Your crushing operation changes with portable crushing equipment

This article helps you understand what changes when choosing a portable crusher. There is no better or worse type machine but the right tool for your application.

You Will Move Less Often with a Portable Crusher

The most noticeable difference between a portable crusher and a mobile crusher is mobility. A portable crusher is mounted on a chassis with wheels and can be moved with a tractor from job to job. In many cases it requires multiple loads to move also additional discharge and transfer conveyors and portable screening plants. Once a portable crushing plant is setup on the job it hardly leaves its spot which requires you to be able to bring material to the crusher. Mobile crushers are track-mounted machines that are self-propelled that can be moved anywhere, anytime without the need of any support equipment. Mobile crushers are moved with a lowboy trailer and can be setup quickly. Larger track mobile crushing plants break down for transport and require more moves. Compact mobile crushers can be moved with a single load.

Even onsite a mobile crusher can track quickly to a new location (e.g. back up closer to the material or move to a different material pile).

Without mobility, you...

• lose money on machine setup time
• limit yourself on the range of jobs you can accomplish
• are required to haul material to the crusher

You Will Tackle Large-Scale Crushing Jobs

The burden associated with moving portable equipment results in higher indirect spending associated with trucking, labor, and setup. These additional costs must be absorbed before profits are generated. Therefore, you need more tonnage to compensate for additional costs. Hence, you will find portable equipment in quarries processing the same material in a high-volume day in and day out, where moving is not necessary.

Without the ability to do also smaller jobs, you ...

• are competing on big jobs on a cost per ton basis whereas on smaller jobs you might be able to charge higher per ton rates or even daily rates
• can't benefit from onsite crushing smaller volumes
• lose out on ad-hoc business

Portable Crushing Equipment Requires More Real Estate

Some portable crushers require additional portable screening plants and transfer and discharge conveyors. This takes up more space on the job and makes it difficult to setup on certain jobsites. While this doesn't matter in a wide-open quarry it can be a burden on a tight jobsite. Mobile crushers are more compact because they need to fit on a lowboy trailer. The relatively small footprint makes it easier to place a machine on the jobsite.

Without a compact operation you...

• limit yourself on the range of jobs you can tackle
• struggle to setup your crushing spread
• paths around the crushing operation become longer

An Abundance of Space Results in a Bigger Machine

Mobile crushing equipment is designed so that everything fits in between 2 tracks that fit onto a lowboy trailer whereas a portable crusher is a trailer. As a result, you can design a portable crusher with wide openings and more clearances for better accessibility and material flow. The compact nature of a mobile crushing plant puts components much closer to each other which makes it harder to get access to certain components. However, manufacturers have put a lot of effort in finding ways to make access easier. Components lower and fold hydrulically for better access, or they might swing out or open up to improve accessibility.

Portable crushers feature larger feeders, wider conveyors, and large on-board screening plants with 2 or 3 screen decks allowing multiple products to be produced simultaneously. This translates to a large throughput capacity.

Without a large and open design, you...

• create bottle necks and limit production
• struggle with accessing components
• struggle to feed with a wheel loader

Paths Around a Portable Crushing Plant Are Longer

When operating a portable crushing plant you need to make sure that new feed material is brought continuously to the machine which can result in long loader round-trips. Also walking around the plant for daily maintenance and repairs become longer and you find yourself climbing ladders all the time. Access is generous but high up.

Without short paths, you...

• waste time running around
• risk safety when lifting heavy parts, power tools, or bulky screen-media onto a portable crusher
• risk running empty when material is not there