With many brands and types of Mobile Crusher it is by no means easy to pick out a suitable machine. The wrong choice may lead to inadequate output and excessive costs and make the equipment a mass of “scrap” on your hands. You need not worry, the selection process can be systematic. This will serve as your selection guide and the “Five-Step Selection Method” will be clearly set out so that you can step by step ascertain your most suitable “partner”.
Step 1: Define Your Requirements – What material do you want to crush and what do you want out of it?
The first step is the foundation stone of all judgements. You need to ask yourself three vital questions:
1.1What material will be treated?
Will it be hard granite, river shingle or a wet, sticky building refuse? It is important to get at the hardness, moisture and clay content of the material. It is these that decide what crushing principle shall be applied.
1.2What is the final product required?
What number of finished products will you want? (e.g. aggregate, chippings, stone dust). What demands are there for the size and shape of the finished product? (Materials for high-class concrete must have more rigid demands as far as cubicity is concerned).
1.3What output per hour is required?
Fix yourself a definite output target (tons/hour), this is the direct basis on which to determine the size of the equipment model.
Step 2: Assess Operating Conditions – In what circumstances will the equipment work?
2.1 Site and environmental limitation Is your site a quarry or a congested urban construction site?
Is it hilly? Will the equipment want to be shifted many times in the course of the day?
Upon these facts will depend whether you should select a tracked (greatly mobile, better for rough going,) or wheeled (quicker to shift but needs towing) type of mobile plant.
Again for urban work you will require a better standard of noise limitation and dust control.
2.2 How to Choose the Power Source?
There are three good sources for power to-day and they all have their advantages and disadvantages – you can choose according to your requirements.
Diesel Engine: Self contained, independent of other sources of power, very mobile but higher operating cost, emissions and noise factor. Good where remote site have no electricity.
Electric drive: Low operating costs, little noise and an environmental factor, but must be plugged into the grid and rewiring will be necessary on shifting, thus less flexible. Good for situations of a permanent character.
Diesel/Electric Hybrid: Both economically viable if electric power is available, and ideal for shifting from one area to another or in cases of electric failure where diesel comes in for further production. Offers a good compromise between general flexibility and economy. Good for intensive production work.
Step 3: Select the Main Crusher – Identify the Main Crushing Process
This is the main technical selection criterion and ultimately determines the crushing results.
Mobile Jaw Crusher: Treats a coarse raw feed material. Its sturdy structure and strong crushing ability serve as a first stage for obtaining a coarse product from hard material.
Mobile Impact Crusher: Works according to the principle of impact crushing, gives a good shaped product (cubic), designed for medium and low hardness material (limestone, construction waste), allows easy adjustment of product size.
Mobile Cone Crusher: Works according to the principle of laminated crushing, has sufficient protection against wear, gives excellent output. This is the ideal form of Crusher for the coarse treatment of hard materials (granite, river pebble),
Mobile Sand Maker (Mobile VSI Crusher): Works for sand making and shaping. Gives 0-5mm manufactured sand, product mainly cubic. Shaping is required in applications where the all important particle size shape is important.
Step 4: Consider the Costs – Calculate Both Short and Long-Term Expenditure
4.1 Capital Costs
In addition, the price of the plant itself allows for transporting it, installing it, putting the plant into production – for example transport of track mounted plant requires special transport or lorries usually at higher costs than for wheeled plant.
4.2 Long Term Running Costs
Cost of Wear Parts: The replacement cycle and single replacement costs of wear parts, jaw plates, blow bars, side liners etc.
Cost of Energy Consumption: Cost could be measured per kw/h diesel against electric power, a very significant difference in the long term.
Cost of Maintaining and Operating Labour: The down time due to faults in the plant mainly governs the down time effect on loss of income and maintenance charges involved. Highly developed automatism could also obviate considerable costs on the labour side.
4.3 Assessment of Value
Do not make the mistake of being tempted by the cheap “low price machine”: A real highly reliable and greatly itemized machine will give in any event a higher purchasing price, but stable production rates and less frequent breakdowns and less down time and a higher dividend on the capital outlay in long term operations.
Step 5: Inspect Service – Choose a Firm of Partners
You’re not only buying a machine; you’re buying up to ten years of service.
Evaluate the Manufacturer’s Strength:
Examine their ability and success in R&D. Going to a customer’s operating home is the most persuasive.
Ask About After-Sales Service:
How quick is the response time? Can problems be resolved quickly?
Are spare parts supplied promptly? Do you stock common parts?
Is training and support provided? Professional service to guarantee continuous and uniform equipment operation.
Conclusions:
We hope these 5 stages are of help to force you into giving wise thought to how to select your Mobile Crusher.
If you still have any questions please feel free to give us your specific question. The Sandreck Team of Engineers are pleased to give you a free and detailed scheme for selection of a Mobile Crusher, a free quote, and arrangements for visits to sites which are in successful operation, so that you can select with confidence and work with peace of mind.
