What is a Crusher?

As you may have guessed, crushers crush, but more specifically, they break down large pieces of rock, asphalt, and concrete into smaller pieces, which can, then, be used on a whole range of projects - from road base and fill to decorative stone or landscaping.

Contractors use crushers all the time to save thousands of dollars on transportation and dumping fees; plus, they are also able to reuse material instead of buying aggregate from another supplier.

Crushers come in all shapes and sizes, and to make things simple, they can be broken up by the 'stage' of crushing needed: primary, secondary, and tertiary crushing. As you progress from primary to tertiary, your output will increasingly get smaller.

Primary crushers

A primary crusher breaks up large pieces of rock or concrete from the blasting or excavation process and turns them into smaller, more manageable chunks.

Primary crushing produces materials ranging from 50" to 20" on average. The two main types of primary crushers are the jaw and gyratory crushers.

Jaw crushers

‍‍They are generally used for primary crushing but also provide great results with secondary crushing. Jaw crushers are excellent for breaking up concrete, rock, and asphalt into non-uniformed gravel.

Large amounts of material are fed into the “V-shaped” jaw of this crusher and are reduced by using compressive force. One side of the V remains stationary while the other side of the V swings against it. The material is forced from the wide opening of the V to the narrowest poi

nt of the V, creating a crushing motion.

Our best-selling jaw crushers include the ARK J-2716 and the Barford 750J.

Gyratory crushers

Gyratory crushers can also be used for both primary and secondary crushing. Often smaller and more expensive than a jaw crusher, gyratory crushers are suitable for larger amounts of materials when a more uniform shape is desired.

They are similar to cone crushers, as they both have cone-shaped rotating shafts. The spinning shaft is used to crush the material against the wall of the crusher.

Secondary crushing equipment

After materials go through their first round of crushing, they are fed into a secondary crusher to be broken down further. The average input size for a secondary crusher ranges from 13" to 4."

Secondary crushing is especially important for making graded material that is going on to be used on government projects. For example, crushed material for road base and fill.

Cone crushers

Cone crushers are suitable for medium-hard and hard materials - like virgin rock from quarries. The end result can be used for road base construction projects, asphalt pavement resurfacing, or in gravel pits for road construction.

Cone crushers use compression to reduce material sizes by squeezing the feed material between a rotating cone and a crushing wall. The crushed material is first broken down at the top of the cone, and, as it travels down the cone, it continues to be crushed down into smaller pieces until they are small enough to fall out of the bottom opening.

Roller crushers

Roller crushers typically deliver fine material output and are not suitable for hard or abrasive materials.

These crushers reduce material by compressing it between two turning cylinders, parallel to each other. Changing the distance between the rollers allows you to control the desired material output size.

Hammer mills and impact crushers

These crushers are versatile; they can be used in any stage of crushing, are portable, and can handle almost any material.

Hammer mill crushers use continuous hammer blows to shatter and disintegrate material, and impact crushers throw the material against an impact plate, which breaks it down.

Tertiary crushing equipment and beyond

Sometimes you might need to continue to reduce the size of your crushed material, and a tertiary reduction may be desired. Particle sizes range from 5" to 1" during this final stage.

Tertiary crushing is highly valuable in the mineral processing industry. For this type of crushing, you will most likely need a smaller impactor or cone crusher.

For efficiency in this stage, a screener and a conveyor system can help! A screener helps you sort your material by size, and a conveyor system facilitates the movement of your raw materials and reduced materials from one stage of production to the next.

Ready to consider a crusher for your business?

We are here for you, from start to finish. We’ll guide you through your options to pick the right equipment for your business, help you find financing at the best rates, and provide support and repairs when needed.

Get in touch with us at (866) 952-6026 or at info@machinerypartner.com to start the process - at your pace.