Any machine that is designed to move, such as a motor vehicle or piece of construction equipment, has extension wear plates to prevent the friction that would result from the rubbing together of two pieces of metal. An oil rig is an excellent example of a machine that uses extension wear plates to keep them running, and so do cars and lawn mowers.
The plates are made from steel whose alloying metals have been mitigated and suppressed to enable them to withstand constant abrasion. The British company A & R, for example, uses high tensile steel to make its plates, which are durable and resistant to abrasion. If during the process of composition, for instance, the machine moves up and down, or a piece thereof slides in and out, then extension wear plants are in order. The same is true if two of the parts vibrate against each other while the machine is in operation.
The following subsections describe some specific extension wear plates that are sold at various outlets; these, as well as the machines in which they may be used, are given in the description of each.
Wear plates sold by various manufacturers
SelfLube
SelfLube (http://www.selflube.com/category.aspx?catID=1) is in the western Michigan town of Coopersville. Its wear plates come in twelve types, including N and A series plates. Those in the N series are used primarily for metal stamping dies, although they may also be installed in molds and special machines. The A series plates have a large chamfer (the beveled edge that connects two surfaces) that runs along its length. Both are made of plain steel, steel with graphite and aluminum bronze with graphite. Other examples of wear plates that they have include:
• grease groove — for machines that cannot use graphite plates
• SMC lower and upper heel
• NAAMS — commonly used in automotive metal stamping dies
• VDI (metric) — trimmed to the standards that European companies favor
• SESW and SESWT
Dayton Lamina Corporation
Dayton Lamina Corporation (http://www.daytonlamina.com/node/1166) specializes in automotive wear plates, which are available there in all of the standards styles and sizes, both metric and customary. They have graphite plugs that cover from 25 to 30 percent of the area that needs to be lubricated.
Precision Grinding, Inc.
Precision Grinding (http://precisiongrinding.com/custom-steel-plate/wear-plates/), founded in 1971 in the steel-manufacturing center of Birmingham, Alabama, makes abrasion-resistant (AR) plates designed to withstand the harshest conditions to which a machine may be exposed. Digging and mining companies have been among the most loyal customers of this manufacturer; their machines, used to move dirt, stones, coal, rock chutes and other underground elements, face constant abrasion when being worked.
Replacing the plates
Durable though the steels used to make extension wear plates may be, they are still subject to wear and tear caused by rubbing. They should therefore be replaced periodically. Owners of machines that have wear plates should read the instruction manuals to learn how often to replace them, as well as the grade of steel, size and other specifications thereof.