Gangue, a byproduct of coal mining, is a key resource for its crushing and utilization. Choosing between a hammer crusher and a jaw crusher requires a comprehensive consideration of material properties, production capacity requirements, and the intended use of the finished product. Hammer crushers utilize high-speed rotating hammers for one-step crushing, making them suitable for processing medium-hardness, low-moisture gangue. Their output particle size is uniform and adjustable, making them commonly used in sand making or building materials production. Jaw crushers, on the other hand, rely on the squeezing action of fixed and movable jaws, making them more suitable for coarse crushing of larger gangue lumps. They offer advantages such as high processing capacity and long wear part life, but the finished product may not be as uniform as a hammer crusher.

If the gangue has a high silicon content or requires multiple stages of crushing, a jaw crusher can be used as the primary crushing device, followed by a hammer crusher for finer crushing. In terms of production capacity and energy consumption, hammer crushers excel in medium-scale production. Its design allows the coarse to fine crushing process to be completed in one go, without the need for multiple stages in series, so the unit energy consumption is low, which is particularly suitable for the coal gangue processing needs of 100-300 tons per hour. However, for ultra-large projects (such as those with an output of more than 500 tons per hour), the large feed opening (up to 1200mm) and stable crushing force of the jaw crusher can better meet the requirements of high-load operation, but it needs to be combined with subsequent equipment to achieve the fineness standard. In terms of maintenance costs, the wearing parts of the hammer crusher (such as the hammer head) are replaced more frequently, but the single replacement takes less time; the jaw crusher has a longer jaw plate life, but the downtime required for maintenance is longer, which may affect continuous production. If the on-site space is limited, the integrated design of the hammer crusher can significantly reduce the equipment footprint, while the jaw crusher usually requires additional conveyor belts and screening systems.