How to choose the right stone crusher for different ores? Selecting the right crushing equipment is critical for building an efficient crushing plant. The decision depends on the ore’s physical properties (hardness, brittleness, particle size), production goals (final product size, capacity), and working conditions (moisture, clay content).

Today, Leemay Machinery shares professional guidelines to help you choose the most suitable stone crusher for mining and aggregate production.

Core Ore Properties and Crusher Selection Logic

1. Ore Hardness (Mohs Scale): Determines Wear Resistance

• Hard Rock (≥6 Mohs): Granite, iron ore, pebble, basalt
  • Primary: Jaw Crusher – handles 500–1000mm feed, compressive strength ≤320MPa.
  • Secondary/Tertiary: Cone Crusher – laminated crushing, producing 20–50mm or 5–20mm output.
  • ❌ Not recommended: Impact Crusher – fast wear of blow bars on hard stone.
• Medium-Hard Rock (3–5 Mohs): Limestone, sandstone, marble, dolomite
  • Primary: Jaw Crusher (300–800mm feed).
  • Secondary/Tertiary: Impact Crusher – 20–30% higher efficiency compared to cone, produces excellent cubic aggregates for construction.
  • Cone Crusher preferred for higher capacity (≥500t/h).
• Soft Rock (≤2.5 Mohs): Gypsum, coal, shale, talc
  • Primary: Small Jaw Crusher (200–500mm feed).
  • Secondary/Tertiary: Hammer Crusher – single-stage crushing, reduces 300mm to <20mm directly, ideal for simple crushing plants.
  • Impact Crusher if better particle shape is required.

2. Brittleness vs. Toughness

Brittle ores like limestone and glass rock are ideal for impact crushers and hammer crushers. Tough ores like iron ore and copper ore require jaw crushers or cone crushers to ensure stable crushing in heavy-duty mineral processing plants.

3. Feed Size & Capacity

• Large feed (≥500mm): must use a jaw crusher first.
• Small feed (≤200mm): can start with secondary crushers directly.
• High capacity (≥1000t/h): CJ series jaw crusher + multi-cylinder cone crusher in a complete crushing plant.
• Low capacity (≤100t/h): PE jaw crusher + small impact crusher for cost-effective stone crushing solutions.

4. Final Product Requirements

• Coarse aggregate (20–50mm): Cone Crusher or Impact Crusher.
• Fine sand (0–5mm): Sand Making Machine (VSI) – rock-on-rock or rock-on-steel modes, ensuring <15% flakiness, suitable for high-quality concrete sand.
• No shape requirement: Cone Crusher (hard rock) or Hammer Crusher (soft rock).

5. Special Conditions: Moisture & Clay Content

• High moisture (≥10%) or clay (≥5%): prone to clogging in many stone crushers.
• ✅ Recommended: Jaw Crusher + Cone Crusher – large feed opening and adjustable discharge gaps make them reliable in wet conditions.
• ❌ Avoid: Hammer Crusher (grate clogging), Impact Crusher (sticky buildup between blow bars and liners).

Recommended Crushing Solutions for Different Ores

Ore Type	Mohs Hardness	Properties	Recommended Crushing Flow	Advantages
Granite (construction)	6–7	Hard, tough, sand required	Jaw Crusher → Cone Crusher → VSI Sand Making Machine	Cone resists wear, VSI ensures sand quality in crushing plant
Limestone (cement)	3–4	Medium-hard, brittle	Jaw Crusher → Impact Crusher	High efficiency, cubic aggregates, ideal for stone crusher plants
Gypsum (building)	1.5–2	Soft, low hardness	Jaw Crusher → Hammer Crusher	One-stage crushing, low investment, simple crushing plant
Iron Ore (mining)	5–6	Hard, fine crushing required	Jaw Crusher → Multi-cylinder Cone → HPGR	HPGR reduces grinding energy, efficient for mineral processing
Pebble (sand making)	6–7	Hard, smooth, shaping required	Jaw Crusher → Cone Crusher → VSI Sand Making Machine	VSI “rock-on-rock” improves sand shape for sand production lines

Why Choose Leemay Machinery?

At Leemay Machinery, we provide complete stone crushing plant solutions for mining, quarrying, and construction industries. From jaw crushers and cone crushers to impact crushers, hammer crushers, and sand making machines, our equipment ensures high productivity, energy efficiency, and excellent product quality.

With professional engineering design, customized crushing plant layouts, and reliable after-sales support, we help customers maximize efficiency in aggregate production and mineral processing.

📩 Contact our technical team today to get a customized stone crusher and crushing solution for your mining or quarry project.