A practical approach to crusher selection, aggregate grading, manufactured sand and fines management.
A dolomite crushing plant should start with a clear answer to one question: what products will the operation sell?
Coarse aggregate, manufactured sand and feed for a grinding plant create different processing requirements. Even two aggregate plants with identical throughput targets can need different configurations if their buyers demand different size fractions.
A useful design therefore connects three things: the deposit, the product mix and the operating conditions.
The following seven steps provide a practical framework.
1. Characterize the actual dolomite feed
The rock name is not a complete equipment specification.
Collect information on maximum lump size, feed grading, crushability, abrasiveness, moisture and clay. Test representative material from the planned quarry areas.
Crushability helps assess breakage duty, while abrasiveness helps assess wear. Published dolomite reference values can support early comparisons, but they should not replace testing of the actual deposit.
Ask each supplier which assumptions its proposal uses. A capacity estimate based on clean, dry feed should not be compared directly with one designed for variable moisture and contamination.
2. Set production targets by fraction
“300 t/h of aggregate” leaves the sales mix undefined.
An illustrative target might be:
| Product fraction | Required saleable output |
|---|---|
| 0–5 mm | 60 t/h |
| 5–10 mm | 45 t/h |
| 10–20 mm | 120 t/h |
| 20–31.5 mm | 75 t/h |
| Total | 300 t/h |
These figures describe a hypothetical sales requirement, not a guaranteed plant yield.
Ask the supplier to estimate whether the proposed circuit can achieve that distribution. A plant can meet its total tonnage target while producing too much of a fraction that is difficult to sell.
Also distinguish an aggregate plant from a dolomite powder plant. Where grinding follows crushing, define the mill-feed requirement separately.
3. Configure the primary receiving stage
For blasted quarry rock, a jaw crusher is a practical primary option to evaluate. Feed opening, jaw profile and discharge should suit the incoming material and the next stage. Jaw-profile selection can influence wear, capacity and the handling of slabby material.
Leimeng Group’s PE and GC jaw crusher ranges can be considered during this assessment, with the model selected from the actual duty.
The receiving arrangement also needs a hopper, controlled feeding and a clear plan for oversized material.
If scalping is proposed, identify where the bypass material goes. Clean undersize may have a different destination from clay-contaminated fines. Showing both streams on the flowsheet avoids uncertainty later.
4. Choose secondary crushing through a direct comparison
For relatively low-abrasion dolomite, an impact crusher may be a suitable secondary option. Harder, more abrasive feed warrants closer evaluation of cone crushing. The decision should reflect wear economics and the required grading.
Two preliminary arrangements are:
| Arrangement | Key questions |
|---|---|
| Jaw crusher + impact crusher + screen | Are impact-wear costs acceptable? Does the product distribution match demand? |
| Jaw crusher + cone crusher + screen | Does the selected chamber suit the feed? What return load and product grading are expected? |
Neither arrangement is automatically correct for every dolomite deposit.
Leimeng Group’s LMC cone crusher range includes dolomite among its applicable materials and covers secondary and tertiary duties.
Request estimated outputs by size fraction, not just the largest throughput number in the catalogue.
5. Add a sand-making stage for a defined purpose
A VSI crusher can be considered for manufactured sand production or additional shaping. Its inclusion should solve a specific product requirement.
If coarse aggregate already meets the required specification, investigate whether only a selected stream needs further processing. Sending finished material through another crushing stage may change the product mix without supporting the sales plan.
Leimeng Group lists VSI crushers and YKJ vibrating screens within its aggregate equipment offering. Their duties should be specified together with the required sand yield and grading.
A nominal 0–5 mm stream is not enough to establish sand quality. Define the grading, cleanliness and other acceptance requirements with the intended buyer.
6. Design screening and fines treatment together
In a closed circuit, screen oversize returns to the crusher.
For example, 240 t/h of fresh feed plus 80 t/h of return material produces a 320 t/h crusher load. This illustrative balance shows why fresh-feed capacity and machine throughput must be separated.
Ask for individual loads on crushers, screens and conveyors.
For manufactured sand, define how excess fines will be controlled. Suitable dry feed may allow air classification; wet treatment adds water-handling and dewatering requirements. Moisture and the required sand grading help determine which route is appropriate.
Set a permitted fines range rather than assuming that all fine material should be removed.
7. Evaluate the complete plant against saleable output
Before comparing prices, ask each supplier to provide:
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Feed assumptions and equipment selection.
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Crusher settings and estimated product grading.
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Screen duties and return loads.
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Expected saleable output by fraction.
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Power, wear and maintenance assumptions.
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Stockpile and loading arrangements.
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Dust-control and water-management provisions.
Compare costs per saleable tonne using consistent conditions.
For a project discussion with Leimeng Group, prepare the maximum feed size, material test information, target capacity, required product fractions and project location. Add water availability, site limitations and existing equipment where relevant.
A well-developed proposal should explain where each material stream goes and how the configuration supports the products the quarry intends to sell.
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GUANGDONG LEIMENG INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT GROUP CO.,LTD.