When it comes to pulp and paper operations, everything starts with wood processing. The infeed deck is one of the most pivotal pieces of equipment in the wood handling process. Because it handles huge amounts of unprocessed logs on a daily basis, it is one of the most heavily abraded pieces of equipment in the wood handling process.
The high levels of abrasion that the infeed deck experiences daily make it a prime use case for abrasion resistant steel. Operators choose abrasion resistant steel to give additional strength and durability to components like the infeed deck that experience tremendous amounts of wear and tear. With the installation of abrasion resistant steel, operators can benefit from a much longer useful lifespan for their equipment.
Pulp and paper mills choose Tricon Wear Solutions for high-quality, abrasion resistant steel components that keep their machinery running longer.
In this blog post, we will delve into how Tricon has implemented Tri-Braze® steel components in the hard-working infeed decks of pulp and paper mills across the country.
The Infeed Deck: A Critical Component in Wood Handling
The main purpose of the infeed deck is to feed logs into the debarking and chipping equipment. Given the role of the infeed deck, it’s subject to high levels of friction, impact, and abrasion.
Let’s take a look at the different areas where AR steel is best implemented on the deck itself.
Deck Surface: Protecting the Foundation
The deck surface experiences some of the highest degree of impact and abrasion across the infeed process. Workers load logs onto the deck, depositing bark, dirt, and other debris that can cause considerable wear and damage. Over time, this can lead to costly maintenance and repairs—and even the need to replace the deck in its entirety.
To help combat the incredible amount of abrasion experienced by infeed decks, many mills are deciding to use abrasion resistant steel like our proprietary, through-hardened Tri-Braze plates for their deck surfaces. Tri-Braze is a special type of AR steel that is designed with superior levels of hardness and durability to help it withstand the most demanding conditions of the infeed process.
Sprockets: Driving the Chains
Sprockets are responsible for driving the chains that move logs across the surface of the infeed deck. They are working in tandem with chains and experience a lot of metal on metal contact, which results in significant friction and abrasion. This can create a lot of wear and tear on the sprockets themselves.
To address this, Tricon worked with our partners in the pulp and paper mill industry to develop sprockets made entirely out of Tri-Braze abrasion resistant steel. Tri-Braze reduces the harmful effects of friction over time, resulting in sprockets with a considerably longer usable lifespan.
Drive/Idler Drums: Controlling Chain Tension
Drive and idler drums are key components in maintaining proper tension in the chains that move the logs along the infeed deck. The drive and idler drums ensure that the proper amount of pressure is applied to the chains, creating tension without over-tightening and causing damage.
The constant pressure from both the chains and the logs themselves makes the drive and idler drums prime targets for abrasion and friction. These components are perfect candidates for the implementation of AR steel fabrications.
Drag Chain Assembly: Moving Heavy Loads with Minimal Wear
The drag chain moves logs across the infeed deck towards debarking and chipping machinery. In doing so, the drag chain experiences a high degree of both friction and abrasion from metal wear and the logs themselves.
Abrasion resistant steel like Tri-Braze can enable the drag chain assembly to withstand these harsh conditions for longer periods without compromising the integrity and safety of the operation.
Cost Savings and Efficiency Gains from Abrasion Resistant Steel
When you effectively use abrasion resistant steel in key components throughout your system, you can dramatically increase the amount of time between repairs and scheduled maintenance. Your equipment can be up and running for much longer, resulting in a more efficient operation. Additionally, your employees can work more safely. Your team spends less time working on the equipment in potentially hazardous situations and reduces exposure related to unexpected component failures.
Why Partner With Tricon Wear Solutions?
The infeed deck is one of the most crucial pieces of equipment at a pulp and paper mill. After all, this is where every single log begins its journey in the wood handling process. Unfortunately, these logs bring not just bark, but also rocks, dirt, gravel, and other foreign debris that can wreak havoc on infeed decks.
That’s why pulp and paper mills across the country have decided to partner with Tricon Wear Solutions. We have decades of experience helping protect the most important pieces of equipment in the pulp and paper industry. Our experienced team has the knowledge and experience to help you implement top-tier AR steel components like Tri-Braze and Super-C into your operation with maximum impact to your efficiency and profitability.
