Crushers are vital machines used in a variety of industries. Different projects have different requirements, so it’s essential that you understand the kinds of crushers available to you before you purchase or rent your new crusher.
When you make the right choice, your crusher can become a vital part of your work, effortlessly crushing tough materials for you. In particular, two main types of crushers used in New Zealand are jaw crushers and impact crushers.
What Are Jaw Crushers?
Jaw crushers are mechanical crushers that use compressive force to break down large rocks and pieces of materials into smaller, more manageable pieces. As their name implies, these models use ‘jaws’ that crush large objects while allowing smaller pieces to fall through. Jaw crushers typically use two plates, or two halves of the ‘jaws,’ that move back and forth to crush materials as they’re put into the crusher.
When large pieces of rocks, concrete or debris are fed into the machine from the top, they are compressed with the two jaws of the machine until they break into smaller pieces. Then, the smaller materials are passed through the machine.
What applications are jaw crushers usually used for?
- Primary Crushing. Jaw crushers are used for primary crushing or handling large rocks and materials in the mining and construction industries.
- Heavy-Duty Projects. Large, strong jaw crushers are ideal for frequent use in mining, quarrying and construction sites.
- Materials. The strength of jaw crushers makes them suitable for hard rocks and minerals like granite, concrete and basalt.
What Are Impact Crushers?
Impact crushers use high-speed impact force to break materials apart. As materials enter a rotating rotor, hammers or blow bars deliver strong impact forces that fracture the material. Further breakdown occurs as the material collides with impact plates or walls inside the machine, producing smaller, uniform particles.
When should you choose impact crushers?
- Recycling. Impact crushers are great for breaking down concrete and other materials that will be recycled or repurposed.
- Construction. Because impact crushers can break down materials into uniform sizes, they are often used to produce materials for roadways, asphalt and aggregates for concrete. The predictable, consistent size of the objects produced makes them easier to mix with other materials.
- Secondary And Tertiary Crushing. As mentioned, impact crushers are often used to reduce material size further after the objects have been broken down. Projects can benefit from having both kinds of crushers on site to handle all stages of the crushing process.
- Material Types. Impact crushers are ideal for handling all material types ranging from softer products like Limestone through to harder rocks like Basalt. Depending on the application, a different blow bar metallurgy may be selected. Softer metallurgy for the harder applications and harder for the softer products to increase wear life.
Comparing Jaw Crushers And Impact Crushers
What should you know when directly comparing these two kinds of crushers to one another? Think about the following qualities and what would be best suitable for your worksite:
- Crushing Method. While jaw crushers rely on compression with plates acting as ‘jaws,’ impact crushers use impact force. Consider the type of material you need to crush to determine the best crushing method for your needs.
- Material Type. Jaw crushers are better suited for harder, more abrasive materials like granite, concrete, basalt and ore. On the other hand, impact crushers are generally used for both. What kind of materials do you need to crush? Be sure to think about the various types of materials you’ll be handling so you can select a crusher that’s suitable for your site.
- Output Material Size. While jaw crushers create larger, less predictable chunks of materials, impact crushers create finer, more consistent particle sizes. Depending on the material to be crushed, Jaw crushers are often better for primary crushing, and impact crushers for secondary or tertiary crushing. Some Impactors also come with an afterscreen for specifying the product sizing post-crush.
- Efficiency And Speed. Jaw crushers tend to have a slower crushing process, but they’re better for high-capacity, heavy-duty applications. Conversely, impact crushers are faster at breaking down materials and are right for projects where you need broken-down materials at a small or consistent size.
Buy Or Hire A Top-Quality Crusher For Your NZ Site Today
Contact us at Mobile Screening And Crushing for all of your crushing needs. We’re experts when it comes to screening equipment, crushers, conveyors, shredders and trommels, and we’re glad to help our clients find the right equipment for them.
We provide both jaw and impact crushers, so regardless of the type of crusher you need, we’re sure we can help.
If you’re unsure of what you need, we’ll gladly assist you. Please feel free to call our team on 0800 672 583 or use our contact page to reach us.
Mobile Screening And Crushing: Trust us to provide you with high-quality equipment, expert advice and excellent customer service.
