Equipment and machinery in use will experience wear, defined as a progressive deterioration through loss of material due to prolonged or overly frequent use. In many cases, it is not always feasible to replace the equipment that is worn out. Instead, it will be much more effective to rebuild the worn-out part and hardface it to extend the lifespan of the equipment. This can be achieved by welding a hardfaced layer on the area that experience the wear.
Benefits of Hardfacing
Reduced Maintenance, Reduced Operation Costs, Lower Repair Costs, Extended Equipment Lifespan
At Plony Industries, we specialize in hardfacing welding filler metals for the repair and maintenance of heavy machinery & equipment. Through analysing the applications of the equipment, the characteristic of wear and other factors, we will be able to recommend the best suited filler metal that can achieve the most desired results.
In this article, we will run through a basic flow on analysing the applications and making the recommendations.
Understanding the types of wear
There are many different kinds of wear, below table is a summary of the types of wear experienced.
In some applications, the equipment may be subjected to several types of stress at once. This results in a combination of different types of wear.
Understanding the Base Metal
After reviewing on the types of wear experienced, it is important to identify the base metal. To do so, we need to have the chemical composition of the base metal. In cases whereby the composition is not known, our welding engineers can do simple site test namely the magnetism test and spark test to help identify the metals. Next, we need to understand the hardness required at the area whereby the wear is experienced. Our welding engineers are able to do on site hardness testing with their test kit to understand better the hardness required.
Understanding Other Factors
For hardfacing applications, several factors influence the choice of welding filler metals.
Some factors to look into when choosing the filler metals:
Welding Productivity and Deposition Rates
Surfacing Thickness
Welding environment: Workshop or On Site
Bonding Quality (Buffer Layer)
Our engineers will help review on the factors to recommend the best suited filler metals. After selecting the filler metals to be used, our engineers will assist in the welding process to ensure optimal results are achieved.
Welding Optimization
Bead Patterns
The welding bead patterns also play a part in providing wear resistance. Welding bead patterns helps restrict relative movement of the abrasive materials on the parts and creating an anti-wear barrier by capturing the material in the hollow area.
As you can see from the picture of the excavator bucket, welding the diamond or square pattern will help to trap the soil on the steel surface, forming a layer of clinging earth that will protect the steel surface from further abrasion. Our engineers will recommend the bead pattern that is suitable to the application.
Welding Parameters
We also help follow through the final welding together with our customers to ensure the proposed filler metal is carried out with the recommended parameters to achieve the desired results. Our engineers will also advise on other welding factors like preheating temperature, cooling rate which might affect the welding results.
Examples of Equipment That Require Hardfacing
Do feel free to contact us for a hardfacing review of your equipment and machinery.
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