Which crusher equipment is best suited for commonly used 12 and 13 aggregate

12 aggregate refers to single-grade crushed stone with a particle size of 10-20mm, while 13 aggregate denotes single-grade crushed stone ranging from 16-31.5mm. Based on their particle sizes, the primary difference between 12 and 13 aggregate lies in their dimensions. But how do they fare in market applications? In reality, their sales volumes are comparable. Why? Because as various construction projects are developed and implemented, the demand for crushed stone continues to grow, especially for 12mm and 13mm sizes. The choice of which to use in a project depends on the standard or design requirements for gradation, which involve using several different single-size crushed stones to form a continuous gradation mix. For small-volume concrete mixes, smaller 12mm aggregate is preferable as it yields better slump and higher flowability. Conversely, for large-area, high-volume applications—such as pouring foundations for cement silos requiring dozens of cubic meters at once—13mm aggregate performs relatively better.

Given the differing particle sizes of 12mm and 13mm aggregates, which processing equipment is more suitable? In reality, both aggregate types utilize the same crushing equipment; the distinction lies in the screening stage, where different particle sizes are separated based on their dimensions. Cone crushers and impact crushers are commonly employed machines for producing 12mm and 13mm aggregates. So, what are the differences between impact crushers and cone crushers? How should we choose?

Cone Crusher: During operation, the crusher's horizontal shaft is driven by an electric motor via a V-belt and pulley. This shaft drives the eccentric sleeve to rotate through large and small gears. Under the eccentric sleeve's action, the crusher cone shaft performs an eccentric swing motion. This causes the crushing wall surface to alternately approach and recede from the fixed cone surface, and then moves away from it. This causes the stone to undergo continuous squeezing, breaking, and impact within the crushing chamber. According to the layer compression theory, the material is subjected to forces from multiple directions, breaking along its natural grain and being polished to form stable stone particles. Material meeting the discharge requirements falls through the swinging gap between the crushing wall and the cone liner, while the rest continues to be crushed until the desired size is achieved.

Impact Crusher: This machine utilizes impact energy to crush materials. During operation, the motor drives the rotor to rotate at high speed. When materials enter the impact plate zone, they collide with the impact plates on the rotor and break. They are then thrown onto the impact device for further crushing, bounce back from the impact liner plate to the impact plate zone for re-crushing, and this process repeats. The material progresses through the first, second, and third impact chambers, being repeatedly crushed from larger to smaller sizes until it reaches the desired particle size and is discharged through the outlet. Adjusting the gap between the impact frame and the rotor allows for controlling the final particle size and shape of the output material.

Secondly, we should understand the differences in suitable materials for each crusher type. Impact crushers are primarily suited for soft-to-medium hardness materials like pebbles, limestone, coal gangue, bentonite, and kaolin. Cone crushers are mainly used for medium-hardness and harder materials such as granite, basalt, iron ore, bauxite, and copper ore.

Additionally, both cone crushers and impact crushers are commonly employed for secondary crushing. Secondary crushing addresses materials that cannot be fully processed in primary crushing—for instance, when raw material exceeds 100cm in size. In such cases, a jaw crusher is first used for coarse crushing, followed by cone or impact crushers for medium and fine crushing. Of course, if the raw material is smaller than 30cm, we can directly use an impact crusher or cone crusher for crushing. After understanding the working principles and characteristics of these two types of crushers, we can select the appropriate crusher based on our actual needs. If you have any related questions, click the online customer service on the right for a free consultation!