One heavy-duty machinery that is heavily used in the construction and mining industry is the cone crusher. The cone crusher plays an important role in the process of breaking/crushing various hard materials into smaller pieces. With its conical shape, the cone crusher is capable to crush stones, rocks and other hard materials quickly and efficiently. This crushing machine saves both time and money because only one person is required to monitor and control the entire crushing procedure.
By its design, the cone crusher doesn’t look like a cone at all. It is actually a large and rounded container with many industrial springs around its body. The name comes from the inner working procedure, in which a huge amount of rocks are kept at the top, but the opening becomes slimmer at the bottom where the actual crushing takes place. The crushing is performed between the crushing plate, which is also known as the mantle, and the central shaft.
Most cone crushers that can be found on the market are powered either by diesel or electrical engine. The engine of the cone crusher turns one main belt drive turbine. This engine is very powerful because a lot of force needs to be created so that rocks and any other hard materials can be crushed quickly and efficiently. The main belt drive turbine of the cone crusher turns one central axle which is known as the shaft. This shaft travels in an eccentric pattern and it is attached on the mantle of the cone crusher. The specific spinning of the shaft allows for periodic openings between the walls and the mantle. This way, the rocks are being pressed by the mantle against the walls, broken into smaller pieces and discharged by the opening at the bottom.
Although it can handle a variety of hard materials with its immense power, the cone crusher is actually quite limited in terms where and for what it can be used. Usually, the cone crushers are the middle step in the crushing procedure, they are machines which receive rocks that have been previously broken by crushers which are specifically designed to handle larger materials. Most cone crushers are designed to handle rocks that are around 7-9 cm in diameter. Also, the cone crusher delivers best results when used for materials with medium hardness.
As said above, the cone crusher is mostly used in the mining and construction sector. The mining companies use the cone crusher as a tool to facilitate the crushing process in the mining shafts. In addition, the demolition and construction workers use the cone crusher heavily when excavating rocky areas. Quite often, the crushed rocks are used as a gravel for roads and driveways.
