Arcoplate

Fabrication Guidelines
Publication 1193

THE WORLDS MOST WEAR-RESISTANT FUSED-ALLOY STEEL PLATE

V 04.10
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................3
2.0 CUTTING ARCOPLATE .......................................................................................................3
2.1 CUTTING WITH A PLASMA ARC.........................................................................................................................................3
2.2 CUTTING WITH A CARBON ARC ........................................................................................................................................4
2.3 CUTTING WITH AN ABRASIVE SAW ...................................................................................................................................4
3.0 FORMING ARCOPLATE ......................................................................................................4
3.1 ROLLING ARCOPLATE .......................................................................................................................................................5
3.1.1 Weld Joins...................................................................................................................................................................5
3.2 PRESSING ARCOPLATE ......................................................................................................................................................6
3.2.1 Weld Joins...................................................................................................................................................................7
4.0 ATTACHING ARCOPLATE..................................................................................................7
4.1 PERIMETER WELDS ...........................................................................................................................................................7
4.1.1 Fillet Weld Size ...........................................................................................................................................................8
4.1.2 Sheet Spacing ..............................................................................................................................................................9
4.1.3 Dogging Down ............................................................................................................................................................9
4.1.4 Welding templates .....................................................................................................................................................10
4.2 PLUG WELDS ..................................................................................................................................................................11
4.3 STUD WELDS ..................................................................................................................................................................12
4.4 BOLTS .............................................................................................................................................................................13
5.0 JOINING ARCOPLATE ......................................................................................................15
5.1 JOINING FLAT SHEETS OF ARCOPLATE ...........................................................................................................................15
5.1.1 Joining Mild Steel Side..............................................................................................................................................15
Figure 5.1: Arcoplate sheets with one end dogged down prior to welding. ............................................................................16
Figure 5.2: End view of Arcoplate being joined together. ......................................................................................................17
5.1.2 Arco Alloy 880 ..........................................................................................................................................................17
5.1.3 Welding the Alloy Side ..............................................................................................................................................18
5.2 STRUCTURAL ARCOPLATE FABRICATION .......................................................................................................................19
5.2.1 Corner Joints ............................................................................................................................................................20
5.2.2 Joining Arcoplate to an Existing Structure ...............................................................................................................21
6.0 SHEAR FORCE PROTECTION..........................................................................................22
7.0 POLISHING ........................................................................................................................23
8.0 KIT DESIGN/INSTALLATION ............................................................................................23
9.0 REPAIRING ARCOPLATE .................................................................................................23
9.1 CRACKS ..........................................................................................................................................................................24
APPENDIX A .................................................................................................................................25

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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600 is a wear and anti hang-up liner developed for heavy duty applications.
A unique process is used to fuse a smooth chromium-carbide overlay on a carbon steel base plate. The
overlay provides extended wear life and is designed for applications in which the wear caused by extreme
abrasion or impact, with or without high temperatures, needs to be controlled. Furthermore, pre-polished
Arcoplate has unique anti hang-up properties which make it the ideal solution for applications in which
material carry back and/or sticky material is a problem. These superior properties make Arcoplate essential
in all industries in which wear and/or hang-up is a problem.

Arcoplate can be cut, formed or rolled into virtually any shape, and then easily attached. The purpose of this
guideline is to detail the basic procedures for working with Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600, so your
company can make maximum use of it.

2.0 CUTTING ARCOPLATE

The hardface of Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600 contains a high percentage of chromium and acts like
stainless steel when cutting. Thus, normal methods, such as shearing or oxyfuel flame cutting, will not be
effective. Instead, Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600 should be cut by carbon arc, plasma arc, or abrasive
saw.

2.1 Cutting with a Plasma Arc

Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600 can be cut easily, using either a hand or machine plasma system
of 150 amps (30kw) or larger (80kw). The larger the power supply and the higher its amperage, the
faster the cutting speed will be. The travel speed should be adjusted to produce a slag-free cut on the
plate's bottom side.

The plate can be cut with the hardfaced side either up or down. It works better with the hardfaced
side up as layout errors are minimized. It is important to realize though that this will leave hardface
slag on the mild steel side of the cut edge which will need to be removed prior to any welding.

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2.2 Cutting with a Carbon Arc

Conventional constant current DC welding power supplies are recommended for carbon arc cutting
and gouging of the Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600. Keep the open circuit voltage sufficiently
higher than the arc voltage to allow for a voltage drop in the circuit. The arc voltage will be in the
range of 35 to 56 volts, so an open circuit voltage of at least 60 volts will be required.

If the arc cutting is done manually, first layout the cut lines on the carbon steel side of Arcoplate
Arco Alloy 800/820/1600 and center punch it for visibility. Cut the plate from the carbon steel side
and clean all slag from the cut surface.

2.3 Cutting with an Abrasive Saw

An abrasive saw can also be used for cutting Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600. Either a cutoff
saw or a portable concrete saw on wheels will work. A silicon carbide wheel is recommended.

3.0 FORMING ARCOPLATE

Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600 can be formed into pipes, cones, square-to-round transitions etc. by
rolling and/or pressing. Because of the high hardness of Arcoplates alloy layer, there are some restrictions
on what radius the plate can be pressed which are determined by the alloy thickness. Table 3.0 below shows
the minimum recommended radius when pressing with the hardface to the inside for the most common
Arcoplate thickness .

Arcoplate Thickness Minimum Bend Radius (mm)

6/7 150
6/9 150
8/9 200
10/9 300
12/11 600

Table 3.0: Arcoplate Minimum Bend Radii

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3.1 Rolling Arcoplate

For pyramid or pinch rolls it is recommended that the top roll be protected with a sleeve. It can be 12
mm thick carbon steel, and sized 50 mm (2") over the roll diameter. This facilitates installation and
removal of the sleeve, and prevents the sleeve from binding the top roll.
When rolling Arcoplate with the hardfacing on the outside, a low carbon steel plate should be used
to sandwich the hardfacing before rolling commences (See Figure 3.0).

Figure 3.1: Mild steel sandwich plate on alloy side of Arcoplate

The low carbon steel (LCS) plate should be the same thickness as the carbon steel backing of the
Arcoplate, so that stress is distributed evenly across the section of material being formed. The LCS
plate also protects the surface of the outside rolls.

3.1.1 Weld Joins

When rolling Arcoplate sheets that contain weld joins, the alignment of weld joins to the direction of
rolling is critical. So as to not put any undue stress or strain on the weld joins, the plate should
always be fed into the rolls such that weld joins are perpendicular to the rollers (parallel to the
direction of feed). Alignment of the weld joins in the opposite direction introduces excessive
bending about the weld joins and will likely snap the plates.

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 Figure 3.2: Correct alignment of weld joins when rolling Arcoplate

3.2 Pressing Arcoplate

A press brake is used for small diameter pipes, cones and square- to-round transitions. Hydraulic
presses provide the best results. Forming can be done with a male-and-female die combination, or
with a male die over air. It is important when pressing Arcoplate, to use a radius nosed blade rather
than a knife edge blade. The reason being, is that a knife edge blade produces a point load which
induces stress cracking in localized areas and, in extreme cases, may lead to the plate cracking right
through (See Figure 3.1).

Figure 3.3: Correct method for pressing Arcoplate using a radius nosed blade. Detail 1 illustrates the cracks that can
result from using a knife edge blade.

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 Most forming is done without preheat, or with just enough heat to take the chill off a plate: about
150-230 degrees centigrade (300-450 F). When press braking, localized heat can be applied with a
Rosebud torch to assist with pressing. Applying heat will not have an adverse affect on the
hardfacing's abrasion resistance.

Square-to-round transitions are the hardest to form because of the 90-degree corners on the square or
rectangular end. Either a general or localized preheat in these areas is needed to get good results. The
area being formed is usually heated to red-hot: about 500 degrees centigrade (950 F) but entire plates
can be pre-heated to 500 degrees centigrade (950 F) or more. Talk to Alloy Steel International (ASI)
before you attempt this type of forming.

3.2.1 Weld Joins

As with rolling, the alignment of weld joins when pressing is critical. Weld joins should be
perpendicular to the press blade to avoid breaking at the joins. It is important that this is addressed
when cutting the Arcoplate, so that the weld joins are aligned correctly in the part with respect to the
way it is to be pressed.

4.0 ATTACHING ARCOPLATE

Arcoplates mild steel backing plate allows it to be easily attached to other mild steel surfaces. The most
common methods of attachment include perimeter and plug welds, studs and countersunk bolts. This section
will outline the correct procedures that should be used for attaching Arcoplate to ensure you receive
maximum performance.

4.1 Perimeter Welds

The simplest way of getting Arcoplate into service is to weld its carbon steel base to the existing
structure. You can use any of the common welding processes: Shield Metal Arc Welding (SMAW),
Gas Metal Arc welding (GMAW), or Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW). Since the base metal is
carbon steel, any of the following electrodes can be used: E70 18 for SMAW, E70S-X for GMAW,

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and either E70T or E71T for FCAW. For SMAW welding the minimum size power supply should be
a 200 amp AC/DC unit; for GMAW welding, a 250 amp 100% duty cycle, constant voltage machine
is recommended.

As mentioned in section 2.1, cutting Arcoplate often leaves hardface slag on the cut edge. Hardface
in your weld pool will likely result in the weld cracking, so it is important to grind clean all edges
prior to welding.

4.1.1 Fillet Weld Size

The most common way of welding Arcoplate is with a fillet weld. The most important factor to
consider when attaching Arcoplate with a fillet weld is the size of the fillet weld. As a rule, there
should be a minimum of 2mm between the top of the fillet weld and the hardface. The maximum
fillet weld size can be calculated using the formula:

Max. Fillet Weld Size = Base Metal Thickness minus 2 mm (3/32")

It is important that this is adhered to because if the fillet weld is too large, the weld pool will pick up
carbon from the hardface, making the weld brittle and leading to cracking (see Figure 4.0).

Figure 4.0: Correct fillet weld size for attaching Arcoplate.

Whenever the carbon steel base of Arcoplate Arco Alloy 800/820/1600 is joined to a dissimilar
metal such as 304 or 410 stainless manganese steel or AR plate, a 309 stainless-type electrodes
should be used. Alternatively, when welding AR plate, normal mild steel welding procedures can be
used if the AR plate is pre-heated (It is not necessary to pre-heat the Arcoplate). This is
recommended where a large amount of welding is required as the use of stainless electrodes can be
quite expensive. Please contact the AR plate manufacturers for their recommended pre-heat
temperatures.

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4.1.2 Sheet Spacing

ASI recommends a spacing of approximately 20mm between adjacent Arcoplate sheets. This is
necessary to allow room for welding between sheets and to obtain maximum fillet weld size. In
some applications, it is possible to reduce gaps by combining plug welds, butting up narrow edges or
use of alternative attachment methods. Please consult ASI for design assistance.

4.1.3 Dogging Down

Dogging down sheets of Arcoplate during welding is critical. This is particularly important in mobile
equipment, to prevent dirt getting in under and lifting the sheets. ASI recommends using dogs, of a
similar design to that illustrated in Figure 4.1, tacked to the surface being lined. Slender wedges are
simply banged in between the hardface and dog, to hold the sheet hard against the surface while it is
tacked in place. Please contact ASI for recommended dimensions.

Figure 4.1: Dogging Down Sheets of Arcoplate.

When installing horizontal strips on a vertical surface, such as on a bulldozer blade, additional
spacers can be used to obtain the correct 20mm gap, and prevent the bottom of the sheet from
slipping out. The 50 x 60mm spacers, shown in Figure 4.2 below, can also be employed when
installing sheets on a horizontal surface to simplify installation.

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 Figure 4.2: Mild steel sheet spacer.

4.1.4 Welding templates

Welding spatter on the hardface is detrimental to the anti-hang-up properties of Arcoplate. In

applications where Arcoplate is being used to reduce material carry back/hang-up, all weld spatter
should be completely removed from the hardface. To minimise spatter during welding, ASI strongly
recommends using sheet metal welding templates. When installing Arcoplate strips, it is essential
that two sheet metal covers be fabricated as illustrated below. The covers are fabricated to suit the
width of the strips you are installing (305 or 610mm wide) so that the entire hardface is protected. It
may also be useful to fabricate the length of the lip on the inside to match the thickness of your
hardface. This can be then used as a guide to ensure your fillet welds do not exceed maximum size
(see Section 4.1.1)

Figure 4.3: Spatter covers for Arcoplate strip installation

.

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 Figure 4.3 shows an alternative welding template that is highly recommended when welding rolled
Arcoplate sections or welding joins between flat Arcoplate sheets. The template is positioned on the
plate such that weld runs can be made along the slot, with the template protecting the majority of the
hardface in the region of the weld from spatter. When welding a curved surface, the template will
need to be flexible (<1mm thick).

Figure 4.4: Recommended dimensions for welding template.

4.2 Plug Welds

Arcoplate can be attached to another plate or structure by plug welding. A minimum hole size of
25mm (1") size hole is suggested on 300-450mm (12"-18") centres. Plug weld holes should be cut
using a plasma cutter (For details on cutting Arcoplate, refer section 2.0). After cutting the holes,
remove all slag from the surface of the cut, preferably with a die grinder, to ensure no hardface in
your weld. Next, make your first weld run around the outside diameter of the hole through a
complete 360 degrees (see Figure 4.2). The plug weld should be at least 2mm (3/32") from the base
of the hardface. For details on calculating maximum weld size, see section 4.1.

Figure 4.5: Correct procedure for Plug Welding.

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 Next, the balance of the plug weld should be filled up, again so that it is 2 mm below the hardfaced
layer. To protect the weld from abrasion and to reduce turbulent material flow during service, the
hole should be back filled with hardfacing. Alloy Steel International recommends using Arco Alloy
880 hardfacing wire. For information on hardface welding, see Appendix A.

4.3 Stud Welds

Nelson Studs can be easily welded to the mild steel base of Arcoplate. Best results are achieved
when a specialist stud gun is used, which produces a full penetration weld between the stud and the
backing plate. Studs should be no smaller than M10 (3/8”) and the number of studs required will
depend upon the size and shape of the wear plate. Generally, a stud spacing of 300mm is
recommended.

Figure 4.6: Nelson Stud after welding.

Prior to welding, all mill scale should be removed from the area to be welded and if conditions are
wet or cold, it is recommended that the plate be preheated to remove any moisture. Two test studs
should be fired, prior to commencing production welding, on a piece of scrap material which is the
same as the Arcoplate base metal. These studs should be torque tested in accordance with AS1554,
with torque figures as shown in Table 4.7.

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 Stud Size Torque
M12 45Nm
M16 110Nm
M20 215Nm
M24 370Nm

Table 4.7: Torque Test Figures.

A 30˚ bend test on the test studs is also highly recommended. This simply involves hitting the studs
with a hammer until they are at 30˚ or until the studs break. If the stud welding settings are correct,
the stud will snap and not the weld.

Larger studs, over 12 mm (1 /2 ") in diameter, can also be attached with a fillet weld using normal
welding procedures such as SMAW using an E7018 electrode. It is important to note that studs
attached with a fillet weld rather than a full penetration stud weld are not as strong, and a greater
number of studs will be needed to support the plate.

4.4 Bolts

Another method of attaching Arcoplate to fixed or mobile plant is with bolts. ASI only recommends
using bolts as a last resort where the use of studs is not possible, as bolt heads and holes disrupt the
laminar flow of material across the normally smooth alloy surface. Turbulence created in and around
bolt holes accelerates wear rates and will significantly reduce the life expectancy of your wear liners
(See Figure 4.5).

Figure 4.8: ‘Comet tail’ resulting from turbulence introduced by a bolt hole.

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Countersunk head socket screws and cap head socket screws are the most commonly used bolts,
which require countersunk and/or counterbored holes to accommodate the bolt heads. However, the
high hardness of the alloy overlay makes it impossible to machine or drill such holes in Arcoplate
using conventional methods. Spark Erosion or Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is an
alternative method for countersinking or counterboring holes in Arcoplate, however this type of
machining is not readily available in many areas.

Alloy Steel International recommends using mild steel inserts, welded into the Arcoplate, where a
countersunk/counterbored hole is necessary. The Inserts are cylindrical mild steel plugs which are
machined to match the shape of the desired hole (see Figure 4.5 below). Holes are then cut in the
Arcoplate, with a diameter 1-2mm larger than that of the inserts, and the inserts welded in from the
mild steel side of the Arcoplate.

Figure 4.9: Machined mild steel insert for a countersunk head socket screw.

Inserts can be machined to match most bolt head shape. Please contact Alloy Steel International for
more information.

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5.0 JOINING ARCOPLATE
Arcoplate can be joined to itself or other structural steels to form larger panels and/or in the fabrication of
bins and chutes. Because of the differing properties of the mild steel and alloy sides of Arcoplate,
fabrication techniques differ slightly from standard structural steels. The main point to consider is that welds
on the mild steel side only are considered structural, and parts are not to be joined to the hardface. Any
welding on the hardface is a matter of wear protection only. The following section details the most common
methods used in joining Arcoplate, however, Alloy Steel International can tailor designs to suit your
requirements.

5.1 Joining Flat Sheets of Arcoplate

Arcoplate sheets can be joined to form larger panels with a partial penetration butt weld on the mild
steel side. Alloy Steel International can cater for your plate joining needs with our expertise and
workshop setup; however, should you wish to undertake this work yourself, the following section
can be used as a guide.

5.1.1 Joining Mild Steel Side

The process starts with mild steel side of the Arcoplate, which provides the structural strength of the
join. Turn the Arcoplate sheets so they are mild steel up and bevel the edges to be joined. The rule in
determining bevel size is similar to that detailed in section 4.1.1, in that the weld must be at least
2mm clear of the fusion line.

Bevel Size = Base Metal Thickness minus 2 mm (3/32")

Figure 5.0: Beveling Mild Steel Side

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You will need to construct a joining bench, strong enough to dog the plates down. Please consult
Alloy Steel International for more information on joining benches.

Once all joining edges have been beveled, butt the sheets up against one another on the joining
bench. It is best to leave about a 2mm gap between each of the sheets to assist in welding the alloy
side. All sheets then need to be dogged down hard against the bench. Figure 5.1 below shows
Arcoplate sheets that have been ‘dogged’ down at one end. The correct procedure for dogging down
Arcoplate sheets over their full length during welding is illustrated in Figure 5.3

Figure 5.1: Arcoplate sheets with one end dogged down prior to welding.

Next the sheets/joins must be cleaned to remove any foreign material from the weld zone. This can
be done easily using a jet of air from an air compressor. After the job is cleaned you can make your
first or root pass. We recommend using either:

1) 3 mm Dia E7018 @90-11OA for SMAW.

2) 0.89 mm to 1.14 mm Dia E7OS-X @ 100-110A for GMAW.

The root pass must not melt through the "land" into the hardfaced layer. This can cause hardfacing
carbon to be picked up by the weld metal, resulting in a weld that is hard and brittle. For the fill
passes, use 4 mm (1 /8") or 5 mm (3/16") dia E7018 electrode for SMAW welding, depending upon
the plate thickness, or a standard E70S MIG wire for GMAW. Use the manufacturer's recommended
amperage range for the electrode chosen.

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NOTE: The aforementioned recommendations are general guidelines for joining the Arcoplate Alloy
range. Any welding procedures, process, or combination of processes that is normally used at your
plant will work in welding together mild steel base metals. Figure 5.2 below shows the end view of
two plates to be joined together.

Figure 5.2: End view of Arcoplate being joined together.

It is essential that welds runs be kept to 150mm and staggered over the plate, to prevent excessive
localized heat build-up (warm to touch) and warping of the plates. Once all weld joins have been
completed, turn plate over and prepare to weld the gap on the alloy side with Arco Alloy 880.

5.1.2 Arco Alloy 880

Arco Alloy 880 is a complementary weld overlay for the Arcoplate range of alloys. It is a 1.6mm
diameter flux core wire that has a chemical composition that closely matches that of Arcoplate. It
can be used in a standard MIG welder and being a flux core wire, does not require gas. Arco 880
welding should be completed by a competent welder, complete with personal respirator (MSDS is
available from Alloy Steel International). Welding parameters for Arco Alloy 880 are detailed in
Appendix A.

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5.1.3 Welding the Alloy Side

Before welding the alloy side, it is important to note that hardface welds are not structural. They are
simply a sealing weld for the joins to limit any potential channel wear. For this reason it is not
necessary to bevel the edges on the alloy side if joints are at right angles to the direction of the
material flow. The Arco 880 is simply forced into the gaps between the sheets as a filler. If the gap
between the sheets is less than 3mm, it maybe necessary to run a thin grinding disc along the join to
open it up enough to fit the Arco 880 wire.

Before welding, it is again important to dog the Arcoplate panel hard against a flat surface, to limit
any deformation from the heat input.

Figure 5.3: Correct technique for dogging Arcoplate down across the full sheet

As with the mild steel side, weld runs should be kept to 150mm long and staggered over the plate.
This is particularly important with the hardface as localised heat build up will encourage excessive
cracking.

NOTE: It is normal for the hardface weld to crack when welding with Arco 880. This is not
detrimental to the liners structural integrity nor its wear performance. Do not attempt to repair these
cracks as it will only induce more cracking

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 When all weld joins are complete, it is necessary to grind all weld on the hardface flush so as to
maintain the smooth surface of the Arcoplate. This step is very important from a wear perspective, as
raised weld beadsintroduce turbulence into material flow which accelerates wear rates, the same as
on plates manufactured using the weld overlay method. Figure 5.4 below shows a complete join with
the hardface weld ground flush.

Figure 5.4: Completed hardface weld ground flush with surface.

When welding the hardface of polished Arcoplate, extra care should be taken to protect the polished
finish, as weld spatter leads to pitting. We recommend using a spatter template as detailed in section
4.1.4. A final polish maybe necessary along the weld joins after completion. See section 7.0 for
details on polishing Arcoplate.

5.2 Structural Arcoplate Fabrication

Although Arcoplate is designed for use as a liner, it can be used structurally in the fabrication of
chutes, hoppers and bins. The fact that its primary use is not as a structural steel means a little extra
care has to be taken when using Arcoplate in this way. Alloy Steel International should be consulted
during the design process; however, this section can be used as a preliminary design guide.

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5.2.1 Corner Joints

As with joining flat sheets of Arcoplate, the weld on the mild steel side only forms the structural
component of a corner join. Figure 5.5 below shows the most common methods for joining
Arcoplate when the hardface is on the inside of the corner.

Figure 5.5: Arcoplate corner joints (hardface is on the inside).

From a wear perspective, A and C offer the best protection as they give you the full depth of alloy in
the corner. Option A requires chamfering of the hardface, which, whilst giving a neater finish, can be
time consuming and costly. It is important with options B and C that the structural weld is kept at
least 2mm from the alloy fusion line.

A sealing weld on the inside corner of all joins is recommended, but unlike flat sheets, can be left
proud.

Figure 5.6: Arcoplate corner joints (hardface is on the outside).

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Figure 5.6 illustrates the more common methods used to join Arcoplate when the hardface is on the
outside of the corner. They are essentially the same with a fillet weld on the inside corner (Option B
has a second fillet weld on the outside). A and B offer better wear protection on the corner, although
option B requires more welding (which generally leads to more cracking). It is necessary with option
C to grind back some of the mild steel and back fill it with Arco 880 for extra protection.

5.2.2 Joining Arcoplate to an Existing Structure

In some instances where only part of the chute or bin is subject to wear, it may be necessary to join
the Arcoplate to part of the existing structure. The weldable mild steel backing plate means this is no
issue; however, when welding to Q&T Plate, the Q&T manufacturer’s fabrication guidelines should
also be consulted.

Figure 5.7 below illustrates a typical join where the two plates to be joined are in the same plane.
Where extra strength is required, flat bar can be welded across the join for more support, as shown in
option B.

Figure 5.7: Arcoplate corner joints (hardface is on the outside).

When the two plates to be joined meet in a corner rather than in the same plane, the techniques
illustrated in section 5.2.1 can generally be applied

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6.0 SHEAR FORCE PROTECTION
In many applications, the edges of Arcoplate will be exposed to shear forces, such as inclined surfaces (e.g.
chute & hopper walls) and the cutting edge on buckets and dippers. Throughout most kits, the edges of
Arcoplate liners are protected by adjacent liners; however, the exposed edges where the kit starts and stop
may need additional protection.

In most applications, it is sufficient to protect the edges with a square strip of Q&T Plate, slightly thicker
than the Arcoplate. The strip is simply welded in front of the Arcoplate, with a gap big enough to get a full
weld in between the Arcoplate and Q&T strip (15-20mm). In more extreme applications A.S.I. recommends
using 50mm wide strips of ArcoSuper Bar which, when used with Arcoplate, will deliver maximum
protection as both materials assist each other in both abrasion and impact. Please contact A.S.I for more
information.

Figure 6.0: Arcoplate dipper kit, illustrating the protection of leading edges in a wear kit.

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7.0 POLISHING
When polished, Arcoplate is second to none at reducing hang-up and material carry-back. Arcoplate will
polish to a near mirror finish as it wears, but it is necessary to pre-polish Arcoplate in most sticky material
applications, to accelerate the ‘in-service’ polish. The level of polish required depends largely on material
properties and flow conditions. Bulldozer blades, dipper buckets and truck tray tail liners, for example, only
require a light polish as they have a continual flow of material over the surface, which assists the ‘in-
service’ polish. Excavator buckets and the Front Section of Arcoplate truck kits, however, are continually
carrying a ‘dead’ load and require a higher level of initial polish to improve material flow. Alloy Steel
International can supply Arcoplate in a pre-polished finish to suit your material conditions and product
needs.

A final post-installation polish is necessary to remove any traces of weld spatter from the hardface, or if the
product has been allowed to rust before installation. This is done using a ZD38050 (or similar) Zircon Disc
as the initial polish, followed by a final polish using a FL38350 (or similar) Flap Disc. These can be
purchased from your nearest Abrasiflex dealer.

8.0 KIT DESIGN/INSTALLATION

Correct design and installation of your Arcoplate kit is essential in obtaining maximum performance out of
your liners. Wear rates and patterns, material properties and flow characteristics as well as plant design will
all influence the life of your wear liners, and need to be considered when designing your Arcoplate liner kit.
ASI offers a full design service and should be consulted for advice and/or assistance.

9.0 REPAIRING ARCOPLATE

Due to the brittle nature of Arcoplates hardface, it can be hard to work with at times and it is possible to
damage it during fabrication. Because Arcoplate is designed as a sacrificial liner, cracks and chips can
generally be repaired without compromising the integrity or wear performance of the liner. Repair is not
always necessary and any queries should be referred to Alloy Steel Internationals engineering department.

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9.1 Cracks

Arcoplate comes with small pre-existing stress cracks in the hardface, which are an unavoidable
result of the heat used in the manufacturing process. The varying properties of the mild steel and
alloy layers means they cool at different rates, which can induce small stress cracks in the alloy
layer. These cracks do not affect the structural integrity or the performance of the Arcoplate, and
should be left alone.

Figure 9.0: Standard stress cracks in Arcoplate.

Fabrication processes such as rolling and forming can sometimes induce cracks in the plate and/or
chip the hardface. Cracks smaller than 1mm are generally left alone, but larger cracks or chips may
be repaired. All repair enquiries should be directed through Alloy Steel International.

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 APPENDIX A
ARCO 880
WELDING SPECIFICATIONS

TRADE NAME ARCOWELD 880

PROCESS Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW)
POLARITY DC+
AMPS 260/320
VOLTS 25/28
TRAVEL SPEED 280/380mm/min
HEAT INPUT 1.0(av)
WIRE DIAMETER 1.6mm
SHEILDING GAS Not Required

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