Crushing is the first mechanical stage in the process of comminution in which a principal objective is the liberation of the valuable minerals from the gangue. Crushing is typically a dry operation that is performed in two or three stages (i.e., primary, secondary, tertiary crushing).
There are a variety of different crusher types which are selected for different duties. Major types can be summarized as follows.
Static acting crusher
- Jaw crusher
- Cone crusher
- Roll crusher
Dynamic acting crusher
- Hammer crusher
- Horizontal shaft impact crusher
- Vertical shaft impact crusher
It is also classified as follows depending on the purpose of the crusher and the ore grains.
- Primary crusher
- Secondary crusher
- Tertiary crusher
Normally the size reduction by crushing is of limited importance besides the top size of the product going to grinding. This means that the number of crushing stages can be reduced depending on the feed size accepted by the primary grinding stage.
