Wear-resistant materials are becoming more popular as engineers and manufacturers seek to develop and produce products that will last longer once consumers begin using them. What benefits do these individuals notice regarding improved equipment longevity?
Unlocking Better Productivity for Equipment Technicians
Wear-resistant materials can reduce the service calls handled by people addressing sudden or gradual equipment failures. Since industrial downtime is prohibitively costly and disruptive, most leaders want to avoid it however possible.
Options like connected sensors can warn them which parts may fail soon, but prioritizing components that resist premature wear is also essential for keeping companies operational and efficient.
Some examples are the wear-resistant plates recently launched in Africa for mining. Clients use them in applications such as skirt liners, feed chutes and load-hauling equipment.
A company representative clarified that cemented carbides in the plates provide superior abrasion resistance and that the material has up to 20 times the life span of quenched steel and five times that of white iron.
The extended longevity results in fewer service calls for technicians, reducing their overall time spent with equipment and allowing them to devote more time to urgent cases. Less downtime prevents excessive workloads that could cause technicians to become tired and stressed, increasing their chances of missing problems.
Preventing the Progression of Strain-Related Changes
Scientists have become increasingly interested in making rubber more resistant to cracking. Tires, hoses and gaskets are some of the many industrial components made of rubber. People have also explored reinforcing rubber with particles such as silica and carbon black. Although that can make the rubber stiffer, researchers found it can also increase wear resistance by preventing cracks from worsening.
Engineers examine fatigue resistance by calculating how rubber performs after people cyclically stretch it.
Researchers discovered how adding silica particles to highly entangled rubber boosted the fatigue resistance by a factor of 10. They demonstrated this approach by cutting a piece of the material and putting it under strain tens of thousands of times, which never made the damaged area grow.
They found that the silica particles reduce the stress surrounding cracks in the materials, stopping them from worsening. This discovery could improve wear-resistance properties for tyres and similarly, widespread rubber products that pollute the environment with particulate matter during natural use.
Showing How Specific Aspects Impact Durability
Many components subject to ongoing stress and wear help industrial leaders maintain high output in increasingly challenging environments.
For example, spring-loaded equipment can reduce manual adjustments and improve the performance of parts such as robotic actuators. However, users must consider the operational environment, especially when choosing spring materials. Aspects such as moisture and temperature could affect longevity, requiring considerations for the base material and finish.
Although springs are dependable and widely used components, they can lose tension over time because of corrosion, fatigue or excessive vibrations. Understanding a spring’s expected life span and how individual site conditions may affect it helps people keep using equipment for at least as long as expected.
In addition to site-specific factors influencing equipment life, users must learn the best ways to modify materials to achieve desired outcomes. Japanese researchers did that by focusing on various interactions between steel elements and how they could modify the material with carbon, alloys or nitrogen.
Their work examined 120 combinations of 12 alloy elements. The findings illustrated how the interactions during nitriding can make steel stronger. The team believes their work could assist others in developing new materials for components experiencing frequent wear, such as quickly rotating motor parts.
The more engineers and manufacturers learn about which factors can cause or reduce surface breakdown, the easier it is for them to apply this knowledge to create wear-resistant materials that make critical equipment components last longer in demanding environments.
Improving the Lives of People With Disabilities
Speciality equipment can help people with disabilities enjoy more fulfilling lives by reducing the societal barriers that affect work, hobbies and more. Worldwide statistics indicate up to 1 in 6 people have disabilities.
Many wheelchair and rollator tyres, brakes or cables feature wear-resistant materials because the companies engineering them understand that people may use them for many hours daily. Problems caused by excessive wear could severely impact users’ lives, including stranding them in inconvenient places.
Those producing items for people with disabilities must listen to feedback and respond accordingly, especially when the input is that current options do not provide the necessary durability.
That was the case for a wheelchair racer who recently competed in the Paralympics. Gloves are essential equipment for these athletes because they allow them to maintain a secure grip and make rapid repetitive motions while racing.
Although the athlete’s initial gloves were thick, they broke down too quickly and could not withstand the demands of competitive use.
This user found a better alternative through 3D-printed solutions made from a carbon fiber-filled composite that only weighs about 100 grams and provides superior wear resistance. These characteristics give users the confidence that their speciality equipment will hold up well when it matters most.
Wear-Resistant Materials Excel in Challenging Conditions
These examples show why engineers, manufacturers and other responsible parties must continue prioritizing wear-resistant materials to prolong equipment longevity. Succeeding should improve brand reputation and grow customer loyalty.
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