Jaw crushers and cone crushers do different jobs in a crushing circuit. Understanding the difference is essential to specifying the right plant.
Jaw crusher — primary reduction
A jaw crusher is the primary stage. It takes the largest run-of-mine rock and reduces it to a manageable size for the next stage. The feed opening sets the maximum rock it can accept; the closed-side setting (CSS) sets the output size.
- Best for: first-stage reduction of hard, abrasive rock.
- Output: coarse, angular material — not a finished product.
- Capacity: high throughput at coarse CSS.
Cone crusher — secondary and tertiary reduction
A cone crusher takes the jaw crusher output and reduces it further to produce aggregate-grade material. The cone compresses rock between an eccentric mantle and a concave bowl.
- Best for: secondary and tertiary stages, producing cubical aggregate.
- Output: finer, more cubical material suitable for concrete, asphalt, and railway ballast.
- Capacity: lower than a jaw at the same feed, but finer output.
How they work together
A typical hard-rock circuit runs: jaw crusher (primary) → cone crusher (secondary) → screen → cone crusher (tertiary, if needed) → finished product. The jaw does the heavy first break; the cone produces the final shape and size. A screen between stages returns oversize material for re-crushing.
Which do you need?
If you are starting from large run-of-mine rock, you need both — a jaw first, then a cone. If you already have coarse feed from another source, you may only need a cone. If you produce road base or railway ballast, the cone's cubical output matters.
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Tell IGC your material, feed size, required output, and throughput. We recommend the right jaw, cone, and screen circuit.