Crushers typically handle larger material blocks with a coarse particle size, usually greater than 8mm. Their structural feature is that there are gaps between the crushing components, and they do not come into contact with each other. Crushers can be further divided into coarse crushers, medium crushers, and fine crushers. Generally, materials processed by mills are fine, and the particle size of the product is fine, reaching 0.074mm or even finer. The structural feature is that the crushing components (or media) come into contact with each other, and the media used are steel balls, rebars, gravel, or gold. However, some machines have both crushing and grinding functions, such as self-grinding mills. The ∮5.5×1.8m mill can process ore particles up to 350~400mm.

Based on the method of crushing and the characteristics of the mechanical structure (principle of operation), it is divided into six categories.

(1) Jaw Crusher (Tiger Mouth). The crushing action is periodic, pressing the movable jaw against the fixed jaw and crushing the ore trapped between them.

(2) Cone Crushers. The melting core is located between the inner cone and the outer cone, where the outer cone is fixed. The inner cone oscillates eccentrically to crush or break the melting core trapped between them.

(3) Roller Crusher. When two counter-rotating circular rollers are compressed, the molten core primarily undergoes continuous crushing, but also exhibits grinding and peeling effects, and the surface of the roller teeth also has a saccharification effect.

(4) Impact crushers. Gold blocks are crushed due to the impact of rapidly rotating moving parts. This category includes: Hammer crushers; Cage crushers; Impact crushers.

(5) Grinding Machines. Crush ore through the impact and grinding action of abrasive media (steel balls, steel rods, gravel, or melt cores) within a rotating drum.