- What document or measurement connects any mesh designation to those dimensions and tolerances? provenance
Surface support and seating
Captures the working surface, frame and interfaces that preserve the separation boundary.
Supported and seated surface
Construction and seating must keep feed on the intended passage path without edge leakage.
- What materials, joints and supports form the working surface and frame? definition
- How is the sieve seated or sealed so material cannot bypass its openings? action
- What usable sieving area and mounting dimensions are available? measurement
Feed and operation Relates the sieve to the feed and operating conditions needed for useful separation.
Aperture alone cannot predict separation when particles orient, agglomerate or obstruct the surface.
Feed passage behaviour
Identifies feed properties that change access to and passage through openings.
Particle and moisture effects
Particle shape, moisture and cohesion must be considered when judging suitability.
- What particle shapes, moisture conditions and agglomeration behaviour characterise the feed? measurement
- Could deformation, orientation or agglomeration make passage misleading for the intended classification? boundary
Loading and motion
Defines how material is presented to openings and moved across the surface.
Operating procedure
Loading, motion, duration and any washing conditions establish the context for the result.
- What batch mass or feed rate is permitted for this material and usable surface area? measurement
- What motion, duration or endpoint and wetting conditions should the agent apply? action
- Which external shaker, water supply or other equipment is required by that procedure? boundary
Fractions and verification Connects collected fractions to operating records and evidence of opening conformity.
A sieve used for measurement needs traceable conditions and verification beyond a nominal size label.
Fraction recovery
Tracks retained, passing and unrecovered material.
Fraction accounting
Collected fractions should be identifiable and losses visible before results are interpreted.
- What masses or proportions passed, remained and were not recovered? measurement
- How will fractions be collected and labelled to prevent mixing between stack levels or runs? action
Test sieve evidence
Identifies the requirements and records supporting a claimed measurement role.
Opening conformity evidence
Claims of test suitability require identified requirements and evidence applicable to the sieve.
- Which standard, edition and issuing body govern this sieve's claimed test application? provenance
- What inspection or calibration record supports opening conformity, and what is its scope? provenance
- What result or condition requires reverification or exclusion from the test? action
Integrity, cleaning and exposure Addresses degradation, carryover and hazards arising at the sieve and its interfaces.
Blockage and damage directly alter separation, while cleaning and handling can introduce additional defects or exposure.
Separation surface degradation
Distinguishes blocked passage from enlarged openings, tears and failed joints.
Defect response
Condition assessment must identify how a defect changes retention, passage or bypass.
- Are openings blocked, enlarged or distorted, or are the surface and edge joints damaged? measurement
- Which observed defects permit cleaning, require replacement or invalidate a previous separation? action
Cleaning and use compatibility
Determines how the sieve can be cleaned and handled for its intended material and mounting.
Compatible cleaning and handling
Cleaning must control retained residue without damaging openings, and operation must account for feed and mounting hazards.
- Which cleaning and drying methods remove this residue without deforming openings or attacking contact materials? action
- What evidence establishes contact-material suitability for the intended food, chemical or other feed? provenance
- What controls are needed for dust, sharp wire, hazardous residue or attachment to moving equipment? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- The sense covered is the physical tool or device class, not a mathematical sieve, molecular-sieve material, product model or individual unit.
- Standards are recalled without consultation; current editions and application-specific requirements require verification.
- Dimensions describe common laboratory examples, not universal limits; passage also depends on particle shape, orientation, moisture and the sieving procedure.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Woven-wire mesh sieve
- Perforated-plate sieve
- Electroformed precision sieve
- Handheld kitchen sieve
- Laboratory test sieve
- Powered vibrating sieve
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- ASTM sieve designation - No. 200 corresponds to a nominal opening of 75 µm - Identifies an aperture designation for test sieves, not a unique device; sieve numbers should be interpreted within their stated standard.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- ISO 3310-1, International Organization for Standardization: technical requirements and testing for test sieves of metal wire cloth.
- ISO 3310-2, International Organization for Standardization: technical requirements and testing for test sieves of perforated metal plate.
- ASTM E11, ASTM International: specification for woven wire test sieve cloth and test sieves.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Measuring particle-size distributions by weighing fractions retained on a stack of test sieves.
- Separating oversized particles from powders, granules, sand or aggregate.
- Sifting flour and breaking up loose agglomerates during food preparation.
- Draining liquids while retaining food solids.
- Recovering objects or specimens from soil and sediment.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Laboratory test-sieve frame diameter - Common nominal sizes include 200 and 203.2 - mm
- Nominal aperture used in fine-aggregate grading - Commonly 0.075-4.75 across a sieve series - mm
- Mass fraction retained on an individual sieve - 0-100 - %
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Blocked apertures reduce throughput and distort particle-size measurements.
- Torn mesh, enlarged openings or loose mesh-to-frame joints allow unintended passage.
- Overloading or insufficient agitation causes incomplete separation.
- Moisture, static electricity and particle agglomeration can bias separation results.
- Sieving can release inhalable dust; powered equipment can also introduce pinch points and vibration hazards.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- US laboratory practice commonly uses ASTM numbered sieve designations and inch-based frame sizes; ISO-based practice commonly specifies metric apertures and frame sizes.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- filter - A sieve primarily separates by passage through defined openings; filters also include depth media and other capture mechanisms.
- strainer - A strainer is generally described by its role in removing solids from a fluid or draining food; its construction can overlap with that of a sieve.
- screen - Screen commonly denotes the separating surface or an industrial screening device; usage overlaps substantially with sieve.
- sieve shaker - A sieve shaker supplies controlled motion to one or more sieves; the sieves provide the separating openings.
- molecular sieve - A molecular sieve is a microporous material that separates molecules through selective adsorption and pore access, rather than a mesh or perforated tool.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of sieve this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend sieve to include industrial screens, strainers and colanders, or are any of these independently owned neighbouring concepts?
- Which governing standards, issuing bodies and current editions apply to each intended test-sieve construction and use?
- What opening ranges, tolerances, loading limits and dimensions can be supported by sources for representative sieve classes?
- Which feed-dependent endpoints and recovery criteria distinguish adequate separation from under-sieving, particle breakage or material loss?
- What inspection, cleaning and replacement criteria are supported for each working-surface material and application?