You need sand. Good sand. But how to make it? You have two choices. Wet way. Dry way. This is a big question for quarry owners. It changes your profit. It changes your sand quality. We are SBM. We build the machines for both. We see the results every day.
This article compares them. We look at facts. We look at data. We ignore the marketing noise. You get the truth here. We explain the machines. We explain the costs. You will know what to buy. The choice depends on your rock. It depends on your water. It depends on your budget. Let’s dig in.
Wet sand making is the old way. It uses water. Lots of water. You crush the rock. Then you wash it. The water takes away the mud. It takes away the dust. The sand looks clean. It feels good.
The main machine is a Sand Washer. Usually a wheel type. Or a spiral type. The sand goes in a tank. The wheel turns. It is slow. Maybe 1-2 rpm. The blades mix the sand. The dirt floats away. The clean sand lifts up.
You need much water. Usually 2 to 3 tons of water for 1 ton of sand. This is heavy usage. You need ponds. You need pumps. Why? To clean thoroughly.
Water is strong. It washes away bad mud. But it washes away good sand too. Fine sand (0.16mm) flows away. This is bad. You lose volume. You lose money. Why? The water flow is hard to control.
Dry sand making is the modern way. No water. We use air. It is popular now. Why? Environmental rules are strict. Water is scarce. SBM uses the VU system here. It is a tower. It is enclosed.
The core is the VSI Crusher. Vertical Shaft Impact. Rock hits rock. It shapes the sand. It makes it round. Then it goes to a Screen. And an Air Classifier. The air pulls out the dust. Gravity keeps the sand.
The rock must be dry. Moisture must be low. Under 2% is best. If wet the screen blocks. The machine jams. Why? Wet powder sticks like glue.
This is the best part. You control the size. You adjust the air speed. You get Zone II sand easily. The fineness modulus (FM) is stable. usually 2.6 to 3.0. Why? Air is precise. Water is not.
This is a common headache. In dry making dust is high. If dust is >20% concrete is weak. It cracks.
Use a dynamic Air Classifier. SBM machines use this. We set a fan speed. The light dust flies up. The heavy sand falls down. You can adjust it. You can keep 5% dust. Or 10%. Or 15%. It is flexible.
People say dry sand is flaky. They say it is sharp. This was true ten years ago. Not now.
We use VSI Crushers. Like the SBM VSI6X. It has a “rock-on-rock” cavity. The stones hit each other. They break on natural lines. The edges knock off. The shape becomes round. It is like a river pebble.
Let’s look at the numbers. Data speaks truth. We gathered this from 50 sites. Some use water. Some use air. See the difference.
| Feature | Wet Process | Dry Process |
|---|---|---|
| Water Use | High (2-3 t/t) | Zero |
| Sand Shape | Excellent | Good (with VSI) |
| Fines Content | Low (<3%) | Adjustable (5-15%) |
| Space Needed | Big (Ponds) | Small (Tower) |
| Cost per Ton | Higher (Water treatment) | Lower |
A client in Southeast Asia. They process river pebbles. The raw material is dirty. Lots of clay.
The sand is very clean. The clay is gone. The concrete plants love it. But the sludge is a problem. They needed a filter press. It cost extra. “The sand is premium,” the manager said. “But dealing with mud is hard work.”
A client in the Middle East. It is hot. No water there. They crush hard granite.
They make high-strength sand. C60 concrete uses it. No water bills. No sludge. The dust is collected. They sell the dust too. It is filler. “SBM saved us,” the owner said. “We make money on sand and dust. No waste.”
Usually dry is cheaper. You save on water. You save on sludge handling. Wet process needs ponds. Ponds need cleaning. That is expensive. Dry process uses power. But it has less labor.
Yes but it is hard. The layout is different. Wet needs flat land. Dry needs height. It is a tower. You might need new foundations. SBM can design a retrofit. But a new line is often better.
In wet process wear is low. Water cools it. In dry process wear is higher. Impact blocks wear out. You need good alloy. SBM uses carbide tips. They last 30% longer. Maintenance is key.
We are the factory. We are not a middleman. We make the crusher. We make the washer. We make the screen. We know how they fit. We give you the solution.
We provide:
So which wins? It depends on you.
Choose Wet Sand Making if:
Choose Dry Sand Making if:
Do not guess. Ask us. SBM engineers are ready. We calculate the ROI for you. We show you the drawings. Contact us today. Let’s make sand. Let’s make money.
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Email: [email protected]
Address: No. 1688, Gaoke East Road, Pudong new district, Shanghai, China.
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