Comparison of bronze and ball bearings in cone crusher

In the mining and construction materials processing industry, cone crusher plays an important role in processing hard rocks. One of the factors that determines the performance and life span The main part of the machine is the transmission system.

Currently, there are two common types of transmission in cone crushers: ball bearing (bearings) and silver copper. The question is: Which is the better choice? Which system is more economical and operationally efficient? This article will take a closer look at bronze and ball bearings in cone crusher, from durability, operating costs, load capacity to long-term economic efficiency, helping businesses have a comprehensive view before choosing the right equipment.

1. Ball Bearings and Bronze Bushings – Understanding Two Popular Drive Technologies

Ball Bearings – Modern Transmission Technology

Ball bearings (also known as ball bearings) are mechanical components that help reduce friction, support rotational motion and withstand loads in machinery. Manufactured with high precision, ball bearings help the crusher operate smoothly, increase equipment life and reduce energy consumption.

Famous bearing brands such as SKF, NSK, TIMKEN, FAG Always at the forefront of bearing technology, delivering high performance for industrial machines, including cone crushers.

Bronze Silver – Traditional Transmission Solution

Bronze bushings (or bronze bushings) are a type of plain bearing that operate based on sliding motion between surfaces. Unlike ball bearings, bronze bushings do not have rotating balls, instead, they use a cylindrical tube to support the rotating shaft.

Bronze bearing systems are often used in heavy-duty equipment, however, the heat resistance and service life of bronze bearings have certain limitations compared to ball bearings.

2. Detailed comparison of copper bushings and ball bearings in cone crushers

To help businesses have a comprehensive view, below is a detailed comparison table between ball bearings and bronze bushings based on the most important factors:

Criteria	Ball Bearing	Silver bronze
Illustration
Load bearing capacity & transmission	Very good, ensuring efficient power transmission and low energy loss	Good, but more energy loss
Heat resistance	Stable operation at 80°C	Stop the machine when the oil temperature exceeds 68°C (only run again when temperature drops below 55°C)
Amount of lubricant to use (with 1300mm diameter cone crusher)	275 liters/oil change	600 liters/oil change
Average life expectancy (with standard maintenance)	5 – 10 years	3 – 7 years
Maintenance costs (calculated over 10 years)	$104,336.60 (equivalent to $0.0148/ton of crushed stone)	$183,386.00 (equivalent to $0.0274/ton of crushed stone)
Structure	Consists of many parts (bearings, shafts, rollers...)	Consists of only one part (bronze bushing)

3. Are ball bearings really superior to bronze?

3.1 Heat Resistance – An Important Factor in Stone Crushing Environment

In harsh working environments such as quarries and crushing stations, the operating temperature of the machine can increase due to the constant friction between mechanical parts.

• The bearing can withstand temperatures up to 80°C, allowing the machine to operate continuously even when the ambient temperature is up to 45°C.
• Silver copper, on the other hand, has to stop operating when the oil temperature exceeds 68°C, interrupting production and affecting the overall capacity of the crushing plant.

➡ Conclusion: If the business operates in a high temperature environment, ball bearings are a better choice than bronze.

3.2 Lubricating oil consumption – Cost saving problem

Lubrication oil quantity is an important factor affecting long-term operating costs. A 1300mm diameter cone crusher:

• Ball bearings only need 275 liters of oil/time instead, much more economical than 600 liters of oil/timen of silver and copper.
• Less lubrication also reduces maintenance costs and downtime for oil changes.

➡ Conclusion: Ball bearings save nearly 50% in lubricating oil costs compared to bronze bearings, significantly reducing operating costs.

3.3 Long-term economic efficiency – Is silver and copper really cheaper?

Many businesses choose bronze because they think the initial investment cost is lower than ball bearings. However, when calculating the total cost over 10 years of operation, the numbers are completely different:

• Ball bearings have a total maintenance cost over 10 years: $104,336.60 (~0.0148 USD/ton crushed stone)
• Silver copper has a total maintenance cost over 10 years: $183,386.00 (~0.0274 USD/ton of crushed stone)

This means that using bronze will cost almost twice as much to maintain as ball bearings.

➡ Conclusion: In the long term, ball bearings help businesses save hundreds of thousands of dollars, improve production efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

4. Conclusion – Should you choose bronze or ball bearings for cone crushers?

After detailed analysis, it can be affirmed that ball bearings are the optimal choice over bronze bearings in cone crushers thanks to:

✔ Better load-bearing and transmission capacity, helping the machine operate smoothly.
✔ Higher heat resistance (80°C vs. 68°C), allowing the mill to operate uninterruptedly in high temperature environments.
✔ Less lubricating oil consumption than 50%, significantly reducing operating costs.
✔ Long term maintenance costs are much lower than copper silver.

With these advantages, it is not difficult to understand why modern cone crusher lines of Terex, Metso, Sandvik all use ball bearings instead of bronze bearings. Nguyen Vinh is proud to be an official partner of Terex, specializing in providing ball bearing technology cone crushers with high efficiency and optimal operating costs.

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