WS Hampshire uses our decades of expertise and strategic capabilities to deliver the highest quality non-metallic metal replacement materials and custom-fabricated components that meet or exceed expectations. We recently demonstrated our commitment to innovative custom fabrication solutions and industry expertise, collaborating with a specialty steel mill to reduce maintenance costs and improve the safety and lifespan of a critical wear component.
We will explore how we identified the problem, collaborated with the client to review and discuss the project, and selected the ideal material to deliver a successful metal replacement solution that met the client’s needs.
Identifying The Problem
A specialty mill began a detailed review of ongoing maintenance and major cost drivers. They identified a slipper pad (a wear component that connects to the drive spindle) for the client’s rolling mill as a considerable driver of maintenance costs.
The slipper pad was an aluminum bronze alloy component that required a crane for removal and replacement, making maintenance costly. The component also failed to meet the mill’s expectations for life expectancy.
Collaborative Review and Discussion
The mill contacted a materials consultant who sought the assistance of WS Hampshire. While we were familiar with the application, our team thoroughly evaluated the performance and cost criteria of the mill to identify and select the ideal material. Our discussion focused on finding the optimal engineering thermoplastics that would best fit the client’s budget and could provide the combination of properties the mill required for successful operation.
Selection and Evaluation of the Ideal Material
We carefully considered the options that adhered to the client’s requirements and selected an impact-modified, self-lubricating cast nylon material that perfectly suited the application’s property profile. The material met the client’s cost target and reduced the weight of the slipper pad from 100 to 20 pounds. The reduced weight eliminated the need for costly replacement via crane, reducing intensive labor procedures and enhancing overall safety.
We validated the material choice by ordering a sample to test it against the current aluminum bronze alloy slipper pad. We found that, on top of meeting key performance goals and increasing life expectancy, we could use this material to eliminate wear on the mating spindle. The mill was so pleased with the result, that they standardized on these parts from WS Hampshire. To ensure lasting performance, we monitored the component for wear over a twelve-month evaluation period.
Exceeding Expectations with Innovative Non-Metallic Solutions
Our collaborative efforts with the material consultant and the client delivered an optimal outcome, including:
- Meeting the expected performance requirements
- Improving the component’s lifespan
- Considerably reducing the weight of the component by 80%
- Reducing labor and replacement costs
- Enhancing safety by eliminating the dependence on a crane
- Providing the unexpected advantage of nearly eliminating mating spindle wear
The impressive performance results led to the steel mill’s ongoing reliance on WS Hampshire for custom-fabricated components.
Partner With WS Hampshire for Your Custom Fabrication Needs
When a specialty client contacts WS Hampshire, Inc. with costly maintenance or replacement needs, we work collaboratively to get to the root of your problem. We will carefully identify the challenge and analyze the opportunities to identify an ideal replacement material for your metal component.
Our deep expertise in non-metallic materials allows us to support even the most challenging projects and find high-performance composite solutions that offer impressive results. We offer in-depth knowledge of the latest non-metallic materials and manufacturing methods to deliver a rapid solution that fully addresses your part performance needs.
Our expansive manufacturing capabilities and selection of composite materials ensure a seamless solution for your application. Contact us to speak with an expert about how our custom fabrication capabilities and materials can enhance performance across your operations.