Horizontal shaft impact crushers · rotor diameter, width and speed, feed opening and maximum feed size, curtains and gap setting, blow bar material and tramp-iron relief
An impact crusher breaks rock by impact rather than compression: in the horizontal shaft (HSI) type, blow bars or hammers on a fast-turning rotor strike the feed and throw it against impact curtains or breaker plates and against other particles. Ask three things first: what feed size and capacity the rotor and feed opening accept, how the curtain gaps that control product size are set and protected, and which blow bar material suits your rock's abrasiveness.
Horizontal shaft impact crushers, stationary, portable and mobile, for primary, secondary and tertiary crushing of rock and for concrete and asphalt recycling. Vertical shaft impact crushers, hammer mills, jaw and cone crushers (separate product pages) and blow bars sold alone are outside this page except where compared.
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01
Metso describes impact crushers as accelerating the feed to high speed and flinging it against the chamber walls and other rocks. In horizontal shaft impact (HSI) crushers, hammers or bars fixed to a fast rotor strike the feed and the particles are further broken against crusher parts and each other; vertical shaft impact (VSI) crushers instead feed rock through the rotor centre for rock-on-rock crushing and Metso says they “are generally utilized at the last stage of the crushing circuit”. Impact crushers are used from primary crushing to the final stage, with either high reduction ratios or well-shaped cubical products depending on type. [1]
McLanahan's specification sheet for its Universal VersaCap HSI crushers shows the figures to compare: a rotor of 1,295 mm diameter in widths of 1,143, 1,524 and 1,905 mm turning at 350–600 rpm; feed openings of 1,170, 1,550 and 1,930 mm wide by 1,067 mm high; a maximum feed size of 1,016 mm; 300, 400 and 500 hp without a third curtain; crusher weights of 17,350 to 23,290 kg; and estimated average capacities of 400, 500 and 600 short tons per hour at minus 6 inches. Rotors come with three or four bars. [3]
Editorial calculation: a 1,295 mm rotor at 350 rpm has a tip speed of π × 1.295 × 350 / 60 ≈ 23.7 m/s, and at 600 rpm about 40.7 m/s. Ask the supplier which speed it recommends for your product size and rock.
Give the supplier the rock or recycled material (type, abrasiveness or silica content, compressive strength, moisture and clay), feed size and gradation, contaminants such as rebar or tramp iron, required product sizes and shape, capacity in t/h, crushing stage and circuit (open or closed), stationary, portable or mobile layout, power supply and automation needs.
02
In McLanahan's design the primary impact curtain is a reversible manganese monoblock with replaceable wear edges, the secondary curtain hangs by gravity from a pivot pin, and an optional third curtain has spring-loaded hydraulic-shim adjustment; curtains retract to pass uncrushable tramp iron and reset to the original gap, and hydraulic adjustment can be made under full load with optional automation. Hammers (blow bars) come in standard or heavy weight and in alloy, steel or manganese, side liners are 25.4 mm AR plate, and the maker asks to be consulted on hammer selection. [3]
Metso's NP Series pages describe a blow bar attachment system designed to cut breakage risk and extend the use of cast iron blow bars, options of full hydraulic adjustment, a third breaker plate and different grades of steel and cast iron for the wear parts, and a rotor positioning system that lets blow bars be changed and breaker plates adjusted without anyone inside the crusher. [2]
Editorial note: ask for the curtain gap range, the adjustment method and whether it can be changed under load, the blow bar alloys offered for your rock, the tramp-relief arrangement, and how the rotor is locked during maintenance.
03
RUBBLE MASTER, a maker of mobile impact crushers, lists specifications for its tracked "RM 100GO!": capacity up to 250 tph, inlet opening 960 x 700 mm, ideal feed size 560 mm, a 4-bar rotor, a 3.3 m³ feed unit at 3,000 mm feed height, a 1,500 x 900 mm prescreen grizzly, a 1,300 x 3,000 mm screen-box, diesel-electric drive, a transport dimension of 14,700 x 2,860 x 3,155 mm and a weight of 30,000 kg (34,810 kg with screen attachment). [4]
The "ideal feed size" is a different figure from a maximum lump size. RUBBLE MASTER gives 560 mm for a 960 x 700 mm inlet [4], while McLanahan's sheet gives a 1,016 mm maximum feed for its stationary machine [3]. Ask each supplier which figure it quotes, the capacity at your feed and product size, and the reduction ratio. RUBBLE MASTER names adjustable rotor speeds and baffled impact plates for its reduction ratio [4]; Metso explains that HSI crushers break particles against crusher parts and each other [1].
For a tracked unit, the transport dimension and weight decide how it moves between sites. The RM 120X adds 100 tph over the RM 100GO! but is 1,480 mm longer, 130 mm wider, 445 mm taller and 9,000 kg heavier in transport form [4]. Check these against the road permit limits where the machine will travel.
Editorial calculation: the 560 mm ideal feed size is 80% of the 700 mm inlet height (560 ÷ 700); the RM 120X gives 350 ÷ 39 ≈ 9.0 tph per tonne of machine against 250 ÷ 30 ≈ 8.3 for the RM 100GO!. [4]
| Item | RUBBLE MASTER RM 100GO! | RUBBLE MASTER RM 120X | McLanahan Universal VersaCap (already cited) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Up to 250 tph | Up to 350 tph | 400–600 STPH at −6 in, estimated average |
| Inlet opening | 960 x 700 mm | 1,160 x 820 mm | — |
| Feed size | 560 mm ideal | — | 1,016 mm maximum |
| Rotor | 4-bar rotor | — | 1,295 mm diameter |
| Weight | 30,000 kg (34,810 kg with screen) | 39,000 kg | 17,350–23,290 kg |
| Transport dimension | 14,700 x 2,860 x 3,155 mm | 16,180 x 2,990 x 3,600 mm | Stationary |
Values are from RUBBLE MASTER's RM 100GO! page, including its model comparison table; capacities are the maker's maximum figures.
04
Suppliers linked to this page list impact crushers; each card links to the page reviewed.
Listings include stationary impact crushers for secondary crushing of softer rock, primary impact crushers, PFW impact crushers, mobile impact crushers and impact crushers within crushing and screening plants. Ask each for rotor size and speed, feed opening, curtain adjustment, blow bar material and the capacity basis.
05
This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's specification.
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Rotor | Carries blow bars; mass and speed. [3] [2] | Diameter, width, bars, speed. |
| Blow bars (hammers) | Strike the feed. [3] [2] | Weight and alloy. |
| Impact curtains or breaker plates | Rebound surfaces; gaps set product. [3] | Number and adjustment. |
| Curtain adjustment and relief | Sets gaps; passes tramp iron. [3] | Hydraulic, shims, automation. |
| Housing and liners | Contain impact; liners wear. [3] | Liner material and thickness. |
| Drive | Supplies rotor power. [3] | Power and drive arrangement. |
| Maintenance devices | Rotor positioning and access. [2] [3] | Locking and access doors. |
06
An impact crusher quotation needs values for your material and plant. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Rotor Diameter (mm) | Example: 1,295 mm. [3] | Diameter. |
| Rotor Width (mm) | Examples: 1,143–1,905 mm. [3] | Width. |
| Maximum Feed Size (mm) | Example: 1,016 mm maximum [3]; 560 mm ideal for a 960 x 700 mm inlet. [4] | Maximum lump. |
| Capacity (t/h) | Example: 400–600 STPH at −6 in, estimated average [3]; up to 250–350 tph tracked. [4] | Capacity at your product size. |
| Motor Power (kW) | Examples: 300–500 hp. [3] | Installed power. |
| Rotor Speed (rpm) | Example: 350–600 rpm. [3] | Speed range. |
| Weight (kg) | Example: 17,350–23,290 kg. [3] | Weight. |
| Discharge Opening Adjustment Range (mm) | Curtain gaps, hydraulic or shim adjustment. [3] | Gap range. |
| Operating Temperature (°C) | Climate. | Range. |
| Vibration (mm/s) | Balance and foundations. | Limit. |
| Noise Level (dB(A)) | Site limits. | Value. |
| Blow Bar Material | Alloy, steel, manganese or cast iron. [3] [2] | Alloy for your rock. |
07
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Material: [type; abrasiveness; strength; moisture; contaminants] Feed: [maximum lump; gradation] Product: [sizes; shape; capacity t/h] Circuit: [stage; open or closed] Machine: [rotor; speed; curtains; blow bars] Layout: [stationary, portable or mobile; power]
These companies list impact crushers.
Lists impact crushers for secondary crushing of softer material in stone crusher plants.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists impact crushers alongside vertical shaft impact crushers and mobile crushers.
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Lists impact crushers and mobile impact crushers.
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Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
Metso describes HSI crushers striking feed with bars on a horizontal rotor, while VSI crushers throw rock from a vertical rotor for rock-on-rock crushing, “generally utilized at the last stage of the crushing circuit”. [1]
One maker's sheet lists 350–600 rpm for a 1,295 mm rotor, roughly 24–41 m/s at the tip. [3]
In McLanahan's design the curtains retract to pass it and reset to the original gap. [3]
RUBBLE MASTER lists its RM 100GO! at 14,700 x 2,860 x 3,155 mm and 30,000 kg (34,810 kg with screen attachment), and its RM 120X at 16,180 x 2,990 x 3,600 mm and 39,000 kg. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. Metso and McLanahan are crusher makers describing their own machines; their figures are examples, not limits for other makes.
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