Which blow bars are right for your job?

Blow bars are thick slabs of metal, typically some mixture of chrome, that are cast for the purpose of effectively breaking apart material like asphalt, concrete, limestone, etc. Often in sets of 3 or 4, blow bars are inserted into an impact crusher’s rotor where they are able to strike material needing processed.

Many types of blow bars exist, varying in size and metallurgy, which is determined by the type of material being crushed and the desired output. The range of metallurgies includes low chrome blow bars, medium chrome, high chrome, and also a hybrid alloy, each offering their own unique advantage when crushing materials.

Which metallurgy should you pick?

High Chrome 

Great bar for small feed size and minimal steel, Excellent Abrasion Resistance.  

Typically used as a Primary in Asphalt or as a secondary where feed size is small.

High Chrome With Ceramic 

Same benefits as the above, however the ceramic can allow the lifetime to be increased by a factor of 2 to 4 times.  

Hybrid Alloy 

Similar to the High Chrome bars, but for a medium size feed.  

Excellent Abrasion Resistance and fair impact resistance.  

Typically used as a Primary in Asphalt or as a secondary where feed size is small/medium. 

Medium Chrome

Typically used as a Primary in Concrete, Sand and Gravel, Asphalt, Dolomite, Aggregate, Limestone and Shot Rock.  

Good all-around bar, where producers can crush multiple aggregates using the same bar, depending on feed size. 

Medium Chrome With Ceramic 

Same benefits as the above, however the ceramic can allow the lifetime to be increased by a factor of 2 to 4 times.  

Low Chrome

Highly resilient to breakage.

Typically used for Primary crushing applications in both recycle and aggregate, where breakage is an issue with other alloys. 

Low Chrome With Ceramic

Same benefits as the above, however the ceramic can allow the lifetime to be increased by a factor of 2 to 4 times.  

What does wear have to do with picking the right blow bar?

The amount of chrome mixed into a blow bar can determine how susceptible the blow bar is to fracturing. When crushing reclaimed materials that might include metal contaminants like 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 that blow bars endure, they will wear down over time. Their composition and how often they are used will determine how often they will need flipped or replaced. Stocking fresh blow bars so that material is being impacted by smooth, uniform edges will contribute to maintaining high production rates.

Ordering your blow bars with Eagle Crusher

Developed by expert metallurgists and manufactured exclusively by Eagle Crusher, our genuine blow bars are designed to extend wear life, provide a perfect fit for your impactor, and increase production rates while decreasing costs-per-ton. Eagle Crusher blow bars are available in a variety of metallurgies to accommodate your unique crushing needs.

Be prepared for unexpected downtime

There is 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 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.

At Eagle Crusher, we’re here to help you do just that. For complete Eagle Crusher genuine blow bar product specifications, visit the blow bar information page. For more information about ordering, or if you have more questions about blow bars, reach out to our team members today.