Hard faced welded tips in shredder hammers: technical and economical performance.

Shredder hammer maintenance is one of the main targets in cost reduction efforts in cane crushing factories. Recent developments in shredder hammer technology remain far from improving the current situation in the matter of wear in cane preparation machinery. Trials with very hard but brittle materials such as ceramics and tungsten carbide tips had left white iron (FeCrC) alloys as the most cost-effective choice, especially when used as replaceable mild steel blocks with brazed tips. In an effort to develop a more cost-effective solution, a combination of the replaceable block and Flux-Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) (possible to be repaired a few times) was evaluated under factory trials and with a comprehensive analysis that includes maintenance costs, energy and pol losses in bagasse. Wear performance of welded tips made with hardfacing alloys and bolted to shredder hammers is reported and compared to commercially available tips and other conventional technologies. It was found that welded tips are likely to be cost effective under the evaluated conditions and a complete welding procedure was developed for production and maintenance of the tips.