Mineral separation is hampered by several factors, with particle size being particularly important. As the slurry feed grainsize increases, the efficiency of separation tends to decrease. Separation efficiency is also affected by the stroke of the table (frequency and length); fine feed requires a higher speed and shorter stroke than a coarse feed. A frequency of 200 to 325 strokes per minute is typical.
When Wilfley tables were originally employed to rework tailing dumps, the tables were found to enhance mineral recovery by some 3540% percent compared to existing processes, though this is not always the case.
Optimisation of table setup can have a significant impact on the recovery of ore. Using magnetite as a synthetic ore to test recovery on a Wilfley Table, Mackay et al. (2015) found that an optimised table setup (i.e. table inclination, wash-water flow rate, material feed rate, table speed, stroke amplitude, feed grade and feed density) increased magnetite recovery by a factor of 3.7.
The Wilfley table, like any wet table, is one of the most metallurgically efficient forms of gravity concentration, being used to treat the smaller, more difficult flow-streams, and to produce finished concentrates from the products of other forms of gravity system. Additional efficiencies are gained in the treatment of low grade feeds where two or even three decks are stacked one above the other allowing for continuous feeding.