CEDARAPIDS MVP380X CONE

When to Choose a Jaw Crusher vs. Cone crusher vs. Impact Crusher

As you would expect, there are different rock crushers for different applications but not everyone knows which the right one to choose is.  Of course, there are sometimes new scenarios that pop whereby a crusher is used in a previously unexplored scenario.  And there are scenarios where the perfect crusher doesn’t exist, so our amazing team makes one fill that gap!

To be able to choose the most appropriate jaw, cone or impact crusher for your site and your aggregates, it is very important that you understand the different mechanisms of rock crushers.  The structure and process that is executed have a mechanical effect on the molecular structure of the aggregate.  The ability to achieve this affects production efficiency, operation costs, labour costs, project goals and the consistency of correctness of the final product.

Impact Crusher vs Compression Crushers – including Jaw Crushers

Compression crushers are a category of crushers that include gyratory, cone, roll and jaw crushers.  In another category, you find impact crushers.  This category of crushers includes vertical shaft impactors and horizontal shaft impactors.

A much-valued benefit of compression crushers is that they, over their lifespan, require far less maintenance than impact crushers.  As is implied by the name, high impact crushers undergo enormous impact forces, violent vibrations whilst simultaneously experiencing friction.  This creates substantial amounts of wear and tear as machinery collides with the material within the crusher.

An output difference, that is a typical observation, is that compression crushers tend to give results of a flatter output material.  In the case of impact crushing, these crushers tend to give results of a cubical output material and, in certain applications, it can be of much higher quality.

Applications Suitable for Horizontal Shaft Impactor

Some sites have tricky spaces within which work needs to be done and that is when horizontal shaft impact crushers come into their own.  They are brilliant small portable crushers. These crushers tend to give results of cubical output material. They also allow for an effective reduction, in a closed circuit, to finish products to a required size.

Horizontal shaft impactors are not advised creating a product below 1.5” as they are not very efficient for this.  With output material requirements below 1” the wear increases beyond cost-effectiveness.

The typical scenarios where you find impact crushers being used are:

  • Limestone quarries and other limestone-based products
  • Preprocessed materials

o   Asphalt recycling

o   Concrete recycling

o   Other preprocessed materials

Applications Suitable for Jaw Crushers

Jaw crushers are typically used in a scenario that requires a reduction ratio of 10:1.   A jaw crusher 30” opening has a 3-inch minimum closed side setting.  Jaw crushers have diverse uses across many industries requiring crushing, however, you typically find them being used for:

  • Hard rock
  • Round rock
  • Sand and gravel
  • Limestone

There are jaw crushers created for recycling applications such as a 30×62 with gradation not being the main focus with this crusher size.  It runs less forcefully and prevents heavy steel from being caught.  These heavy components will bounce around and then can be removed before serious wear and tear occur.

Contact our Mormak for advice on whether it’s a jaw crusher or other crusher that will give your production the best results.