As demand for infrastructure projects grows, so does the demand for aggregates. Due to the characteristics of high hardness, high compressive strength and low water absorption, the river pebbles are often used as construction aggregates to produce concrete, asphalt and other building materials. Using crushed river pebbles as aggregates to produce concrete can improve the strength, durability and impermeability of concrete. Therefore, the river pebble crushing business has huge market demand and huge profit potential.
There are many types of river pebbles and can include shingle, pebble, cobble, etc. The diameter of shingle is generally between 2 mm and 64 mm, pebbles refers to rounded stones with a diameter between 4 mm and 256 mm, and cobblestones refer to larger pebbles, usually with a diameter of about Round stones between 50mm and 250mm.
No matter what type of river pebbles it is, its Mohs hardness is around 7, making it a type of hard stone. To crush river pebbles, multi-stage crushing is often required.
The Selection of Crushing Equipment for River Pebbles
The hardness of river pebbles is relatively high, so we usually equip it with two crushing stages.
In the primary crushing stage, we usually equip a jaw crusher for processing the raw river pebbles. The unique V-shaped crushing chamber of the jaw crusher can efficiently crush the raw river pebbles. However, the size of the river pebbles processed by the jaw crusher is still very large, basically between 5-100mm.
Therefore, next, we will equip a cone crusher or impact crusher for secondary crushing. After secondary crushing, the size of the material will be between 0-40mm.
At the same time, we will be equip a screening machine to screen 0-40mm materials into different material piles according to different grades.
So, the crushing equipment for river pebbles is usually the following 2 kinds of combinations:
- Feeder machine + jaw crusher + cone crusher + screening machine
- Feeder machine + jaw crusher + impact crusher + screening machine
Site Planning
In order to ensure smooth transportation of materials and that the entire crushing process can be carried out efficiently and safely, the crushing site is often planned like this:
Equipment Layout
First, arrange the four main equipment: feeder, jaw crusher, cone crusher/impact crusher, and screener in order from left to right. At the same time, set sufficient distance between the four devices to prevent collisions or other safety issues when the devices are running.
Material Flow Arrangements
- Properly set up the conveyor belt system: Between each equipment, design some properly conveyor belt systems to ensure smooth flow of the raw river pebbles, crushed materials and final products. It is important to consider the inclination and length of the conveyor belts to maximize the efficiency of material flow.
- Set up silos and stockpiles: Set up silos and piles for materials at different stages to store raw materials, intermediate products, and final products in an orderly manner to ensure the orderly progress of the production process, and plan the transportation and storage of crushed river pebbles.
Environmental Protection Planning
- Dust control measures: Set up spray systems, wind curtains or other dust control facilities around the site to reduce dust generated during the crushing process and protect the surrounding environment and the health of workers.
- Noise control: Consider taking sound insulation measures, such as setting up soundproof walls or green belts, to reduce the impact of noise generated by crushing equipment on surrounding residents.
Water Source and Drainage System Planning
- Ensure adequate water supply: For some equipment that requires water spraying to reduce dust or for cooling, it is necessary to ensure that there is sufficient water supply.
- Properly designed drainage system: Prevent water accumulation in the site. A well-designed drainage system can effectively remove rainwater and washing water and keep the site dry.
Crushing Process
The entire crushing process is a continuous and orderly process. Through different types of crushing equipment and transmission systems, the raw river pebble is processed into aggregate products that meet the engineering needs.
- Primary crushing: After river pebbles are excavated and transported, they are first crushed by primary crushing equipment. The primary crusher is usually a jaw crusher, which breaks raw stone from larger blocks or granules into medium-sized particles.
- Transmission and screening: The primary crushed particles enter the secondary crushing system through conveyor belts. Before entering the secondary crushing equipment, a screening operation is usually required to exclude particles that are too large or too small to ensure that only particles that meet the specifications enter the secondary crushing equipment.
- Secondary crushing: Particles entering the secondary crushing stage will be further crushed through the secondary crushing equipment. Common secondary crushing equipment includes cone crushers, impact crushers, hammer crushers, etc. These kinds of equipment crush particles in different forms according to their characteristics and engineering requirements.
- Retransmission and screening: After passing through the secondary crushing equipment, the particles pass through the transmission system again and can be screened again to ensure that the final aggregate produced meets the specifications. The screening operation helps separate particles of different sizes to meet the different particle size requirements in the project.
- Final product: After secondary crushing, transmission and screening, the final product is aggregate that meets the needs of the project. These aggregates can be directly used in construction, roads, concrete and other engineering projects as basic materials.
Now, please go on reading one case for crushing river pebbles.
180TPH Crushing Solution for River Pebbles
- Configuration: 1 mobile jaw crusher, 1 mobile cone crusher, and 1 mobile screening plant.
- Maximum Feeding Size: 256mm
- Finished Product Size: 0-5mm, 5-10mm, 10-20mm, and 20-38mm
- Application Fields: Producing aggregates for real estate industry
You are welcome to contact us for inquiring more questions about river pebble crushing solutions.