A typical 500 TPH crushing process is designed to produce approximately 500 tonnes of processed material per hour under the specified operating conditions. The exact process depends on the raw material, maximum feed size, required final products, and whether the plant needs two-stage or three-stage crushing.

For a hard-rock aggregate application, a common 500 TPH crushing process is:

Raw Material → Vibrating Feeder → Jaw Crusher → Cone Crusher → Vibrating Screen → Finished Products

In a closed-circuit configuration, oversize material from the vibrating screen is returned to the cone crusher for further crushing.

Typical 500 TPH Crushing Flow

1. Feeding

Large rocks are loaded into a feed hopper and delivered to the primary crusher by a vibrating feeder.

The feeder provides a controlled and relatively stable flow of material, helping prevent overloading of the primary crusher.

2. Primary Crushing

A jaw crusher is commonly used for primary crushing when the feed material is large and hard.

Its main purpose is to reduce large rocks into a smaller size suitable for secondary crushing.

For example:

Maximum feed size → Primary jaw crusher → Intermediate crushed material

The actual crusher model and discharge size depend on the feed characteristics and required plant capacity.

3. Secondary Crushing

After primary crushing, the material is transported to the secondary crusher.

For hard and abrasive rock such as granite, basalt, or some types of ore, a cone crusher is commonly considered for secondary crushing.

The cone crusher further reduces the material and prepares it for screening.

4. Screening

The crushed material then enters a vibrating screen.

The screen separates the material into different size fractions according to the required product specifications.

For example, a 500 TPH aggregate plant may produce several products such as:

• 0–5 mm

• 5–10 mm

• 10–20 mm

• 20–31.5 mm

The actual product sizes depend on the customer's requirements.

5. Closed-Circuit Return

Material that is larger than the required screen opening is returned to the crusher through a return conveyor.

The basic closed-circuit flow is:

Jaw Crusher → Cone Crusher → Vibrating Screen

**                                     ↘ Oversize → Return to Cone Crusher**

This allows correctly sized material to leave the circuit while oversize material continues to be processed.

Is a 500 TPH Plant Always a Two-Stage Crushing Plant?

No.

A 500 TPH plant can use either a two-stage or three-stage crushing circuit depending on the material and final product requirements.

A relatively simple configuration may be:

Jaw Crusher → Cone Crusher → Screen

A more complex configuration may be:

Jaw Crusher → Cone Crusher → Tertiary Crusher/VSI → Screen

A three-stage configuration may be considered when the plant requires finer products, higher reduction ratios, improved particle shape, or manufactured sand.

What Equipment Is Typically Used in a 500 TPH Crushing Plant?

A typical hard-rock 500 TPH plant may include:

The exact equipment configuration should be determined after evaluating the raw material and final product requirements.

What Affects the Actual 500 TPH Output?

A plant rated around 500 TPH does not necessarily produce exactly 500 tonnes every hour under all conditions.

Actual production can be affected by:

• Rock hardness

• Abrasiveness

• Maximum feed size

• Feed gradation

• Moisture content

• Crusher settings

• Screen efficiency

• Circulating load

• Equipment availability

• Operator control

This is why crushing plant design should focus on the performance of the complete process, rather than selecting individual machines based only on their nominal capacity.

Example of a 500 TPH Hard-Rock Crushing Circuit

For a hard-rock aggregate project, a typical process could be:

Raw Granite

↓

Vibrating Feeder

↓

Jaw Crusher

↓

Cone Crusher

↓

Vibrating Screen

↓

0–5 mm + 5–10 mm + 10–20 mm + 20–31.5 mm

with oversize material returning to the cone crusher.

If manufactured sand or improved particle shape is required, a VSI crusher can be added:

Jaw Crusher → Cone Crusher → VSI → Vibrating Screen

The final configuration should be determined according to the customer's feed material, production target, final product specifications, and site conditions.