What is Jaw Crusher?
A jaw crusher is a primary crushing machine designed to break down large, hard rocks and ores into smaller, more manageable pieces. It operates on a simple yet powerful principle: a fixed jaw and a moving jaw come together to compress and fracture the material placed between them. The moving jaw, driven by an eccentric shaft, moves in a repetitive elliptical motion, creating a powerful crushing action that reduces the size of the feed material. This machine is often the first stage in a multi-stage crushing process, setting the foundation for further size reduction by other crushers like cone or impact crushers. Its robust design and straightforward operation have made it a cornerstone of mining, quarrying, and construction industries for over a century.
The core mechanism involves a V-shaped chamber, where the top opening is wide to receive large rocks, and the bottom is narrow. As the material travels down the chamber, it is progressively crushed into smaller sizes until it is small enough to escape through the gap at the bottom, known as the closed-side setting. This gap determines the final product size. Jaw crushers are renowned for their reliability, high capacity, and ability to handle a wide variety of materials, from extremely hard granite to recycled concrete. Their efficiency in performing the initial, heavy-duty breaking makes them indispensable for any operation dealing with raw, unprocessed mineral aggregates.
Jaw Crusher Types
Applications of Jaw Crusher
Jaw crushers are fundamental in the mining and quarrying sectors, where they are used as primary crushers to process run-of-mine ore or blasted rock from a quarry face. Their primary role is to perform the initial reduction of large boulders, sometimes measuring over a meter in diameter, down to a size suitable for transport by conveyor belts to secondary crushing stages. In hard rock mining for metals like gold, copper, or iron, the jaw crusher's ability to handle abrasive and high-strength material is critical for liberating valuable minerals from the waste rock, making subsequent processing steps like grinding more efficient and cost-effective.
Beyond traditional mining, jaw crushers play a vital role in construction and demolition recycling. They are effectively used to crush concrete, bricks, and asphalt from demolished structures, transforming construction waste into valuable recycled aggregate. This aggregate can then be reused as a base layer for new roads, foundations, or in new concrete mixes, promoting sustainability and reducing landfill use. Additionally, in the aggregates industry for road construction and concrete production, jaw crushers are used in stationary plants or mounted on mobile tracks to process natural stone like granite, basalt, and limestone into the specific sizes required for various construction projects.
Key Features
One of the most significant features of a jaw crusher is its robust frame construction, typically made from high-grade steel or cast iron, which provides the necessary strength to withstand the immense forces generated during the crushing process. This durability ensures a long operational life even under the most demanding conditions. Furthermore, the crushing jaws themselves are equipped with replaceable manganese steel liners. Manganese steel is chosen for its exceptional work-hardening properties; it becomes harder the more it is impacted, which significantly extends the wear life of these critical components and reduces maintenance downtime and costs.
Another defining feature is the adjustable discharge setting, which allows operators to control the size of the final product with precision. This is achieved by adjusting the position of the toggle plate or using a hydraulic system to change the gap at the bottom of the crushing chamber. Modern jaw crushers often incorporate advanced automation and safety systems. These can include automatic lubrication systems to ensure all moving parts are properly maintained, as well as overload protection devices that can instantly stop the machine if an uncrushable object, like a piece of metal, enters the chamber, preventing catastrophic damage to the crusher's internal components.
Specifications
Jaw Crusher models are available in three basic sizes: PE, SD, and SC. The PE Jaw Crusher is widely used for coarse and medium crushing of various materials with a compressive strength of up to 320 MPa. The SD Jaw Crusher is the preferred equipment for coarse rock crushing. The SC Jaw Crusher is available in both fixed-line and mobile versions.
SC Jaw Crusher Specifications
| Model | Feeding Size (mm) | Capacity (t/h) | Power (kW) | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC80 | 800 × 510 | 65–380 | 75 | Stationary Plant Use |
| SC100 | 1000 × 760 | 150–545 | 110 | |
| SC110 | 1100 × 850 | 190–625 | 160 | |
| SC125 | 1250 × 950 | 290–846 | 160 | |
| SC140 | 1400 × 1070 | 385–945 | 200 | |
| SC160 | 1600 × 1100 | 520–1275 | 250 | |
| SC96 | 930 × 580 | 120–455 | 90 | Mobile Plant Use |
| SC106 | 1060 × 700 | 155–580 | 110 | |
| SC116 | 1150 × 800 | 170–600 | 132 |
PE Jaw Crusher Specifications
| Model | Feeding Size (mm) | Discharge Size (mm) | Processing Capacity (t/h) | Motor Power (kW) | Overall Dimension (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE150×250 | ≤130 | 15–45 | 1–4 | 5.5 | 896 × 745 × 935 |
| PE250×300 | ≤130 | 15–55 | 3–6 | 7.5 | 1050 × 987 × 1000 |
| PE250×400 | ≤210 | 25–60 | 5–20 | 15 | 1215 × 1520 × 1030 |
| PE400×600 | ≤340 | 40–90 | 15–60 | 30 | 1650 × 1588 × 1050 |
| PE500×750 | ≤425 | 50–100 | 40–110 | 45 | 1956 × 1918 × 1920 |
| PE600×900 | ≤500 | 60–125 | 90–180 | 55 | 2250 × 2733 × 2280 |
| PE800×900 | ≤600 | 80–140 | 100–220 | 75 | 2450 × 2950 × 2490 |
| PE750×1060 | ≤630 | 60–150 | 110–380 | 110 | 2531 × 2455 × 2783 |
| PE900×1060 | ≤700 | 100–160 | 230–390 | 110 | 2900 × 2657 × 2950 |
| PE900×1200 | ≤750 | 110–165 | 220–450 | 132 | 3100 × 2760 × 3260 |
| PE1000×1200 | ≤900 | 110–185 | 315–500 | 132 | 3200 × 2760 × 3260 |
| PE1200×1500 | ≤950 | 115–195 | 550–1000 | 220 | 3710 × 3446 × 4075 |
| PE1500×1800 | ≤1200 | 135–225 | 600–1200 | 280 | 5100 × 4700 × 4300 |
| PEX150×750 | ≤120 | 10–40 | 8–25 | 15 | 1130 × 1118 × 1145 |
| PEX250×750 | ≤210 | 15–50 | 15–35 | 22 | 1400 × 1751 × 1515 |
| PEX250×1000 | ≤210 | 15–60 | 15–60 | 30 | 1550 × 1964 × 1380 |
| PEX250×1200 | ≤210 | 15–60 | 20–60 | 37 | 1530 × 1946 × 1380 |
| PEX300×1300 | ≤250 | 25–60 | 16–105 | 55–75 | 2000 × 2320 × 1730 |
SD Toggle Jaw Crusher Specifications
| Model | Feed Opening Size (mm) | Max Feeding Size (mm) | Discharge Opening (mm) | Capacity (t/h) | Motor Power (kW) | Overall Dimension (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD72 (57) | 460 × 720 | 425 | 45–100 | 50–120 | 6P 55 | 1566 × 1965 × 1630 |
| SD86 (69) | 580 × 860 | 500 | 50–150 | 60–210 | 8P 75 | 1722 × 1943 × 1810 |
| SD98 (75) | 680 × 980 | 630 | 75–175 | 110–330 | 8P 110 | 1960 × 2470 × 2180 |
| SD110 (912) | 850 × 1100 | 750 | 100–200 | 230–450 | 6P 132 | 2381 × 2775 × 2500 |
| SD125 | 950 × 1250 | 900 | 125–225 | 280–750 | 8P 160 | 2600 × 3320 × 3120 |
Working Principle
The jaw crusher uses the compression between the two jaw plates to crush the material. The movable jaw plate makes periodic swinging motion, and the material is crushed by the squeezing, bending and friction between the movable and fixed jaw plates.
Powerful Compression Crushing
Our jaw crusher applies 500+ MPa pressure through precisely aligned jaw plates, efficiently breaking even the hardest granite and basalt stones with minimal energy consumption.
Optimal Swing Motion
The 30° eccentric shaft angle creates ideal elliptical motion, delivering both downward crushing force and horizontal friction for complete material disintegration.
Adjustable Discharge Settings
Hydraulic adjustment wedge system allows quick output size changes from 50-200mm without stopping production, perfect for multi-stage crushing requirements.
Reinforced Jaw Design
Manganese steel jaw plates with special tooth profiles increase grip on irregular stones while resisting wear, lasting 2-3 times longer than standard crusher jaws.
The motor drives the belt and belt wheel to move the movable jaw up and down through an eccentric shaft. When the movable few rises, the angle between the elbow plate and the movable jaw becomes larger, thus driving the movable jaw plate towards the fixed jaw plate. At the same time, the material is crushed or split to achieve the purpose of crushing. When the jaw goes down, the angle between the elbow plate and the jaw decreases. Under the action of the bar and spring, the jaw plate leaves the fixed jaw plate. At this time. the crushed materiel is discharged from the mouth of the crushing chamber. With the continuous rotation of the motor, the crushing motor jaw makes periodic motion to crush and discharge materials, realizing mass production.
The Basic Components of a Jaw Crusher
A jaw crusher consists of two vertical jaws - a fixed jaw and a movable jaw - forming a V-shaped crushing chamber. The jaws are lined with replaceable manganese steel plates that withstand intense wear during operation.
The Compression Crushing Mechanism
The fundamental working principle involves compressive force between the two jaw plates. As material enters the top of the crushing chamber, the movable jaw exerts tremendous pressure (up to 320 MPa) against the fixed jaw, fracturing the material through mechanical stress.
Periodic Motion of the Movable Jaw
The movable jaw plate makes an elliptical swinging motion, creating both downward and forward pressure. This eccentric movement ensures:
Compression phase: Material is squeezed between jaws
Release phase: Crushed material falls by gravity
Return phase: Jaw resets for next crushing cycle
Multiple Forces Acting on Material
Material undergoes three simultaneous actions during crushing:
Compression: Direct squeezing between jaw plates
Bending: Irregularly shaped particles experience bending stress
Friction: Rubbing action between particles and jaw liners