Portable Field Sample Crusher

What is the Portable Field Sample Crusher?

A portable field sample crusher is a compact, often battery or engine-driven jaw or hammer unit that reduces samples at the drill site or in remote camps. It limits sample transport weight and reduces moisture change before laboratory preparation.

Overview

Field crushers are built to be carried or mounted on a vehicle and run where mains power is unavailable. Most use a small jaw or hammer chamber with feed openings of 50 to 100 mm, giving a product of 5 to 20 mm that can be split on site and reduced to a few kilograms for shipment. Drives are electric with an inverter or battery, or petrol engine driven, and frames are steel with dust covers. The main benefits are lower freight cost for bulky samples, less risk of moisture loss during transport and the ability to make a preliminary size reduction before any oxidation can affect sulfide minerals. Drawbacks include lower throughput, limited reduction ratio and the need for careful cleaning between samples, since contamination is harder to control outside the laboratory.

How does it work?

Size reduction in mineral laboratories relies on compression, impact and shear, and each machine type applies them differently. Jaw crushers compress rock between a fixed and a moving jaw, and the closed-side setting controls product size. Roll crushers pass material between two rotating rolls and give a narrower product with less fines. Cone crushers use a gyrating mantle inside a concave to crush continuously at higher throughput. Hammer crushers strike material with swinging hammers against a breaker plate and discharge it through a screen. Reduction ratio per stage is limited, typically three to six to one, so laboratories arrange two or three crushers in series: a primary jaw, a secondary roll or cone and a final pulverizing stage. Feed must be steady, dry and below the rated size, because overfeeding stalls the drive and raises wear. Grinding surfaces are made of manganese, chrome or tungsten carbide, and the choice affects contamination.

What are the key features?

• Compact frame for field transport or vehicle mounting
• Battery, inverter or petrol engine drive options
• Feed opening of 50 to 100 mm with 5 to 20 mm product
• Dust covers and sample collection hopper
• Quick-release jaws or hammers for cleaning
• Rugged steel construction for remote site use

What are the technical specifications?

A typical portable field sample crusher configuration offers feed opening of 50 × 75 mm to 100 × 150 mm, maximum feed size of 40–80 mm, product size of 5–20 mm, throughput of 50–300 kg/h, drive options of 230 V motor, battery pack or petrol engine and weight of 40–150 kg. Values are indicative of the product class; the exact figures for each configuration are confirmed on the quotation and the calibration documents supplied with the instrument.

Which applications is it used for?

The Portable Field Sample Crusher is used in drill site sample reduction, exploration programmes in remote areas, reducing transport weight of bulky samples and geotechnical and environmental field sampling. Across the wider Sample Crushers class, laboratories also deploy it for primary crushing of mine and drill core samples, secondary crushing before pulverizing and concentrate and tailings sample preparation.

Which standards and certifications apply?

Relevant standards and methods include ISO 3082, ISO 12743, ASTM E877, GB/T 2007 and IEC 61010-1. Certification candidates for this model are CE and ISO 9001 manufacturing; each is to be confirmed for the specific configuration before shipment, and certificates are supplied only where they have been issued.

Install crushers on a rigid floor with enough clearance for the moving jaw or cone, and anchor them so vibration does not loosen the drive. Provide dust extraction designed for mineral dust and, where silica is present, follow local occupational exposure limits and provide respiratory protection. Feed in small increments at the rated rate rather than in batches that choke the chamber, and never feed wet, sticky material that blinds screens. Record the closed-side setting and product size after each adjustment, and replace worn plates, rolls or hammers before the product size drifts outside specification. Reduce dust formation by keeping material slightly damp only if the method allows, since added water changes the sample moisture. Clean thoroughly between samples, and run a small quantity of the next sample through as a purge when trace-grade work is done.

How do I select the right Portable Field Sample Crusher?

Choose the portable crusher when sample freight or moisture change is the limiting factor and field staff can operate and clean the unit safely. Specify power source, feed and product size, weight and lifting arrangement, and include a field splitting tool so the shipped portion is representative.

How does it compare with other Sample Crushers variants?

Work backwards from the analytical fineness you need. Match the primary crusher feed opening to the largest lump arriving from the field, then choose one or two further crushing stages so that the pulverizer receives material below its rated feed size, usually 1 to 3 mm. Check the reduction ratio at each step and keep it moderate, since forcing a large reduction increases wear and produces a wider size spread. Consider hardness and abrasiveness: quartz-rich and iron ore samples wear manganese steel quickly, so hardened or carbide-lined surfaces may be justified. Decide how contamination-sensitive the assay is, because chromium and iron from the crushing surfaces bias Ni, Cr and Fe values. Look for sealed, dust-extracted housings since respirable crystalline silica is a health hazard, and for adjustable settings with an accessible calibration, so the product size can be verified on a sieve.