Wear Strips for excavators are usually made of the following materials, the specific choice depends on the working environment, wear type and cost-effectiveness：
1. High-strength wear-resistant steel (AR Steel)
Common models: AR400, AR450, AR500 (numbers represent Brinell hardness values).
Hardness and wear resistance are improved by adding alloy elements such as chromium, molybdenum, and boron. It has a certain toughness and is suitable for scenes where impact and friction coexist (such as bucket edges and bucket tooth bases). It is widely used in ordinary earthwork and mining operations.
2. High manganese steel (Hadfield Steel)
Composition: Contains 11-14% manganese and is treated with water toughening.
The surface is hardened under strong impact, and the hardness is greatly improved (work hardening characteristics). It is suitable for high-impact and high-wear environments (such as extreme working conditions of crusher and excavator buckets). However, the performance is average under static wear (such as pure friction).
3. High-chromium cast iron/alloy steel
Composition: Contains 15-30% chromium, and molybdenum, nickel, etc. may be added.
It has extremely high hardness (HRC 55-65) and better wear resistance than ordinary steel. It is brittle and has low toughness, and is only suitable for low-impact, high-wear environments (such as conveyor liners and sand and gravel processing equipment). It is often combined with the substrate by inlay or welding.
4. Chromium carbide (CrC) composite materials
Process: Chromium carbide particles are melted onto the surface of the substrate by surfacing or thermal spraying.
The surface hardness can reach above HRC 60, and the wear resistance is excellent. The cost is high, and it is mostly used in key parts (such as bucket tooth tips and hinge wear plates).
5. Non-metallic materials
Polyurethane/rubber: used for buffering and noise prevention, but with limited wear resistance, suitable for light equipment or auxiliary protection.
Ceramic lining: extremely wear-resistant, but brittle and costly, and less used.
Material selection considerations
- Working conditions: impact strength, wear type (friction/chisel), corrosive environment.
- Cost: AR steel plates are cost-effective, and chromium carbide composite materials are suitable for scenarios with long life requirements.
- Replaceability: Modular design is usually fixed with bolts, and the material needs to be easy to process and durable.
