In order to increase the lifetime of your earth-moving machinery, wear protection on your bucket is absolutely essential. Different applications require different levels of protection and it is important that you have a developed understanding of this to maximise the performance of your excavator. Below, we answer some of the common questions you may have regarding wear protection for your bucket.
What level of protection do I need for my bucket?
While wear protection is absolutely crucial to extend the life of your construction equipment, it is important to note that any protection will add extra weight to a bucket. A heavier bucket is not able to lift as much material and overtime it will wear out the bucket teeth and other crucial components of your bucket. Productivity will be reduced, similarly to a heavy car, and it will use up more fuel.
This certainly does not mean you shouldn’t utilise wear protection because, as noted, it is a necessity. It simply means that you want the minimum amount of wear protection in the right areas to efficiently protect your equipment, without making it a burden on the overall performance of your construction machinery. Fortus Group will help you to understand how to protect your bucket without it affecting the fuel efficiency and overall productivity.
Do varying environments require different levels of protection for buckets?
The protection of leading edges at the front, penetrable part of your bucket is always important, however when using your excavator in a different application, the level of protection for your bucket changes.
When using your excavator in a mining or quarry application, your machinery is exposed to rocks, limestone and other harsh elements. In these circumstances, your bucket will require extra protection, so that these elements of the environment do not wear out your bucket and affect the overall performance of the machinery. Hard wear material is ideal as it is high quality and you require less, so it will not affect the performance of your excavator. Chocky bars, heel blocks and shrouds are hard, high-quality products that are useful in this environment.
If you are moving earth that isn’t as heavy and will not be detrimental to your bucket, less protection is required. For example, if you are using your excavator to move sand, you need not apply too much protection, as sand will not wear out the bucket promptly. In this situation, too much wear protection will actually limit the capacity that your excavator can lift as it will make your bucket too heavy. As stated, too much protection can be a detriment to the performance of your machinery, and different applications require varying levels of protection.
How can Fortus help?
Fortus Group is committed to helping you get the most out of your earth-moving machinery. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need assistance in selecting the precise amount of wear protection for your equipment.
