Where this process fits
River pebble sand production should be planned differently from limestone crushing. Because cobble material is abrasive, the line normally needs jaw crushing, cone or fine crushing, screening, washing and recovery sections.
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River Pebble / Sand Making & Washing
River Pebble Sand Making & Washing Line
Sand making and washing line for river pebble and cobble material, combining jaw crushing, cone or fine crushing, screening, washing, dewatering and recovery.
Process scope
Solution framework only. River pebble is abrasive; crushing and washing equipment must be confirmed by material condition and finished sand standard.
Equipment matching is checked by feed material, mud and moisture, target capacity, product size, site layout and environmental requirements.
River pebbleCobble sand makingWashing and recoveryPremium sand planning
Typical process flow
01. Pre-screening and feeding
Feed river pebble and remove part of fines before crushing.
GZT grizzly feeder
02. Primary crushing
Reduce larger cobble before shaping and fine crushing.
WLC jaw crusher
03. Sand making and shaping
Select secondary / fine crushing equipment by pebble hardness, abrasion and sand-ratio target.
GPY / HPY cone crusher, SHKX reversible fine crusher or roller crusher
04. Screening
Separate sand and aggregate sizes; return oversize material.
Vibrating screen
05. Washing
Remove mud and improve finished sand cleanliness.
LSX spiral washer or XS wheel washer
06. Dewatering and recovery
Dewater washed sand, recover fine sand and support wastewater treatment planning.
WLTS dewatering screen, WS recovery machine and optional HHT filter press
07. Finished conveying
Convey washed sand and graded aggregate to separate finished stockpiles.
WLB belt conveyor
River pebble sand making, washing and water route
Crushing and sand-making route
- River pebble feed -> GZT feeding -> WLC jaw crusher -> cone / fine crusher / roller sand making -> vibrating screening
Screen oversize return route
- Oversize pebble from screen -> return belt conveyor -> secondary / fine crushing equipment -> screening again
Washing and recovery route
- 0-5 mm sand -> sand washer -> WLTS dewatering screen -> WS fine sand recovery -> HHT filter press or settling pond circulation
Equipment by process section
| Process role | Equipment reference | Selection note |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding | GZT Grizzly Feeder | Pre-screening is useful when river pebble feed contains mud and mixed sizes. |
| Primary crushing | WLC Jaw Crusher | Used before cone or fine crushing for larger pebble material. |
| Shaping and crushing | Cone Crusher / SHKX Fine Crusher / Roller Crusher | River pebble is abrasive; single heavy hammer crushing is not recommended as the main route. Roller crusher can be evaluated for some small and medium sand-making scenarios. |
| Screening and grading | Vibrating Screen | Separate 0-5 mm sand and aggregate sizes; screen oversize returns to crushing. |
| Washing | Sand Washer | Spiral washing is often discussed when pebble material carries more mud; wheel washing can be considered for lower mud. |
| Dewatering | WLTS High Frequency Dewatering Screen | Reduces moisture before washed sand stockpiling and loading. |
| Recovery and slurry treatment | WS Recovery Machine / HHT Filter Press | Used when fine sand loss and wastewater treatment need to be controlled. |
| Conveying | WLB Belt Conveyor | Connects crushing, screening, washing and finished stockpiling sections. |
Standard and optional equipment by section
| Process section | Standard equipment | Optional equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-screening and feeding | GZT grizzly feeder. | If feed is clean and size is uniform, a standard vibrating feeder can be discussed. |
| Coarse crushing | WLC jaw crusher. | For larger pebble or higher capacity, select a larger feed-opening model. |
| Sand making / shaping | GPY single-cylinder cone crusher or SHKX reversible fine crusher. | Use HPY multi-cylinder cone for high-hardness high-capacity projects; evaluate roller crusher for small and medium washed-sand plants. |
| Screening | Multi-deck vibrating screen. | Use horizontal screen for premium sand grading; add trommel pre-treatment for muddy wet feed. |
| Washing | LSX spiral washer or XS wheel sand washer. | Use spiral washing first for high-mud feed; wheel washer can be discussed for low-mud premium sand. |
| Dewatering and recovery | WLTS dewatering screen + WS tailings recovery machine. | Add HHT plate and frame filter press for high-mud or stricter environmental projects. |
| Conveying and stockpiling | WLB belt conveyor. | Arrange separate belts or silos for sand, aggregate and return material. |
Capacity planning ranges
The following packages are planning references. River pebble abrasion and sand-ratio target can change equipment size and wear cost.
| Line size | Typical capacity target | Configuration idea |
|---|---|---|
| Small line | 50-100 t/h | Jaw crusher + single-cylinder cone crusher + XS sand washer + small recovery equipment. |
| Medium line | 100-200 t/h | Jaw crusher + SHKX reversible fine crusher + LSX1580 washing + complete recovery line. |
| Large line | 200-300 t/h | Jaw crusher + multi-cylinder cone crusher + 2LSX double spiral washer + larger recovery and filter-press planning. |
Reference packages by capacity range
The following package configurations are for website communication only. Formal proposals must be reviewed by pebble size, abrasion, mud and moisture content, target sand ratio and environmental requirements.
Small river-pebble washed sand line
Small and medium sand plant or concrete supporting project, with smaller pebble size and medium mud content.
About 50-100 t/h
- Feeding: GZT0932 grizzly feeder
- Coarse crushing: WL80 / WL110 WLC jaw crusher
- Sand making: GPY100 single-cylinder cone or roller crusher selected by sand-ratio target
- Screening: 1230 / 1548 vibrating screen
- Washing: XS wheel washer + WLTS dewatering screen
- Recovery: WS8018 / WS9020 fine sand recovery machine
Standard premium river-pebble sand line
For commercial premium manufactured sand, requiring washing, dewatering and fine sand recovery.
About 100-200 t/h
- Feeding: GZT1148 grizzly feeder
- Coarse crushing: WL110 / WL125 WLC jaw crusher
- Shaping: GPY200 cone crusher + SHKX reversible fine crusher
- Screening: 1548 / 1860 multi-deck vibrating screen
- Washing: LSX1580 spiral washer
- Recovery and environmental section: WLTS1536 + WS1225 / WS1530 + HHT30/800 or HHT60/1000
Large high-capacity river-pebble sand line
High-output abrasive pebble project requiring continuous production and complete wastewater treatment.
About 200-300 t/h
- Feeding: GZT1262 heavy-duty grizzly feeder
- Coarse crushing: WL140 / WL160 WLC jaw crusher
- Secondary / sand shaping: HPY multi-cylinder cone + SHKX fine shaping
- Screening: 1860 / 2060 horizontal screen or multi-deck vibrating screen
- Washing: 2LSX1580 double spiral washer
- Recovery and filter press: WS1836 / WS2042 + HHT100/1250 or larger
Suitable feed materials
- River pebble, cobble, washed raw stone and rounded hard pebble mixed material.
- Pebble feed with mud and sand content that requires washing after crushing.
Mud-content assessment
- Low-mud pebble: When the feed is relatively clean and only crushing, shaping and screening are needed, start with a dry crushing and screening plan, then decide whether washing is needed by finished sand cleanliness.
- Medium-mud pebble: River material often carries mud and sand. If the finished sand is sold commercially or used for ready-mix concrete, washing, dewatering and fine sand recovery are recommended.
- High-mud pebble / mud-sand mixture: When clay, clay lumps or muddy fine sand is high, evaluate trommel screening / rotary scrubbing, spiral washing, fine sand recovery and filter-press treatment first.
Target products and operating goals
- Crush and shape river pebble into manufactured sand and quality aggregate.
- Wash finished sand to improve cleanliness and reduce mud or powder content.
- Recover fine sand and plan wastewater treatment when washing overflow is significant.
- Control the ratio between 0-5 mm manufactured sand and 5-20 mm aggregate according to the sand-ratio target.
When washing is required
- A river-pebble sand line usually needs washing evaluation, but a full filter-press system is not mandatory for every project.
- For low-mud projects that only produce crushed aggregate, a dry closed-circuit crushing and screening process can be considered first.
- For premium washed sand, higher mud content or strict environmental requirements, configure sand washer, WLTS dewatering screen, WS fine sand recovery and HHT filter press.
- Spray dust suppression only controls dust; it is not equal to sand washing and mud removal.
Optional wet-processing section
- If low-mud pebble is used only for crushed aggregate, the washing section can be reduced.
- For premium manufactured sand, washing + dewatering + fine sand recovery is recommended to reduce fine sand loss.
- For strict environmental requirements, tailwater should enter a filter-press or settling-circulation system.
Finished product size references
Premium manufactured sand
- 0-5 mm rounded washed manufactured sand
- Final grading and cleanliness must be confirmed by testing.
Aggregate
- 5-10 mm
- 10-20 mm
- 20-31.5 mm can be discussed by screen configuration.
Tailings sand / slurry
- Fine sand in washing overflow is recovered by WS recovery machine.
- Whether slurry is filter-pressed depends on environmental requirement and settling-pond condition.
Main product outputs
- 0-5 mm washed manufactured sand for ready-mix concrete, construction sand and premium sand sales.
- 5-10 mm, 10-20 mm and 20-31.5 mm aggregate according to screening configuration.
- Recovered fine sand returns to finished sand to improve sand yield.
- Filter cake or settled slurry is handled according to local environmental requirements.
Key selection limits
- River pebble is hard and abrasive; single heavy hammer crushing is not recommended.
- Sand particle shape usually needs a shaping or fine crushing section.
- River material often contains mud and sand, so washing and recovery should be evaluated.
- Suitable for premium sand sales projects where water and environmental conditions are available.
- If the project only produces ordinary crushed aggregate, washing can be reduced; if it produces 0-5 mm premium sand, dewatering and recovery should be treated as key sections.
- When mud content or clay lumps are high, wheel washing alone may not be enough; spiral washing or rotary scrubbing pre-treatment should be discussed.
- Roller crusher can be used for some small and medium river-pebble sand-making cases, but high-capacity, high-hardness and continuous projects should evaluate cone + fine crushing combinations.
- Whether fine sand recovery and filter press are standard depends on local environmental requirements, fine sand loss and settling-pond condition.
Information needed before a proposal
- River pebble size range
- Mud and sand content
- Target capacity
- Finished sand sales standard
- Environmental requirement and site water / power condition
- Whether 0-5 mm premium sand is required or aggregate is produced together
- Whether settling pond, clean water pond and drainage condition already exist
- Whether local rules require zero wastewater discharge or filter cake hauling
- Whether water supply is sufficient and whether a circulation system is needed
- Whether the customer prioritizes sand yield, particle shape, water use or equipment investment
Frequently asked project questions
Why does river pebble sand making need a different route from limestone?
River pebble is hard and abrasive. The safer route normally starts with a WLC jaw crusher, then uses cone, roller or fine crushing, followed by screening and washing instead of a simple hammer-crushing route.
When should river pebble sand be washed?
Wash the sand when mud, stone powder, surface dust or market requirements make cleanliness important. The wet section may include a sand washer, WLTS dewatering screen and WS fine sand recovery machine.
What information is needed for a river pebble washing line?
Provide pebble size range, mud content, hardness or abrasion, target sand ratio, finished sand standard, water and pond condition, voltage and whether wastewater treatment such as an HHT filter press is required.