Limestone is one of the most common feedstocks for a mobile plant, whether the output goes to construction aggregate, agricultural lime, cement feed or road base. Because it is softer and considerably less abrasive than granite or basalt, it behaves differently in the crusher — and that changes which machine you should specify.
1. Why impact beats jaw on limestone
A jaw crusher reduces material by compression between two plates; an impact crusher throws it against blow bars and the chamber wall. On a brittle, low-abrasion material such as limestone, the impact method gives a higher reduction ratio in a single pass and produces a more cubical, better-shaped product with less flaky material. That shape is what buyers of graded aggregate pay for.
The trade-off is wear. Blow bars are consumed faster than jaw plates in abrasive rock, which is why impact crushers are not the usual choice for granite. In limestone the abrasion is mild enough that the shape and reduction benefits win.
2. Two UPSEN impact options
| Specification | UIC80 | UHC600 |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 30–150 t/h | 20–40 t/h |
| Max. feeding size | 500 mm | < 300 mm |
| Discharge size | ≤ 50 mm | < 10 mm |
| Hopper capacity | 3 m³ | 2.5 m³ |
| Rotor | Diameter 800 mm, width 760 mm | — |
| Engine | Cummins QSF5.9 / 154 kW / 210 HP | Deutz 54 kW |
| Belt width | B800×8000 mm main conveyor | 600 mm |
| Iron remover | RCYQ800×2.2 | — |
| Track type | Steel track | Trailer / hammer type |
| Total weight | 24,000 kg | 3.8 t |
The UIC80 is the production machine. It is a tracked unit built around the PFS0808 impact chamber, driven by a Cummins QSF5.9 engine rated 154 kW / 210 HP, with a 860×720 mm feed opening and an 800 mm diameter, 760 mm wide rotor. It takes material up to 500 mm and discharges at 50 mm or finer, and it carries an RCYQ800×2.2 iron remover — useful even in limestone, because quarry feed is rarely completely free of metal.
The UHC600 is a quite different machine: a trailer-mounted hammer unit on a 54 kW Deutz engine with a 2.5 m³ hopper. It accepts up to 300 mm and produces a fine, sub-10 mm output from 20–40 t/h. It suits smaller operations that need a fine product rather than high tonnage.
3. Choosing between them
- Choose the UIC80 when you need 30–150 t/h of graded limestone aggregate, when feed arrives from an excavator at up to 500 mm, and when the plant must move between sites on its own tracks.
- Choose the UHC600 when the job is smaller, the product must be fine — under 10 mm — and the plant can stay on one prepared spot rather than tracking around site.
The two machines are not really alternatives to each other; they serve different sizes of operation. The useful comparison is against a jaw crusher. If your limestone is clean, consistent and you want shape and reduction in one pass, the impactor is the better tool. If the feed is highly variable and contaminated with hard inclusions, a jaw crusher will be more tolerant.
4. Getting graded product out of limestone feed
A single impact crusher produces one product stream. To produce 0–10 mm, 10–20 mm and 20–40 mm separately — which is where most of the margin in limestone sits — the line needs a screener and stockpile conveyors behind the crusher.
UPSEN screener models used for this duty include the UYK1235 and the UYK1545, with UTD65 and UTD65S stackers building the individual stockpiles. Match the screener’s capacity to the crusher rather than the other way round, so the crusher is never waiting on the screening stage.
Frequently asked questions
Is an impact crusher suitable for limestone?
Yes. Limestone is brittle and low-abrasion, which is the material profile where impact crushing works best, giving a high reduction ratio and a well-shaped product.
What is the maximum feed size?
500 mm on the UIC80, and under 300 mm on the UHC600.
How fine can the UIC80 go?
Its discharge size is quoted at 50 mm or finer, which typically requires a screener behind it to split the output into sellable grades.
Next step
Tell us your limestone’s maximum lump size, the grades you need to sell and the tonnage per shift, and we will propose a line. Quotations are prepared per project rather than from a list — send us your requirements.