Processing hard and abrasive rocks like granite, basalt, and quartzite is a true test of any quarrying operation.
These hard rocks (typically those with a compressive strength above 150-200 MPa) act like sandpaper on your machinery. Using the wrong crusher—such as an impact crusher on high-silica granite—leads to rapid wear, frequent downtime, and high operating costs.
Hard rock requires a specialized crushing solution, not a "one-size-fits-all" standard setup.
Proven hard rock crushing solution: Two-stage heavy-duty crushing
For maximum efficiency and durability, the industry standard for hard rock plant is a Jaw Crusher + Cone Crusher combination.
Single-stage impact crushing may look simpler on paper, but for hard and abrasive rock, it usually results in high liner consumption and unstable long-term performance.
1. Primary crushing: PE/PEX series jaw crusher
Our Jaw Crushers are designed for the most aggressive primary reduction. For hard rock applications, a well-designed jaw crusher provides:
- Heavy-duty build: The high-strength eccentric shaft and manganese steel jaw plates are built to withstand the impact of massive, ultra-hard boulders.
- High crushing ratio: A deep crushing cavity ensures efficient reduction, meaning less work for your secondary stage and a longer service life for the entire circuit.
- Maximum reliability: With minimal moving parts, these machines offer extreme reliability in remote mining sites, ensuring a high return on investment.
- Consistent feed: Provides a stable, coarse-sized output for primary stage success.
2. Secondary/tertiary crushing: hydraulic cone crusher
When it comes to hard and abrasive stones, the Cone Crusher is the undisputed king. Unlike impact crushers that "shatter" stone, cone crushers "compress" it, which drastically reduces wear and tear.
Our hydraulic cone crushers provide:
- Inter-particle crushing: Utilizes advanced crushing technology to produce more cubical, high-quality final aggregates.
- Automated protection: The integrated hydraulic tramp release system automatically clears uncrushable objects (like tramp iron), preventing catastrophic failure.
- Extended wear life: Our specialized high-manganese liners last 30–50% longer than traditional designs, resulting in fewer shutdowns for repairs.
Hard rock crushing is a system, not just a crusher
A successful hard rock crushing plant is a synchronized system.
Key supporting equipment includes:
- Vibrating feeder: Ensures a steady flow to prevent jaw crusher chokes.
- Vibrating screen: Ensures only correctly sized material moves to the next stage or final stockpile
- Sand maker (VSI Crusher): The final step if you need premium manufactured sand (M-Sand).
Hard rock crushing solutions by capacity
We provide optimized hard rock solutions designed for stable output across all project scales:
1. Small hard rock crushing plant (80–120 TPH)
Typical materials: High-silica limestone, small-size granite
Recommended configuration:
- Primary crusher: PE-600×900 jaw crusher
- Secondary crusher: SC100 single-cylinder hydraulic cone crusher
Focuses on low initial investment and portability. Compared with traditional spring cone crushers, hydraulic cone crushers offer better control and lower maintenance requirements under hard rock conditions.
Best for:
- Small quarries and mining projects
- Budget-limited rock crushing plant
2. Medium-capacity high-abrasive rock (200–350 TPH)
Typical materials: Hard granite, basalt, quartzite
Recommended configuration:
- Primary crusher: PE-900×1200 jaw crusher
- Secondary crusher: HP300 multi-cylinder hydraulic cone crusher
For highly abrasive hard rock, crushing efficiency and liner wear control are critical. The multi-cylinder hydraulic system delivers continuous crushing force while maintaining good particle shape when processing the hardest materials.
Best for:
- Medium-sized mining and quarry projects
- Basalt and quartzite crushing applications
3. Large-scale multi-product hard rock crushing (350–650 TPH)
Typical materials: River pebble, granite, high-quality aggregates
Recommended configuration:
- Primary crusher: PE-1200×1500 jaw crusher
- Secondary crusher: GYS500 full hydraulic cone crushers
- Tertiary crusher: VSI-1150 vertical shaft impact crusher (for shaping and sand production)
The fully hydraulic cone crushers ensure efficient size reduction, while the VSI crusher produces well-shaped aggregates and premium manufactured sand, maximizing overall return on investment.
Best for:
- Large aggregate plants
- Projects supplying both sand and stone products
Why international buyers partner with us?
For hard rock crushing projects, international buyers focus less on the lowest purchase price and more on long-term reliability, wear life, and total cost of ownership.
This is where our solutions make a real difference.
- Customized flowsheets: Our engineers design your plant based on your specific ore hardness and capacity needs (from 10 to 1,000 TPH).
- Wear-resistant alloys: We use proprietary high-chrome and manganese alloys that are specifically tested against high-abrasion basalt and granite.
- Global support: From installation guidance to rapid spare parts delivery, we ensure your plant stays running 24/7.
Get your free hard rock crushing solution today! Contact us!
