Wear plate preventative maintenance is typically the most challenging PM task, more than any other task with regard to your equipment.

The ‘Run To Failure’ maintenance method without a PM plan, usually requires shutting down your equipment to make critical repairs.

Most Abrasion Resistant (AR) steel is only surface hardened as you can see here from the distinct wear line. Once the surface has worn through, the center wears away quickly.

Once the surface has been compromised, nearly all inexpensive ‘wear steel’ wears away rapidly at the center of the steel thickness. 

Documenting and comparing the QT-Plus ® thickness values over time, allows you to predict how long before you need to replace your equipment. This prevents emergency shutdowns, unplanned budget overruns and dedicated next-day delivery expenses.

In the photo, the wear at the bottom has also been compounded when the weld joint has worn away.  Joining welds are not hard or wear resistant. Here the weld was not capped with a hard surface weld to protect the joining weld.

Tracking Wear Life

Previously their 1” AR400 wear plate under the log haul chains had to be replaced every 48 months, they were worn so thin.  By using QT-Plus ® they more than DOUBLED their wear plate life.  This means after 24 months, the chain would have worn into their previous wear plate about 0.500” or more.

The chart below shows their results after 28 months.  The customer was delighted with the increased wear performance.

CHAIN DECK MEASUREMENTS
GROOVE DEPTH FROM CHAIN WEAR AFTER 28 MONTHS
LOCATIONWESTWEST CENTERCENTEREAST CENTEREAST
2′ From Tail Pulley.151″.187″.161″.266″.150″
8′ From Tail Pulley.070″.079″.198″.221″.140″
16′ From Tail Pulley.136″.151″.172″.254″.170″
@ Bottom of Drain Holes.027″.063″.119″.095″.086″

Documenting and comparing the QT-Plus ® thickness values over time, allows you to predict how long before you need to replace your equipment. This prevents emergency shutdowns, unplanned budget overruns and dedicated next-day delivery expenses.

In the above example, the customer ran another 92 months before having to replace the chain deck. Nearly triple the life of what they had been using previously.

This allowed them to plan the project and budgeting when it was convenient for them. Going with QT-Plus ® allowed the customer to document more than R15,000,000 in operational savings compared to ‘Using The Same Steel We’ve Always Used’ several more times.

It Is Important To Note These Performance Results Only Work When You Use Wear Resistant Steel Having The Same Hardness Through The Entire Thickness Of The Steel. If Not, Your Plan Is Doomed To Fail.

JADCO’s QT Plus ® delivers greater performance IN YOUR WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 or other wear steel products you have used in the past.

Being able to create wear resistant steel having the same hardness throughout the steel, demands you accurately control the quantity of alloying chemistry and precise heat treating.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT Plus ®?
The quick answer is No; although the attention to detail required at the steel mill in Pennsylvania is available to anyone. Yet most wear plate distributors choose to reduce the proper quantities and percentages of these essential alloying elements, to get a lower selling price. When you have to cut back on these critical alloys, wear life automatically.