Life-extending maintenance of wear parts

Soldering wear resistant layers

Construction machinery is also changing course. We come from a throw-away culture, but increasingly machine parts are undergoing overhauls for a second life. They notice this at Geurts van Kessel Hardfacing like no other. Even machine manufacturers are finding their way to the family business, which specializes in applying wear-resistant coatings to both new and used machine parts. Apart from a more durable choice, life-extending maintenance offers even more advantages.

Geurts van Kessel Hardfacing has been in the business of applying wear-resistant coatings to machine parts for more than 20 years. "We are known for our unique, sometimes experimental welding methods and see it as a sport to keep improving ourselves in this," says Kim Geurts van Kessel. "We work sector-wide: machine builders have been customers of ours for years, but the smart end-user also appreciates the benefits of life-extending maintenance. Because a new wear layer ensures a more constant output, less downtime, less fuel and lower maintenance costs. Moreover, it is a much more sustainable choice."

Saving on CO2 emissions

Asphalt mixers, milling heads of asphalt cutters, wear dots on buckets, bucket teeth, the potential for life-extending maintenance of construction machinery in the GWW is enormous. "By coating machine parts with a new wear layer, far fewer new parts need to be forged. This saves an awful lot of CO2 emissions," says Kim. "Virtually all machine parts with a wear layer are eligible for overhaul and we can return them to their original condition over time, which means that there is much less need for replacement." Geurts van Kessel Hardfacing prefers to operate from its own workshop in Heesch, but according to Kim, depending on the situation, on-site overhaul is also negotiable. "Often our customers have access to a change set, so that downtime is kept to a minimum. Should that not be the case, we can act quickly."

Perfect blend

Geurts van Kessel Hardfacing uses various methodologies. "We believe in a customized approach and always provide the most optimal wear layer appropriate to the application. That can sometimes also be a composition of layers. Moreover, remember that a harder wear layer is not necessarily better," Kim explains. "A wear layer made of tungsten carbide is most commonly used, but even in this we make different combinations. A broken milling head from an asphalt cutter, for example, we will crush even further and we sprinkle that material into the weld layer to overhaul the other milling heads. And so we are always looking for the perfect mix of materials. Even harder additives, wires that weld even nicer, and all of that, of course, in the right balance between price and quality. The industry comes from a throw-away culture, but we prove that it can be done differently. Higher quality and more sustainable."