All you need to know about wear plates

If you are even loosely connected with the industrial manufacturing or engineering world, chances are that you might have heard the term wear plates. However, it isn’t necessary that you would know all about them and their applications and types. So here’s a brief guide that will tell you everything you need to know about wear plates.

What is a wear plate and what are its applications?

Wear plates are basically hardened steel plates that are welded or fixed in areas that are highly susceptible to severe wear and tear. Such areas may include the insides of feeders, crushers, or any area where mined material is supposed to pass through and create abrasion and ultimately worsen the wear and tear of such areas. So Abrasion Resistant wear plates (also known as AR plates or steel liners) are utilised in applications where continuous friction between 2 parts or 2 materials may create degradation. A wear plate is an expendable item that is used to prevent extensive and borderline irreparable damage to expensive equipment.

Wear plates manufacturers in India design wear plates such that they could be bolted to a machine which rotates or even slides in the manufacturing process. They can also be applied where manufactured parts are coming in regular abrasive contact with the surface. Wear plates are usually highly durable and are known to hold their own even under highly stressful conditions.

Where are wear plates used?

Wear plates are used in a variety of applications and equipment. The machines or components where they used most widely include:

• Crushers

• Casting equipment

• Shredders

• Mill equipment

• Heavy earth moving equipment

Besides these 5, premier wear plates manufacturers in India such as Diffusion Engineers also provide wear plates that could be used in equipment such as:

• Wear blades

• Choppers

• Scrappers

• Wear rings and wear segments

• Mining tools

• Bucket scrappers

• Chippers

• Punch press applications

What are the different types of wear plates?

The various types of various wear plates are largely differentiated on the basis of the material used in manufacturing them. Wear plates could be made from a wide variety of materials such as C954 Aluminium Bronze, abrasion-resistant grades of mild steel such as AR400 and AR500, flame hardened mild steel grades such as 1045 and 4140, A2, D2, S7, etc.

The most commonly used materials are 4140QT, 4340QT, and those abrasion resistant grades of mild steel discussed above.

What should you know before ordering a wear plate?

Before you order a wear plate, there are a couple of things you must know. First, you must know how hard the plate is, and secondly, you must know what the plate’s intent is. Harder plates usually last longer but there may be instances where you’d require a trade-off. For certain parts, you would require a softer material that must wear out before the primary surface. Do not hesitate from asking these questions of your wear plate manufacturers in India.