18 months ago, a set of test blades made from Hardlite were installed in the classifier of a cement mill for one of Welding Alloys’ customers in the US.
It was the perfect solution for this type of application, as it is an ultra-thin welded overlay wear plate, with a thickness of less than 5 mm. This advanced solution provides an ultra-thin and light weight result, but without compromising on hardness - it is in fact harder than quartz (66-68 HRC).
Opting to use Hardlite over quenched and tempered abrasion resistant steels can dramatically reduce maintenance costs and extend cement and raw mill availability until shut down, consequently maximising profitability, which was proven to this particular cement mill in the US.
Recently, the customer removed some of the Hardlite test blades that were installed and also some of the original type quenched and tempered blades that were in the classifier. They chose to replace all of the blades with ones made from Hardlite.
Hardlite plate is manufactured by WA Integra service division, which specialises in providing in-situ repair and maintenance welding services, as well as custom engineered wear resistant components to increase service life of parts.
Welding Alloys' welding and cutting processes do not affect the wear properties of the plate. This means it can be fabricated and fitted to produce parts or linings that reduce excessive wear from impact and abrasion. Thanks to the plate’s light weight, it is most suitable for wear protection of moving parts.