Mobile VS Fixed Crushing Plant

The fixed crushing production line has the features of long service life, mature processing technology and stable operation; many mines choose fixed crushing plant. With the development of mining equipment and processing technology, mobile crushers with high cost-effective is also popular in mining industry. So, what are the advantages of mobile crusher and fixed crushing lines? Which one requires lower investment cost? How to choose?

Let's take a look at a case; the mine processes 4000 tons of raw ore per day, using two-stage closed-circuit crushing process, crushing ore with block size less than 650mm to less than 30mm. let’s check the advantages of mobile crusher and fixed crushing plant, and then decided which one is suitable.

1. Fixed Crushing Line

The stone crushers and auxiliary equipment will be installed in a suitable site and cannot be moved after one-time installation.

In this crushing line, it mainly includes jaw crusher, cone crusher, vibrating screen, belt conveyor, civil engineering and workshop, and so on.

Fixed crushing line needs to build equipment foundation, part of the floor, retaining wall, steel concrete silo, steel roof truss workshop, belt corridor and other civil and steel frames. It requires large investment for the civil engineering.

Advantages:

1) Conventional process layout, mature construction and operation;

2) Centralized crushing, stone crushing equipment selection can be large-scale.

Disadvantages:

1) It covers a large area and requires high site selection;

2) Large civil engineering investment, long construction cycle, and there are many uncontrollable factors;

3) 5 operators per shift and 2 forklifts are required;

4) Long process, more equipment compared with mobile crusher and difficult management;

5) Multi process and high crushing cost;

6) After the ore is mined, all civil works can’t be reused.

2. Mobile Crusher

The mobile crusher station has the advantages of being mobile and convenient to transfer. It can be directly used on the stope platform, which is convenient and flexible. It doesn’t need to build workshop and civil foundation, so it is especially suitable for mines with difficult land acquisition. In addition, after the mining resources are mined, the mobile crusher station can be transferred to any other site for application, so the mobile crusher is more economical and applicable than the fixed crushing line.

In the mobile crusher stations, it mainly includes mobile jaw crusher, mobile cone crusher and vibrating screen.

Advantages:

1) Mobile crusher station is a complete set of equipment. It is not necessary to install on site and can be used after being electrified;

2) It covers a small area and can be directly used on the existing stope platform;

3) The ore after blasting is directly fed to mobile crusher bin by the excavator, and after crushing, the qualified raw ore is directly pulled to the concentrator by the cart;

4) There is no need for civil engineering and workshop;

5) It adopts two modes of oil and electricity, which is flexible in field operation and can walk on its own. It adopts remote control or manual driving;

6) Low investment pressure;

7) Each shift only needs 2 people to operate, one excavator feeding, one loader loading;

8) If the ore is mined out, the mobile crusher station can be transferred to other sites for working.

9) Few operation process, and the crushing cost is relatively low;

10) Short manufacturing period, quick returns

Disadvantages:

① If equipped with large capacity mobile crusher, the investment is relatively large;

② If there are many mining points, it is necessary to configure multiple sets of mobile crushers to operate at the same time.

In the referred case, the mine processes 4000 tons of raw ore per day, the investment prices and operation costs don’t vary much between fixed crushing station compared and mobile crusher station.

However, the mobile crusher station has the advantages of being convenient and flexible. It does not need to build workshop and civil engineering foundation. It is especially suitable for mines with difficult land acquisition. In addition, after the project is completed, mobile crushing station can be hauled to other working site. So, in some cases, the mobile crushing station is more economical and applicable than the fixed crushing line.