If you are a rock, sand, gravel, or mineral processing industry veteran or an avid reader of our blog, you know that there are several different types and styles of crushing equipment. The exact crushers you need—jaw, cone, impact, or gyratory—will depend on your site, the product you’re making, and how much you need to produce.

An individual crusher’s construction and capabilities also dictate where in your processing operations it will fit. That is, you may have multiple types of crushers situated in primary, secondary, and tertiary stations in a circuit format to perform the necessary material reduction work. Each type of crusher brings unique strengths and benefits to the process.

Today’s post focuses on compression-style jaw crushers, which are most often employed in the primary stage of a crushing circuit. It’s important to know that cone crushers are sometimes used in their place, and we’ll also talk a little bit about when cone crushers may be preferred over jaw crushers.

No matter how dialed in your production processes are, dust can be that “devil in the details” that plagues your rock, sand, gravel, or mineral processing operation.

Too much airborne dust surrounding a particular rock crushing station, for instance, or constantly producing a cloud around your stockpiles as they’re formed by high-angled radial stackers, not only creates employee health hazards, it can lead to equipment damage over time, which equals downtime as well as repair costs. Perhaps even worse, regulations about creating dust—specifically “respirable crystalline silica”—have become much stricter within the last year, and you may have compliance obligations under OSHA rules to worry about now, as well.

The good news is there are many dust suppression options out there today, from add-ons for your current equipment to high-performance site-wide tools like misting cannons. Today’s post will offer a basic overview of why you need to implement dust control strategies in your operation.

Conveyor systems quickly “convey,” or move, goods and materials from one place to another to cut out human labor in various situations where time is of the essence, resources need to be transported in bulk, or conditions are treacherous. All of these factors explain why heavy duty conveyors are essential to the quarrying, mining, and mineral processing operations we work so closely with here at Kemper Equipment.

But what are the different conveyor types you should consider to best meet your production goals? Today’s post will offer a closer look at a variety of belt-based conveyor systems, which may incorporate numerous individual conveyor types.

We’ll also show you why conveyor systems are most often custom-designed to meet unique project demands. After all, no two sites are quite alike, and the wide variety of possible challenges presented by moving diverse materials frequently calls for advanced solutions that only customization can address.

Separating unwanted materials like clay, silt, and slime from valuable sand, gravel, and crushed aggregate has been a tricky problem in processing operations since time immemorial. Wash equipment has been designed and perfected to solve this issue while also assuring that construction aggregates and sand can meet ever more stringent specifications and be saleable.

But washing is not the end of the processing circuit—at least, the addition of water to material in order to clean, size, classify, or separate it is not the final step in a processing operation. Dewatering is an important consideration that every operator, especially those of fine aggregates and sand production businesses, must make following washing. Today we’re taking a closer look at the basics of dewatering and the equipment that achieves this state.

The question “how many types of crushers are there?” can be answered in a variety of ways depending on what the person asking is trying to learn about rock, sand, gravel, or mineral processing. The answer might be three if you’re talking about setting up stations in a complete crushing plant – that is, primary, secondary, and tertiary/final reduction crushers.

Of course, there are also different styles of crushers, such as compression-style jaw and cone crushers, which fit into the various stations in a crushing circuit (depending on factors like the sizes, varieties, and hardness of the rock you need to crush, as well as the necessary output).

The number of crusher types in terms of style and configuration can be more difficult to quantify, as there are lots of ways to customize crushers. However, you’ll find four basic designs – cone, jaw, gyratory, and impact crushers – operating within many crushing plants. Today we’re breaking down everything you need to know about crushers to help you understand the questions you should ask as you search for the right machinery for your operations. Continue reading →

Conveyors are essential to quarrying, mining, and mineral processing operations, but we sometimes take them for granted. Did you know that it was not so long ago in human history that these hardworking machines didn’t exist? Imagine your surface or open pit mining operation without any conveyors – things would not be moving very quickly or efficiently, and the whole undertaking would be a lot more dangerous!

To show conveyors a little appreciation, we’re taking a look at their history from their roots in the late 1700s through decades of improvement and innovation that transformed them into the reliable machines we depend on today. Continue reading →

It’s no secret that the intensely hardworking crushing, conveying, and screening equipment in your material processing operation requires regular maintenance to remain reliable and optimally productive. But what are those maintenance “must dos” that maximize uptime and ultimately lead to longer service life expectancies? And how often should you be inspecting and changing wear parts on machinery? Continue reading →

The question of whether conveyors are better than “truck and shovel” systems in surface and open pit mining operations has long been debated in the industry. Conveyor systems can have a high upfront cost compared to trucks, which makes them less attractive to some businesses just getting started.

Trucks are common and readily available and often have a lower initial cost. However, they are also dangerous, inefficient, and rely on more direct human labor, which is why conveyors are very often a better choice for surface mining operations. Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why. Continue reading →

If you’re actively shopping for rock crushers, you probably already have your particular operation’s exact requirements in mind, or at least have a good idea about your crushing needs. As you know, the sizes, varieties, and hardness of the rock you need to crush, as well as the necessary output from the crusher are key factors in deciding what type or style you should be shopping for. (Our earlier post here on the blog goes into detail about crusher types to help you sort through that decision-making process if you’re unsure.)

Whether you are shopping for new crushing equipment for your operation, or are looking to incorporate some quality pre-owned machinery to save on cost, Kemper Equipment is your one-stop shop for rock crushers. Our goal is to match your company’s specific needs with the ideal equipment every time, but if you’re new to the mining or quarrying industry, we realize you may not even know what questions to ask about crushers you see for sale either through us or another resource. Today’s blog post will take a closer look at what you need to know from any equipment dealer or third party seller in order to make the right crusher purchase. Continue reading →

If you have a need to process sand, gravel, or rock and you do not own the proper rock-crushing equipment, you need to work with a professional company that sells the best new machines for your needs.

If you need rock crushing equipment and feel that buying new machines is the best option, make sure you understand the different types of machines available. While a professional machinery company will be able to work with you to help determine your exact needs, it’s always a good idea to be prepared beforehand. You should first determine the material you need to crush as geology is very important when it comes to choosing the right equipment. Continue reading →