Winter anti-freezing maintenance knowledge of jaw crusher

Low temperature in winter easily causes oil thickening, pipeline freezing, component cracking and startup failure of jaw crushers. Scientific anti-freezing maintenance can avoid unexpected downtime and extend equipment service life.

1. Lubrication System Anti-freezing (Core Item)

Replace winter-grade low-viscosity lubricating oil and grease in advance. Select lubricants suitable for local lowest ambient temperature to prevent oil from becoming sticky or solidified.
Before daily startup, perform preheating operation: idle the equipment for 5–10 minutes, check whether lubricating oil flows smoothly to each bearing, eccentric shaft and toggle plate seat. Do not load feed before the oil temperature rises normally.
Drain residual oil for long-term shutdown; if the crusher keeps running continuously, inspect oil tank heating device and oil level gauge regularly.
Seal the lubricating oil tank, add thermal insulation cotton or insulation covers for outdoor pipelines to avoid direct frost.

2. Water System Anti-freezing

If equipped with water dust suppression, water cooling or spray devices: completely drain all remaining water inside water pipes, valves, pumps and nozzles after shutdown every day. Standing water will expand after freezing and burst pipes and pump bodies.
Keep drain valves slightly open for water circuits in cold weather; add heat tracing belts for pipelines that cannot be drained.
Do not start the water supply system before confirming there is no ice blockage inside the pipeline.

3. Anti-freezing Inspection of Main Mechanical Components

Check toggle plate, toggle plate seat, jaw plate, bolts and spring buffer group. Low temperature reduces metal toughness; avoid sudden heavy impact and overload startup.
Check all fastening bolts: cold contraction may loosen connections. Re-torque key bolts regularly.
Clear ice, snow and frozen ore blocks on the frame, feed hopper and discharge opening before startup. Frozen lumps are hard and easy to cause stuck machine, overload shutdown or jaw plate damage.
Remove accumulated snow and ice around the base and anchor bolts to prevent foundation frost heaving which leads to equipment deviation and abnormal vibration.

4. Electrical & Control System Cold Protection

Insulate motors, control cabinets, sensors and cable joints. Low temperature may cause poor contact, cable hardening and cracking.
Check motor insulation resistance regularly. Keep the electrical cabinet dry, install heaters or dehumidifiers for outdoor control boxes to prevent condensation and icing.
Test emergency stop, overload protection and temperature alarm functions before starting shift. Frozen protection failure will bring safety risks.

5. Operation Specification in Cold Winter

Extend the pre-start inspection time. Do not force startup when the equipment is frozen or stuck.
Control feeding speed: avoid mixing large frozen ore chunks and ice blocks into the crushing chamber. Pre-thaw raw materials if possible.
Stop feeding first before shutdown; run the crusher for a while to empty materials inside the crushing cavity, preventing ore from freezing and sticking together.
For long-term standby: clean the whole machine, drain all water, add anti-rust agent on exposed processing surfaces, cover with waterproof and thermal insulation tarpaulin.

6. Common Winter Fault Warning

Hard to start / heavy rotation: mostly thickened lubricating oil or frozen bearing fit clearance.
Pipeline crack, water leakage after thawing: caused by undrained residual water freezing expansion.
Sudden fracture of toggle plate or fasteners: low-temperature brittleness + impact load.
Unstable current and tripping: electrical component icing and poor contact.

7. Safety Reminders

Wear anti-slip protective gear when working on icy platforms.
Never use open fire to bake bearings, oil tanks or electrical parts for thawing, which will burn seals, age lubricants and trigger fire hazards. Use warm air or professional heating equipment.