The manufacturing process is not just about welding
various shapes of steel into a bucket.
Cutting, rolling, welding and boring the attachment
are all processes that require meticulous planning.
Rolling the bucket back plate is an important step
in the process. Whilst the double radius process
costs more to roll than the single radius process,
it is important for the bucket performance that this
is carried out. Obviously the difficulty of the
process is to ensure that both rolls are square
across the bucket.
Careful consideration needs to be applied to the
materials being used and their reactions to the
welding process, the application that the end
product will have, and the expected performance of
the product.
It is important that the bucket designer knows the
type of materials and density (weight per cubic
metre), also called the specific gravity, of that
material. We have included a chart with the weights
of many products found in our industry. Some of
these products are industry specific, whereas
others, like some rocks may be found in many
locations throughout Australia.
Different alloys need to be welded in different
ways, many of them pre-heated to a specific
temperature before the steel will allow the weld to
penetrate.
Particular attention must also be given to the weld
sizes, which should be at least 75% of the size of
the smallest plate being welded. Fig. 1 shows weld
sizes necessary to have good weld strength.It is also necessary to
line bore the pin bosses of the attachment prior to
fitting the bucket pins as this will also be a
factor to ensure the bucket runs “true” and performs
to its expectations.
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