What Are The Different Types Of Mobile Crushing Plant?

Mobile crushing plant can penetrate into the front line of operation and realise on-site crushing of materials, which significantly reduces the cost of material transfer and site constraints. Faced with diverse material characteristics, capacity requirements and operating environments, mobile crushing plants have developed a rich variety of types. However, many customers are faced with the following dilemma:

• Should I choose a tracked or wheeled model?
• What are the differences between the various mobile crushers?
• Which one is best suited to my project?

According to the different crushing principles, core structures and walking modes, mobile crushing plants can be divided into three mainstream types: jaw, impact and cone, as well as two major walking systems: crawler and tyre. In this article, we will introduce the differences and applicability of different types of mobile crushing plants from the dimensions of technical principles, application scenarios and performance characteristics.

Classification According to Crushing Principle – Identify the Core Functions

The core of a mobile crushing plant is the crushing host it carries, and different crushing principles determine its best material, crushing stage and final product characteristics. According to the type of crushing machine, it can be classified into the following three types:

Jaw Type Mobile Crushing Plant

Working Principle:
Simulate the chewing action of an animal’s two jaws. The fixed jaw plate and the movable jaw plate form the crushing chamber. The movable jaw plate is driven by the eccentric shaft to do a periodic reciprocating motion, and the material falling into the cavity will be crushed by squeezing and splitting.

Core features:

• Strong structure and wear-resistant: Especially suitable for handling high hardness (such as granite, basalt), high abrasive materials.
• Large feed size: Ideal for primary (coarse) crushing, and can directly handle large pieces of raw material mined from the quarry.
• Moderate crushing ratio: usually 4-6.
• Particle shape: Relatively high in needles and flakes, with average uniformity of particle shape.

Advantages:
High reliability, relatively easy maintenance, wide range of capacity (from small to very large).

Typical applications:
Primary crushing in mines and quarries; coarse crushing of large construction waste; as the first process in a multi-stage crushing line.

Impact Type Mobile Crushing Plant

Working Principle:
The core is the high-speed rotor and the plate hammer installed on it. After entering the crushing chamber, the materials are firstly impacted by the hammers to obtain high kinetic energy, and then thrown to the impact plate at high speed for secondary impact crushing, and part of the materials are further crushed by mutual collision in the chamber (‘stone hitting stone’).

Core features:
High crushing efficiency, large crushing ratio: a single machine can complete the task of medium or even fine crushing (crushing ratio of up to 20 or more).
Excellent particle shape: the impact crushing principle makes the finished product cubic, with less needles and flakes, and high aggregate quality.

Advantage:
Good particle shape, especially suitable for construction aggregates, and relatively low energy consumption. The structure is relatively simple, and through the adjustment of rotor speed, the impact plate clearance can easily adjust the product size.

Typical applications:
Construction waste recycling (excellent in crushing concrete and bricks); medium and fine crushing of limestone, dolomite, and other medium-hardness rocks; production of high-quality roadbed aggregate; used as a single-section crusher.

Cone Type Mobile Crushing Plant

Working Principle:
The moving cone makes eccentric rotary movement in the fixed cone. The material is crushed by continuous squeezing, bending, and shearing between the moving cone and the fixed cone liner. The core is the principle of laminated crushing – the materials are stacked up in the crushing chamber and crushed by mutual extrusion.

Core features:

• Laminar crushing, high efficiency, low energy consumption: high energy utilisation of the extrusion crushing method.
• Good particle shape and uniform particle size: The aggregate produced is of regular shape with stable and controllable gradation.
• High degree of automation: Usually equipped with a hydraulic system, which can easily adjust the discharge opening, realize the protection of over-iron, and clear the cavity function.

Advantages:
High and stable aggregate quality, good abrasion resistance, suitable for hard rock, relatively smooth operation, and high degree of automation.

Typical applications:
Medium and fine crushing of high hardness rocks (granite, basalt, river pebbles, etc.); high-standard projects requiring strict aggregate shape and gradation (e.g., highways, high-speed railways, hydroelectric dams); usually used in secondary and tertiary crushing.

Classification According to Mobility – Determining the Efficiency of the Transition

The travelling system is the ‘mobile core’ of the mobile crushing plant, which can be divided into two categories, crawler and tyre type, according to the different driving methods, and there are significant differences between the two in terms of passability, applicability scenarios, cost, and so on.

Crawler Mobile Crusher Plant – Conquering Complex Terrain

Core features:

• Excellent off-road capability: The wide-tracked chassis enables it to drive and work stably in muddy, soft, rugged and sloping complex terrain.
• Full range of manoeuvrability: 360-degree in-situ steering for flexible movement and precise positioning in narrow or restricted sites.
• Rapid deployment: Hydraulic outriggers allow for quick levelling of the machine, which allows it to be quickly put into production when it arrives at the site.
• High degree of integration: Travelling, steering, crushing, feeding, conveying, and other systems are highly integrated into one, integrating the crushing process and reducing operating costs.

Advantage:
Strong site adaptability, no need to specialise in levelling and hardening the site; short-distance turnaround can be completed by itself with high efficiency; especially suitable for working conditions with complicated terrain, narrow sites, and frequent short-distance movements.

Typical applications:
Mining and quarrying; on-site processing of construction/demolition waste; projects that require frequent movement between different operating points within the site; sites with large slopes; wetlands, mudflat,s and other areas with soft foundations.

Tyre Type Mobile Crusher Plant – Quick Turnaround

Core features:

• Fast road travelling: Can be mounted on a standard semi-trailer axle and towed quickly by a road tractor head, shortening the transfer time between different project sites.
• Site Requirements: Relatively flat, hardened, or well-bearing sites are required for operation and movement.
• Ease of transfer: Long-distance transfer without additional large flatbed trailers, directly towed by the head of the truck.

Advantage:
Fast, low-cost transport over long distances; easy to move on flat, hardened sites.
Typical applications:
Projects that require frequent long-distance transfers between dispersed sites (e.g., large road and railway construction projects); quarries or construction waste treatment plants with relatively good site conditions.

Classification According to Material Properties- Tailored to Local Conditions

Different types of mobile crushing plants perform very differently when dealing with different materials and operating conditions. Choosing the wrong equipment can result in anything from failing to meet production targets to equipment damage and production stoppages for repairs. We have therefore broken down the key considerations for selecting the right equipment, based on common application scenarios.

Construction Waste Crushing Plant: Impact Crusher + Magnetic Separator

In urban renewal and old town regeneration projects, the composition of construction waste is extremely complex, comprising concrete blocks, red bricks, steel reinforcement, wood chips, plastic and other materials.

Recommended configuration: A mobile impact crusher as the main unit, working in conjunction with a mobile screening plant.
Key considerations for selection:

• Magnetic separators are essential: As construction waste contains large quantities of steel bars and wire, permanent magnet or electromagnetic separators must be installed. Failure to do so will result in metal entering the crushing chamber, damaging the hammer plates and liners and causing serious equipment failure.
• Light Material Separation Equipment: Light materials such as plastic, wood chips and fabric strips can severely compromise the quality of recycled aggregates. It is recommended to install an air classifier or hydrocyclone to ensure the cleanliness of the final product.
• Anti-clogging Screen Design: As construction waste is highly moist and contains a high proportion of mud, vibrating screens should be fitted with anti-clogging screens or an automatic sprinkler system to prevent screen clogging and ensure production efficiency.

High-Hardness Materials Crushing Plant: Jaw Crusher + Cone Crusher

For high-hardness, highly abrasive materials, the wear resistance and stability of the equipment are the primary considerations. Such materials cause extremely rapid wear to the crushing and grinding surfaces; selecting the wrong equipment will result in spiralling operating costs.

Recommended configuration: A mobile jaw crusher for primary crushing, followed by a mobile cone crusher for secondary crushing.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Prefer a cone crusher over an impact crusher: When processing high-hardness materials, the hammers and impact plates of an impact crusher wear out extremely quickly, resulting in high replacement frequency and costs. Cone crushers utilise the principle of layer compression crushing, with wear parts lasting 3–5 times longer than those of impact crushers, leading to lower costs per tonne in the long term.
• Pay attention to the wear-resistant materials of the main unit: Jaw plates and concave liners should be made of high-manganese steel (Mn13, Mn18) to ensure work hardening under high-pressure impact, thereby extending service life.
• Provide interfaces for multi-stage crushing: High-hardness materials often require three-stage crushing to achieve the desired particle size; when selecting equipment, consideration should be given to the convenience of future expansion and integration.

Medium-Hard Materials Crushing Plant: Where Impact Crushers Excel

Medium-hard materials are the ideal application for impact crushers, where their advantages of high crushing ratio and excellent product particle shape are fully realised.

Recommended configurations: Mobile jaw crushing plant + mobile impact crushing plant, or a standalone mobile impact crusher (suitable for applications where feed size requirements are not stringent).

Key considerations for selection:

• Fully utilise the impact crusher’s shaping capability: The impact crusher produces cubic-shaped output with a low proportion of needle- and flake-shaped particles, making it an ideal choice for applications such as limestone, which is used as aggregate for high-grade concrete.
• Selecting the appropriate impact plate: Choose the material of the impact plates based on the silicon dioxide (SiO₂) content of the feed material; for low SiO₂ content, high-chromium cast iron is suitable, whilst high SiO₂ content requires high-manganese alloy impact plates.
• Matching capacity: The capacity of the impact crusher is significantly affected by the moisture content of the feed material; if the moisture content exceeds 8%, the processing capacity of the screening system must be assessed in advance.

In addition to the standard scenarios described above, there are certain special operating conditions that require tailored configurations:

• Materials with high clay content: It is recommended to install a sand washer or feed screening machine prior to crushing to remove and discharge the clay in advance, thereby preventing clay particles from entering the crushing chamber and causing blockages or affecting the quality of the final product.
• Materials with high moisture content: Select anti-clogging screens and install buffer devices at the discharge points of the conveyor belts to minimise the adhesion and blockage caused by wet material.
• Site-constrained conditions: Prioritise mobile stations with an integrated design, where crushing, screening and conveying are combined on a single chassis, resulting in a small footprint and flexible relocation.

How to Choose A Mobile Crusher Between Different Types

Facing different types of mobile crushing plants, how to make the optimal choice is directly related to the project’s return on investment, production efficiency, and smooth operation. Here are some suggestions for you:

After clearly sorting out the features and differences of different types of mobile crushing plant, only then can we maximize their advantages, reduce costs, improve efficiency and break through site restrictions. If you are not sure which type is suitable, contact us for a customized solution.