Why do our wear parts outlast the competition?
Maybe it’s something to do with the metallurgists we have on staff, or the 74 years of hands-on experience, combined with our ability to create a consistent heat chemistry with just the right amount of manganese. Or the countless other controlled and repeatable processes implemented throughout our Quality Management System. Foothills wear parts just last longer.
Let’s talk about our metals.
It is not just a case of pouring molten metal into a pattern and letting it cool, there is an art and a science to being a world leading steel casting supplier.
Manganese alloys are extremely resilient, designed to work in some of the harshest environments on the planet. Products like cone and jaw liners can take a pounding before they become worn out.
The pathway to determining how much manganese, carbon and chrome to add to the steel is pure science developed over decades of trials. We put our metals through rigorous testing before we release a product to the market.
Once molded into shape, our castings undergo extra hardening tests like explosion hardening,flame hardening, peening and induction hardening processes to increase wear life and reduce downtimes. We manage it all here at Foothills.
Manganese wear parts are sold in a number of common grades; 14% (standard Hadfield manganese), 18% and 21+% grades. 14% manganese has been used in crushing around the world for over 100 years and is a very reliable material suitable for all purposes. 14% manganese is supplied from the foundry with a hardness of approx 200 Brinel (HB), and when crushing rock with a high compressive strength (hard rock), will work harden to 450-500HB. Custom designed 18% and 21% grades are typically used in high abrasion applications, returning unsurpassed dollar-for -dollar wear life increases.
Our understanding of this and our sheer determination to continue to carry out R & D on our alloys and the strength of the end product defines Foothills Steel Foundry as a leader in our field and a renowned supplier of parts that last.