Term nl → en
wastewater treatment screening solid-liquid separation mechanical separation

trommelzeef

Dutch

trommelzeef
Mechanisch scheidingsapparaat bestaande uit een roterende trommel (meestal om een horizontale as), voorzien van perforaties of fijn gaas, waarmee vaste deeltjes op basis van grootte worden afgescheiden uit een vloeistof- of slurry-stroom.

Definitions

  1. Trommel, om een horizontale as draaiend, bespannen met zeer fijn roestvrijstalen gaas; de afgescheiden vaste stoffen blijven aan de binnenzijde van de trommel achter en worden op het hoogste punt met waterstralen afgespoeld en opgevangen in een trog.
  2. Draaiende zeef met hoge rand voor continue mechanische afscheiding van vaste deeltjes.

Reference:
ir. A. Koot, Behandeling van Afvalwater, Delft, pp. 271–272.

Dutch variants and near-synonyms

  • zeeftrommel
  • trommelzeef
  • roterende trommelzeef
  • draaiende zeef
  • draaizeef
  • trommel (context-dependent)
  • trommelzeel (variant spelling)

English

Preferred term (industrial and regulatory standard)

  • rotary drum screen
  • drum screen

These are the dominant and standard terms in: - wastewater treatment engineering, - environmental technology, - industrial screening equipment, - EU and international technical documentation.

They are also the terms used in authoritative sources such as Wikipedia and IATE.

Definition

rotary drum screen
A rotating cylindrical screen, typically inclined slightly from the horizontal, used for mechanical size separation of solids from liquids or slurries.

Material is fed at the elevated end of the drum. As the drum rotates, solids are retained on the inner surface of the perforated shell while the liquid phase passes through the openings. Axial transport is governed by drum inclination and internal conveying elements, while radial movement is governed by rotational speed.

Other English variants (attested, but less standard)

  • rotary screen
  • revolving drum
  • revolving screen
  • cup screen
  • trommel screen / tromel screen (variant spellings)
  • sieve drum
  • rotary sieve (rare; more common in laboratory or fine-sieving contexts)

⚠️ Note:
Although sieve and sieving may appear in some technical or academic contexts (especially where perforation sizes are very small), screen is by far the most common and accepted term in industrial wastewater and environmental engineering English.


Usage notes (important for translators)

In Dutch technical texts, zeef and rooster are often contrasted:

  • rooster → coarse screen / bar screen
  • zeef / trommelzeef → fine screen / drum screen

In English, both are typically rendered using screen, with the distinction expressed by modifiers such as: - coarse screen / bar screen - fine screen - drum screen - micro-screen

For this reason, translating trommelzeef as rotary drum screen best reflects actual English engineering usage, even though the Dutch root zeef might suggest sieve.


Examples

Dutch English Source
Het biologisch effluent wordt gezeefd met een roterende trommelzeef. The biological effluent is screened using a rotary drum screen. Patent text
De trommelzeef is voorzien van perforaties van circa 1 mm. The drum screen is provided with perforations of approximately 1 mm. Patent text
De grovere deeltjes blijven achter in de trommelzeef. The coarser particles are retained in the drum screen. Patent text

External links

  • Wikipedia: Trommel screen
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trommel_screen
  • IATE: drum screen / rotary drum screen
    https://iate.europa.eu

References


  1. ir. A. Koot, Behandeling van Afvalwater, Delft, pp. 271–272 

  2. Common usage in EU and international wastewater treatment and screening equipment documentation 

About this term

Languages
nl → en
Description
Dutch technical term ‘trommelzeef’ and its standard English equivalents in wastewater treatment, solid–liquid separation and screening technology
Tags
wastewater treatment, screening, solid-liquid separation, mechanical separation
Last Updated
2026-01-06
Source
Edit this term on GitHub