Cone Crusher

A cone crusher reduces rock by compressing it between a gyrating cone (mantle) and a fixed outer liner (concave), producing well-shaped aggregate in secondary and tertiary crushing stages. It is the standard machine for turning primary-crushed rock into specification products, prized for consistent gradation and cubical particle shape.

Models

Model- and cavity-specific

Closed-side setting (CSS)

Brands

How it works

An eccentric drive gyrates the mantle inside the concave so the gap between them opens and closes continuously around the circumference. Rock fed into the annular chamber is squeezed on each closing pass and falls further down the tapering cavity between passes, being crushed repeatedly until it exits at the closed-side setting (CSS) — the minimum gap that sets product size. Crushing action is inter-particle as much as steel-on-rock, which produces the cubical shape asphalt and concrete specs demand. Hydraulic systems adjust CSS, relieve tramp iron and clear the chamber; automation holds the cavity choke-fed, the condition where cones crush most efficiently and evenly.

Types & variants

Tracked mobile cone plants: Self-contained crawler units with feeder and discharge conveyor, moving between sites and in-pit.
Portable / wheeled plants: Chassis-mounted cones towed between fixed setups.
Stationary cones: Plant-installed machines in permanent secondary and tertiary stations.
Standard vs short-head configurations: Coarser-cavity secondary duty versus fine-cavity tertiary duty on the same machine families.

Key specifications

Specification	Typical range	What it means
Closed-side setting (CSS)	Model- and cavity-specific	The adjustable minimum gap that governs product top size; current catalog records do not carry banded CSS figures.
Throughput capacity	Model-specific in current catalog data	Tons per hour at a given CSS — the number plants are balanced around.
Feed size limit	Cavity-specific	Maximum accepted lump size; feed must be pre-crushed to suit, which is why cones follow jaws and impactors.

How the industry sizes it

Cone crushers are sized by chamber capacity (throughput at a given CSS) and by feed-opening limits, and are staged: a cone's feed must already be reduced by a primary machine. Plant flow determines the machine — required product gradations, feed top size and tons per hour — with mobile tracked cones chosen where the crushing spread follows the face or moves between jobs. The catalog lists cone models from XCMG, Superior, Astec, Powerscreen, McCloskey and Tesab without banded size data in current records.

Applications

Secondary and tertiary crushing in aggregate production
Producing specification concrete and asphalt stone with cubical shape
Ballast and chip production at fine settings
In-pit crushing behind a primary jaw in mobile spreads
Ore reduction stages in mining applications

Safety & operation

Never clear a stalled or bridged chamber from above with the drive engaged — lock out and use the hydraulic clearing system.
Guard the drive and countershaft, and respect thrown-rock zones around the chamber and discharge.
Control silica dust at feed, chamber and discharge points per respirable crystalline silica rules.
Tramp-iron relief events discharge violently; keep personnel out of the chamber sight lines during operation.
Follow conveyor lockout and guarding for the plant around the crusher — most crushing-spread injuries happen at the belts.

Standards & certifications

MSHA · 30 CFR Part 56: Surface mine and quarry safety rules governing crushing operations.
OSHA · 29 CFR 1926.1153: Respirable crystalline silica requirements for construction crushing.
OSHA · 29 CFR 1910.212: Machine guarding for fixed-plant installations.
EPA · Tier 4 (40 CFR Part 1039): Emissions rules for diesel-driven mobile crushing plants.

Frequently asked

Where does a cone crusher fit in a crushing plant?

After the primary: cones take pre-crushed feed and produce the specification-sized, well-shaped product — the secondary and tertiary stages of the plant.

What is closed-side setting?

The minimum gap between mantle and concave during the gyration cycle; adjusting CSS is how the operator sets product top size.

Why choke-feed a cone?

A full chamber crushes rock against rock as well as steel, improving shape, evening liner wear and maximizing throughput — cones are designed to run full.

Cone or impact crusher for aggregate?

Cones win on hard, abrasive rock and tight gradation control with low wear cost; impactors win on softer rock, higher reduction ratios and recycled feed.