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Which Blow Bars Are Right For You?
Which Blow Bars Are Right for Your Job? A Guide to Impact Crusher Blow Bars
Blow bars for impact crushers are thick slabs of metal, typically a mixture of chrome, that are cast to effectively break apart material such as asphalt, concrete, limestone, and more. Often in sets of 3 or 4, impact crusher blow bars are inserted into an impact crusher’s rotor where they are able to strike material needing to be processed.
Many types of blow bars exist, varying in size and metallurgy, depending on the material being crushed and the desired output. The range of metallurgies includes low chrome, medium chrome, high chrome, and a hybrid alloy, each offering unique advantages for crushing materials. Selecting the right impact crusher blow bar for your application can significantly impact wear life, production rates, and overall costs-per-ton.
Here, we break down each blow bar metallurgy, explain which applications they’re best suited for, and help you understand how to minimize downtime and maximize performance.
Understanding Types of Blow Bars: Which Metallurgy Should You Pick?
High Chrome Blow Bars
High chrome impact crusher blow bars are great for small feed sizes and minimal steel applications, offering excellent abrasion resistance. These bars are typically used as a primary in asphalt or as a secondary where the feed size is small.
High Chrome With Ceramic
This option provides the same benefits as standard high chrome bars; however, the ceramic can increase lifetime by 2 to 4 times, making it a cost-effective choice for high-volume operations.
Hybrid Alloy Blow Bars
Similar to high chrome bars but designed for medium-sized feed, hybrid alloy blow bars for impact crushers offer excellent abrasion resistance and fair impact resistance. These are typically used as a primary in asphalt or as a secondary where the feed size is small to medium.
Medium Chrome Blow Bars
Medium chrome bars are typically used as a primary in concrete, sand and gravel, asphalt, dolomite, aggregate, limestone, and shot rock. These are good all-around bars that producers can use to crush multiple aggregates with the same bar, depending on feed size.
Medium Chrome With Ceramic
This configuration provides the same benefits as standard medium chrome bars; however, the ceramic coating can increase lifetime by a factor of 2 to 4.
Low Chrome Blow Bars
Low chrome impact crusher blow bars are highly resistant to breakage and are typically used for primary crushing applications in both recycling and aggregate, where breakage is an issue with other alloys.
Low Chrome With Ceramic
This option delivers the same benefits as standard low chrome bars; however, the ceramic coating can increase the lifetime by 2 to 4 times.
What Does Wear Have to Do With Picking the Right Blow Bar?
The amount of chrome mixed into an impact crusher blow bar can determine how susceptible the bar is to fracturing. When crushing reclaimed materials that may include metal contaminants, such as rebar, high chrome blow bars are more likely to fracture. Meanwhile, low chrome bars are better at withstanding the impact of rebar and other metal contaminants.
Due to the repetitive crushing they endure, blow bars will wear down over time. Their composition and how often they are used will determine how often they will need to be flipped or replaced. Stocking fresh blow bars for impact crushers so that material is impacted by smooth, uniform edges will help maintain high production rates.
Comparing Types of Blow Bars: Key Selection Factors
| Blow Bar Type | Best Applications | Key Advantage | Wear Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Chrome | Small feed, minimal steel, asphalt primary/secondary | Excellent abrasion resistance | High |
| High Chrome with Ceramic | Same as high chrome with extended life needs | 2-4x longer lifetime | Very High |
| Hybrid Alloy | Medium feed, asphalt primary/secondary | Balanced abrasion and impact resistance | High |
| Medium Chrome | Concrete, aggregate, limestone, multiple materials | Versatile all-around performance | Medium-High |
| Medium Chrome with Ceramic | Same as medium chrome with extended life needs | 2-4x longer lifetime | Very High |
| Low Chrome | Recycle, aggregate with metal contaminants | Breakage resistance | Medium |
| Low Chrome with Ceramic | Same as low chrome with extended life needs | 2-4x longer lifetime | High |
Be Prepared for Unexpected Downtime
There’s no getting around the fact that your blow bars will eventually need to be replaced. However, what you can control is downtime. By ordering blow bars for impact crushers early, you minimize your downtime by hours, days, and potentially even weeks. Supplies are limited, so you want to make sure you have the parts on hand before you need them.
Eagle Crusher: Genuine Impact Crusher Blow Bars Built to Last
Developed by expert metallurgists and manufactured exclusively by Eagle Crusher, our genuine impact crusher blow bars are designed to extend wear life, provide a perfect fit for your impactor, and increase production rates while decreasing costs per ton. Available in a variety of metallurgies to accommodate your unique crushing needs, Eagle Crusher blow bars deliver the performance and durability your operation demands. For complete blow bar product specifications or to order, contact us today.