Gear Wear Resistant Coatings

The metal plating industry has been around since the time of the industrial revolution. As more machinery was needed in factories, small businesses, and on farms, the idea came about that there could be ways to make the machines last longer. Most of the time, when a machine needs to be serviced or replaced, it is because certain parts of the machine have worn out, and not because the entire machine is useless. Coating a machine's parts with a stronger metal became the solution, and now this practice is completely commonplace. Some machines require specialty metal plating, such as gear wear resistant coatings.

These coatings protect the small, vital parts of many machines, from massive combine harvesters to the transmission on a motorcycle. There are many problems that require the assistance of the coating. First of all, the issue of abrasion can wear down gear teeth in no time without the protection of the coatings. Most often this occurs because of contamination in the lubricant. Another common problem is called scuffing, which is a result of the heat caused by friction when the gears grind together. Gears can wear prematurely due to polishing, extreme weather conditions, and chemical corrosion. With these coatings, gears can last as much as three times longer.

For gear wear resistant coatings, the most common metals used are either carbides or steel alloys. How and where the machine is used determines exactly which coatings will work best. In order to make this determination, a team of analysts will come and inspect the machinery on location. Usually the team will include at least one certified chemist who can choose the best alloys for these coatings in any set of circumstances.

The option of investing in high quality gear wear resistant coatings becomes a matter of cost, as so many things are these days. Obviously it costs more money up front to have a machine treated with the special coatings. The question becomes, how likely is it to provide a worthwhile return on that investment? Surprisingly, the answer is not complicated in this particular situation. These coatings will extend the life of the machine one- to three- times over. Also, it improves the quality of the machine's life. This means the machine will run as efficiently as possible, require less part replacements, and less service calls. Overall, the investment in the special coatings makes total sense according to statistics and experts.