What are wear plates?

Wear plates are used to prevent erosion from occurring where two metal pieces would be causing friction in any appliance. Typically wear plates are installed on any machine that has movement. An example of this movement would me if the machine moves up or down or if a piece of the machine slides in and out during the composition process. However, you can also find wear plates on a machine where the machine causes vibration between two parts to help reduce and prevent damage to the machine occurring. Wear plates are typically durable, abrasion resistant, and made of steel. The steels used to compose wear plates are typically mitigated and suppressed metals that can handle constant abrasive work.

Typically, wear plates are constructed of and consist of a hard outer shell and a a softer inner core. Also, wear plates can be made from a variety of different grades of the steel (the higher the grade the more durable the wear plates will be.) Medium steel plates are made from a mid- grade steel ranging from A-15 to AR-500. Flame hardened grades of steel are also available and provide more protection for bigger or more frequently used machinery. Flame hardened steel is made after the metal is heated then dipped in water, the process is called quenching.

Wear plates are used in a large number of machines from industries that rely on them to items you may frequently use. One example of an industry that relies heavily on wear plates to keep all of their machines running at their best is any company that deals with mining using heavy machinery. Oil rigs use wear plates to keep their rigs running at their top performance as well. Also, cars and lawn mowers are a few examples of machines that almost anyone owns that require wear plates.

The top companies who produce wear plates manufacture them either in China or Turkey. There are many factors to consider however when trying to decide to purchase a new wear plate. The first is the most important though and that is, what grade of steel does your machine require? Think about how frequently you use the machine and how much vibration there is in the area that your wear plate is located. Also, you are going to want to research for reputable companies that tend to get good customer reviews. You want to make sure you are getting good quality for what you are paying for!

So, even if you do not typically work with heavy machinery, wear plates can be found in any appliance you may own or use. They come in a variety of different shapes and there is even more variety when it comes to sizes, as well as the grade of steel you get. Wear plates are designed for it to be possible for you to remove them and replace them when need be. Overall wear plates will prevent erosion on your machinery and extend its life period. Replacing wear plates regularly on machines that are used often can keep your machine running like new.