Crushers are indispensable elements of the heavy industry and mining sectors. Their primary function is to break down large-sized rocks and hard materials like stone into desired sizes. This process plays a critical role in the processing of mines, the preparation of materials for road construction, or the production of composite materials like concrete in the construction sector.
Crushers are manufactured in different types according to their uses. These machines are categorized into four main types: jaw crushers, impact crushers, cone crushers, and vertical shaft crushers. Each is specially designed according to the type of material and the characteristics of the desired final product, and they have a wide range of uses from mining to construction.
Particularly with the developments in the construction sector and the increase in infrastructure projects, the importance of crushers is growing even more. The use of these machines, especially in large projects, provides time and cost savings. For example, a jaw crusher can break tons of material per hour, thus speeding up projects. Impact crushers, on the other hand, are designed to meet the need for more uniform and fine materials and are preferred especially in asphalt production. Innovative crusher designs are constantly evolving to meet modern industrial needs such as energy efficiency and sustainability, adapting to technological advancements in the sector, reducing costs, and maximizing efficiency.
What is a Crusher?
Modern mining and construction industries require powerful machines to break materials and reduce their size. This is where crushers come into play. A crusher is a machine designed to convert large rocks, ores, and other solid materials into smaller pieces or dust.
Crushers are generally used in a quarry or construction site, processing various sizes of stones and minerals to reduce them to smaller sizes for the production of road construction, concrete, asphalt, and other construction materials. The use of these machines increases efficiency in the mining and construction sectors and ensures the processed materials are suitable for various purposes.
Crushers vary according to the type of mechanism they use to perform the crushing process. The most common types are as follows:
These crushers consist of two jaw plates. The material placed between the fixed and the moving jaw is broken down into small pieces. Jaw crushers are generally preferred for coarse crushing processes.
Impact crushers break the material by applying high-speed impacts. These machines are used for more homogeneous and fine crushing processes.
These crushers use a cone-shaped crushing mechanism to break hard materials like stone and minerals. They are ideal for secondary or tertiary crushing processes.
VSI crushers, which break the material through a high-speed rotating rotor, are particularly suitable for fine crushing processes and sand production.
Areas of Use for Crushers
Crushers are essential machines especially in the following areas:
Mobile Crusher
A mobile crusher is a stone crushing machine commonly used in the construction and mining industries to process hard materials such as stones and minerals into smaller pieces.
The primary feature of mobile crushers is their portability, which allows them to be moved to different locations on a worksite and set up quickly. Due to these characteristics, these machines have become increasingly popular.
Here are the technical specifications of these devices:
- They operate with high capacity and can process large amounts of stone, providing a significant advantage in quarry and construction sites.
- Due to their mobility, they are mounted on wheeled or tracked systems, making them easily transportable. This feature is particularly beneficial in mining fields and construction areas.
- These machines are built with durable structures, making them resistant to hard materials. They are capable of crushing tough materials like stones and minerals.
- They offer multi-functional usage, allowing stone crushing, screening, and washing processes to be carried out within a single system.
- They produce less energy, which contributes to their environmentally friendly design.
- Advanced models come equipped with remote control systems, managed by automation technologies.
Another type of crusher device is the fixed crusher. While both mobile and fixed crushers are used for stone crushing and screening operations, they differ in several ways. The main distinction between the two is that one is fixed mobile and the other is mobile.
Additionally, they differ in terms of setup time, flexibility, capacity, energy efficiency, and cost.
Crusher Plant
Crusher plants are facilities designed to crush and screen hard materials like stones and minerals, making them suitable for mining and recycling projects.
Among these, the crushing and screening plant applies specific crushing techniques to reduce stones to desired sizes. The stages involved are as follows:
- Crushing Stages: The crushing process is carried out using jaw, impact, and cone crushers, starting with large-sized stones, which are then reduced to the desired size.
- Screening Process: The crushed materials are classified according to size using screens. Once classified, the materials are prepared for use according to specific needs.
These facilities have the capacity to process tons of material daily and can utilize multiple types of crushers in one system, allowing stones to be crushed to the desired size.
Another notable feature is their high efficiency. Being fixed systems, they provide energy savings and can operate efficiently over long-term projects.
Crushing and screening plants are typically fixed and are preferred for large-scale, long-term projects.
On the other hand, mobile crusher plants provide flexible solutions by performing crushing and screening operations in a portable manner. Their portability allows for use across different projects, making them highly advantageous.
Mobile plants offer quick and easy transportation, flexibility, low installation costs, and multiple crusher options.
The advantages of crushing, screening, and mobile plants include:
Other major types of crusher plants include jaw, cone, impact, tertiary, tracked crushers, and wheeled crusher plants.
