Austria’s Winkelbauer GmbH is an early adopter of SSAB’s new wear-resistant steel. Upgrading to Hardox 500 Tuf allows the heavy-duty bucket fabricator’s customers to load more and extend the service life of their equipment. The material is the first 500 Brinell (HB) wear plate exhibiting properties on a par with structural steel. It delivers high strength, extreme hardness and guaranteed toughness in a single wear plate. Hardox 500 Tuf offers a 70-100 percent longer service life compared to conventional 400 HB AR steel, SSAB engineers contend, and features improved dent protection.
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| A heavy-duty bucket of Hardox 500 Tuf construction enables operators to transfer 24 tons of aggregate in three cycles without exceeding loader manufacturer’s load limit. |
“We’re telling customers [they] have two favorable options: Use Hardox 500 Tuf to make the bucket lighter, while the service life remains as long as you’re used to from a Winkelbauer bucket. Or use Hardox 500 Tuf in the same dimensions as before to get a considerably longer service life and reduced costs thanks to longer service intervals,” says Michael Winkelbauer, chief executive officer.
By using Hardox 500 Tuf in a thinner dimension, the new generation of Winkelbauer heavy-duty buckets has 10-16 percent less tare weight with the same service life as the previous generation. This allows for an increase of loaded volume by 6-10 percent at the same total weight. To meet a particular customer’s request, Winkelbauer designed a bucket that arms the operator to load a truck to its 24-ton maximum capacity with only three turns, cutting load cycle time by 25 percent.
The estimated relative service life for Hardox 500 Tuf is 85-100 percent longer than for Hardox 400, according to SSAB’s wear calculation software, WearCalc, based on sliding wear with granite. Hardox 500 Tuf welding and machining can be performed with the same kind of equipment used for other Hardox grades. Bendability recommendations are similar to those for Hardox 450. — SSAB Inc., Pittsburgh, 412/203-1620, 412/680-0080