Started in 1980s, Zhengzhou Unique Industrial Equipment Co., Ltd (Unique Group) is already a famous manufacturer & developer of mining equipment like stone crushing & screening equipment and ore processing equipment in China. Our products scope mainly includes cone crusher, jaw crusher, impact crusher, sand making machine, vibrating screen, vibrating feeder, belt conveyor, stationary & mobile stone crushing plant, ball mill, magnetic separator and cement production line etc.
In Russia and Central Asian countries (such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc.), the continued popularity of spring cone crushers (e.g., PYB series or similar designs) is the result of the combined effects of local harsh working conditions, historical industrial foundations, economic realities, and resource characteristics. Here is an analysis of the key reasons:
In Siberia (Russia) and high-altitude areas of Central Asia, winter temperatures can drop to below -40°C. The purely mechanical structure of spring cone crushers (without complex hydraulic systems) results in far lower failure rates at low temperatures compared to hydraulic cone crushers:
Remote mining areas face significant power fluctuations and heavy dust. Spring cone crushers are less sensitive to power grid fluctuations, and their mechanical overload protection (springs) is more reliable during sudden iron passage/overload.
The Ural Mountains (Russia) and mining areas in Kazakhstan are rich in high-hardness rocks (granite, basalt, iron ore). The laminated crushing principle + high-strength frame of spring cone crushers can withstand continuous high-intensity impacts:
Comparison: Impact crushers suffer extremely fast wear of blow bars when crushing high-hardness rocks, resulting in poor economic efficiency; hydraulic cone crushers can handle the task but have high purchase and maintenance costs.
The spring system automatically lifts the moving cone to release pressure when uncrushable objects (such as drill bits, iron blocks) enter, avoiding main shaft breakage. This is particularly suitable for mining areas with high levels of miscellaneous materials.
The region once widely used Soviet-era ПК (similar to PYB) series spring cone crushers. Local engineers are highly familiar with their structure, maintenance, and spare parts replacement.
Chinese-made PYB series (e.g., PYB1200, PYB1750) are highly compatible with old Soviet models, and their prices are only 1/3-1/2 of European and American hydraulic cone crushers. Spare parts (springs, liners, copper sleeves) are abundantly supplied.
Machinery factories in Russia/Kazakhstan (such as Ural Mechanical Plant) can independently produce core components of spring cone crushers, shortening the supply chain.
Small and medium-sized mines have limited budgets. The purchase cost of spring cone crushers is significantly lower than that of hydraulic cone crushers of the same specification (e.g., PYB1750 costs about 150,000, while equivalent hydraulic cones cost 300,000+).
Only ordinary gear lubricating oil is needed, whereas hydraulic cone crushers require high-cleanliness hydraulic oil, which is difficult to procure in remote mining areas.
As secondary crushing equipment after jaw crushers (primary crushing), spring cone crushers can crush 300-400mm materials to 40-70mm, meeting local mainstream aggregate specifications (such as railway ballast, coarse concrete aggregates).
Although not as good as multi-cylinder hydraulic cone crushers, optimized cavity designs (e.g., standard type, short-head type) can produce particle shapes that meet GOST (Russian standards) or local infrastructure requirements, eliminating the need for additional shaping.
| Factor | Advantages of Spring Cone Crushers | Disadvantages of Hydraulic Cone Crushers (in Russian/Central Asian Context) |
| Low-temperature reliability | No hydraulic system, no risk of oil solidification | Require heating/insulation systems, high failure rates |
| Adaptability to high-hardness rocks | Strong structural rigidity, impact resistance | Precision hydraulic components are prone to damage under continuous impact |
| Purchase cost | Low (Chinese equipment with outstanding cost performance) | High (dominated by European and American brands) |
| Maintenance complexity | Repairable by on-site technicians independently | Dependent on professional engineers and imported spare parts |
| Spare part cost and availability | Localized production, sufficient supply from China | Long delivery cycles for European spare parts (affected by sanctions) |
Six PYB1750 spring cone crushers are used to process magnetite (Mohs hardness 6.5), operating 6,000 hours annually. The liner service life is 4 months, and the iron-passing protection is triggered over 50 times a year without main shaft damage.
Chinese-made PYB1200 replaced the old Soviet ПК-12, with 80% commonality of spare parts, reducing maintenance costs by 40%.
The preference for spring cone crushers in Russia and Central Asia is essentially a triple victory of “extreme environment adaptability + rigid demand for high-hardness rock crushing + cost control”:
✅ Reliable survival — mechanical structure conquers severe cold and dust;
✅ Hard rock (nemesis) — withstanding granite impacts through simple structures;
✅ Economic closed loop — Chinese equipment + localized supply chain reduce full-cycle costs.
Although hydraulic cone crushers lead in efficiency and particle shape, the harsh natural conditions, industrial inertia, and pragmatic economic strategies in the region will keep spring cone crushers irreplaceable for a long time to come.
