Sandvik Constructionlaunched new HX900 wear segments; bars, buttons and runners. According to the company, HX900 wear segments have the longest wear life on the market and maintain the original shape of vital equipment surfaces. This means fewer stops, lower maintenance and operating cost, and more time for production.
HX900 is a wear material combining the wear resistance of cemented carbide with the shock resistance, ductility and forming capability of nodular iron. This is an ideal combination resulting in a hard material that stands well in tough environments and has long wear life. HX900 wear segments are perfect for areas on equipment that easily wear out.
A typical HX900 product has a wear resistance comparable with cemented carbide and a strength that is 80 to 90 percent of the strength of pure nodular iron. The wear resistance is generally five to 15 times higher than with common hardened steel, Ni-hard, hard facing or ceramics, noted the company.
HX900 wear segments are ideal for crushers, loader buckets, chutes, excavators, rock box edges, weld-on hammer tips, and in all places that are inaccessible for installation of wear liners. In such applications HX900 can easily replace conventional wear resistant steels, castings and hard facing on wear parts subjected to severe stresses.
HX900 wear segments come in three shapes for flexible and adaptable usage:
- HX900 wear buttons have a dome shape that gives maximum protection and minimizes the effect of impact. The round shape virtually eliminates any risk of weld crack propagating into the parent metal.
- HX900 wear runners protect large areas on bucket bottoms and corners, giving heavy-duty protection where it’s needed. The wear runners are available in two sizes.
- HX900 wear bars make it easy to form a mosaic pattern that counters highly abrasive applications. The mild steel backing plate is notched to allow easy cutting into smaller pieces, if needed.
Typically, an excavator bucket might need to be rebuilt every three to four months when exposed parts wear out. It’s a job that can take 20 to 30 man-hours. That’s expensive downtime. And for a company with a lot of equipment, it can add up to a substantial annual cost. The wear life of HX900 wear segments is about five times longer than white iron and 20 times longer than quenched steel, according to the company. Longer life means fewer stops, lower maintenance and operating cost, and more time for production.
Moreover, as the HX900 segments require minimum welding, which can lead to cracking of major structural components, they are an excellent alternative to hard facing. There is no preheating needed during installation and the rebuild takes about a third as long depending on application.
Sandvik Construction, www.construction.sandvik.com, 404-589-2823