How the Twister VSI (vertical shaft autogenous) crusher works.

The Twister vertical shaft autogenous crusher is a leader in rock-on-rock vertical shaft crushing technology. The Twister is ideal for use in construction, quarrying, mining and recycling industries for producing high quality cubically shaped aggregate, industrial sand, fines in mineral processing, recycling of building materials and recycling of glass.

The Twister uses a modular rotor mounted on a vertical shaft to provide the centrifugal force which starts the reduction process. Material fed into the crusher is centralised before entering the spinning modular rotor. The rotor then accelerates the stone to velocities up to 80 metres per second and continually discharges this accelerated stone into a stone filled chamber.

The stone collides with other stone already in the crushing chamber and on the rock wall and fractures along natural faults throughout the rocks or minerals. These continuous collisions provide the crushing action within the chamber resulting in a consistently cubical, high first-pass product yield and produces fines in a balanced particle size distribution. The use of autogenous rock-on rock crushing principles reduces metal crushing parts and reduces wear costs to minimum levels.

The Twister is a vertical shaft autogenous crusher which uses a rotor mounted on a vertical shaft to provide the centrifugal force which starts the material (stone) reduction process.

Feed material is fed into a rock lined feed hopper which centralises the feed prior to it entering the crusher via a cylindrical feed tube. This feed tube forces the material to fall directly and centrally into the rotor.

Inside the rotor, a cone spreads the material flow, and the centrifugal force created by the spinning rotor forces the material into three or six horizontal canals (rotor type and size dependent) lined with trapped material (stone). When the feed material meets the rotating arm of trapped stone, it is accelerated, rolling and sliding, along the arm to the rotor exit openings which are protected by tungsten carbide wear edges.

These accelerated particles are continuously discharged at very high speeds into the material lined periphery of the crushing chamber.

On discharge into the crushing chamber, the particles together with the air stream become part of a swirling mass of particles. Due to the shape of the crushing chamber and the resulting compacted material wall, the swirling mass (cyclone) of particles continually changes direction. The new particles entering the swirling mass collide with particles already in the cyclone, which in turn collide with particles deflected off the material lined wall and the rotor deflector plates. These continuous direct hits and glancing blows cause the crushing action within the chamber. The material then falls from the chamber through a rubber discharge hopper and on to the conveyor belt.

This highly efficient stone on stone method of crushing does not require any stone on steel impact or pressure, which makes the Twister very economical to run.

Where should you use a VSI crusher?

QUARRYING & CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY – The Twister crusher is commonly used in the quarrying and construction industry for producing consistent, cubically shaped aggregates for use in concrete mixes which increases concrete strength, enhances the workability and finish of concrete, reduces water consumption and reduces concrete strengthening time. Twister crushers are commonly used for producing manufactured sand with a uniform shape and free from impurities to ensure better bonding with cement in concrete mixes as well as product finishing and rendering materials to provide strength and durability.

ROAD BUILDING & INFRASTRUCTURE – The Twister is used in producing consistent, cubical shaped aggregate and a high first pass product yield of fines in a balanced particle sized distribution. The cubical shaped aggregates are used in asphalt production for road topping and the balanced high-fines sand creation assists in ensuring balanced fines-rich filling material in road layering.

MINERAL PROCESSING – Twister crushers are used for the beneficiation of processed mined ores. They are used as a cost-effective method to reduce the feed size of for further processing in downstream operations such as grinding mills and ball mills, to produce sinter feed and fine material for heap leaching.

RECYCLING – Twister crushers can be used in recycling applications to process concrete, asphalt and demolition waste reducing the need for virgin materials. Twister VSI crushers are used extensively in the glass recycling industry to produce fines from cullet and glass bottle waste for use in aggregates, glass bottle manufacturing, and as filter media. Twister VSI crushers are extensively used to crush slag from metals processing facilities.