What You Need To Know About Wear Blocks
Many people in a range of manufacturing industries may have heard about wear blocks throughout their time. However, many don’t know what these are and what they can be used for; this is something that’s especially true when it comes to people who are just entering manufacturing or don’t have much or a manufacturing education outside of hands-on experience. Because of that, it’s worth looking at what they are and what they’re used for.
It’s also worth noting what materials wear blocks are made from, as this can end up having a significant effect on their overall use. Those who know a little bit about wear blocks may also be confused as to which materials they should get their wear blocks made from, which is why it’s vital that the majority of people in the manufacturing industry know the different types of materials and what effect they have on the use of them.
What Are Wear Blocks & What Are They Used For?
Wear blocks are essentially throwaway blocks that are used for a variety of different reasons in the manufacturing process, and even in the likes of low-volume woodworking. These are generally used to reduce and prevent the typical wear and tear on other blocks in a set and are normally used to allow these other blocks to continue to function without receiving much damage. This is to provide an overall longer life as well as better wear resistance in the short and long terms. The use of wear blocks can more traditionally be seen when clamps are being used at some point during the manufacturing process.
For example, if two blocks are being joined together, a clamp with a lot of pressure may be needed to ensure that these blocks stay in place while being joined. However, due to the high amount of pressure being used in the clamps, they may damage the blocks that are being joined together. With that in mind, a solution needed to be found that allowed construction workers to create this amount of pressure still while not damaging the blocks. This was because these blocks would be needed in other parts of the manufacturing or construction process further on in the process.
As simple as it is, this is where wear blocks come into play. These are traditionally blocks that are used to absorb this damage and then be thrown away once used. Because of that, they’re highly disposable for many construction workers despite playing such a valuable role. With that in mind, as simple and minor the role they play may be, it can end up having a significant effect on the overall construction project. While it’s not an emerging technology, it’s something that has proven to be effective.
What Are Wear Blocks Made From?
As disposable as wear blocks are, that doesn’t mean that a lot of time and effort isn’t put into what materials wear blocks are made from. Because of that, there has been a lot of studies done on which kind of materials should be used; this has led to a few different materials coming forward as the leading materials to use. Chief among these are the likes of a Chromium carbide wear plate. Some are even made from an ultra-hard grade of chrome and nickel alloy combination.
Having said that, many companies use their own formulations and treatments on these types of materials so that they can provide certain benefits when used. These include the likes of increased durability so that they can be used for longer, or to even tolerate more pressure being put on them. These treatments help to improve how much impact and vibration energy that the blocks can absorb. Some of these treatments include the likes of having tight control of selected chemistry, as well as being heat treated for fine microstructure.
These tests and treatments are done to ensure that the materials used are shatter proof and can withstand as much shock and wear and tear that you’ll need them to. Furthermore, they’ll help to improve the qualities of the materials that manufacturing and construction workers need best. With that in mind, it’s worth researching what kind of benefits different companies are able to offer with their particular wearblocks. Depending on which kind of construction and manufacturing you may be involved in, different wear blocks may be better for you in certain situations.
