Blog

Blow Bars: Which Metallurgy Is Right for You?

Rocks

Blow bars are a critical part when it comes to crushing with Horizontal Shaft Impactors (HSI). Whether you call them breaker bars, blow bars, hammers or impact hammers, they are all the same.  They impart the energy into the material and accelerate it into the curtain or apron, causing the shattering and crushing of the material.

Unless you’re crushing Styrofoam, what metal you use matters. Some are better for highly abrasive materials while other are better suited for materials filled with rebar. Choosing the wrong bar for your application can mean decreased production, frequent bar replacements and increased parts cost from frequent replacements. All this would mean less material produced and less profit for you.

The 4 major types of blow bars are high chrome, medium chrome, low chrome and hybrid alloy.

High Chrome – This bar metallurgy is what you would likely want to select if you plan or crushing asphalt or another highly abrasive feed material. However you do need to ensure feed size is kept down as well as insuring large and medium-sized rebar is kept out of the feed. Introducing too much steel or steel that is too large can cause the bar the fracture.

Medium Chrome – This is a bar that you would probably want to select if you plan on crushing a variety of feed materials over the course of the bar’s life. This type of bar handles relatively large feed sized when compared to the impactor’s feed opening. It can also handle most steel contaminants without issue. This bar can do some work in asphalt but is not a good choice for large Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) jobs.

Low Chrome – This is the bar you would likely select if you expect to do primarily concrete, demolition and aggregate jobs. This bar stands up to very large feed materials as well as feed that is heavily contaminated with steel and rebar. This bar will not handle highly abrasive materials well, however.

Hybrid Alloy – This unique alloy is similar to a high chrome bar and would be a good fit for operators who are crushing materials that are abrasive, such as asphalt, but may need the ability to handle larger feed sizes. This bar can also work for operators who may need to crush concrete or light aggregates on occasion. Steel and rebar should be removed, especially if large, or limited when feeding using hybrid alloy bars.

These bars fit the needs of nearly all operators, but special jobs may require special metallurgy bars. Eagle Crusher’s parts and engineering departments can work with you to determine the best bar for you application.

Contact Eagle Crusher today to discuss what blow bar is the best fit for your operation.

Serious Projects Demand Eagle Crusher.

Eagle Crusher consistently leads the industry in new product innovations. We stand by our products with unsurpassed service and support to make your job easier.

Get serious. Get Eagle Crusher.

• Durability and longevity
• 24-hour parts and service
• American made
• Highest productivity and profits
• High resale value
• Celebrating 100+ years of service