Best Practices to Maximize Tool Performance
1. Never reuse retainers — ALWAYS use a new retainer with each new conical.
Replace worn-out, blunt, or dull conicals, and worn-out blocks immediately to decrease load on other machine parts.
Benefits:
Increased productivity.
2. Always maintain proper tension on trencher chain.
Benefits:
Longer tool life.
Increased productivity.
3. Conicals must rotate freely in the block.
If the conical is stuck, tap with brass or rubber mallet. When installing new tools, clean out the block bore to ensure conical rotates freely.
Benefits:
Ensures uniform wear on conical.
Keeps conical sharp.
4. Use correct tools when installing conicals.
Either a Kennametal recommended tool or a brass or lead-filled rubber-coated mallet. Never use a steel hammer or strike tools with metal objects.
Benefits:
Avoids shattering or damage to carbide tip.
5. Maintain proper collar diameter of the conical.
Be sure blocks are welded at the original angle.
Benefits:
Avoids damaging the block.
Incorrect block placement can result in excessive wear on the conical, block, or other machine parts.
6. Make sure conicals are retained properly in the block.
Benefits:
Avoids safety hazards.
7. Do not use chains, drums, or wheels with missing conicals.
This causes excessive load on other conicals and machine components.
Benefits:
Improved productivity.
8. Maintain proper RPM and feed rates as per cutting conditions.
Benefits:
Extended tool life.
Increased productivity.
9. Maintain proper gage length of the conical.
Too short of a gage length can affect the width of cut and cause excessive load on other machine components.
Selecting proper tools and understanding wear progression
Benefits:
Increased tool utilization.
Avoids catastrophic failure.
Maximized cutting performance.
Reduced machine wear-and-tear.
Selecting the right tip for your machine and application
Plug
Maximum toughness.
Physical lock between steel and carbide.
Conditions: hard rock, chunk rock, shot rock, mixed rock, and dirt.
Ideal for excessive impact.
Cap
Maximum abrasion resistance.
Rely on braze joint strength to hold tip to steel body.
Conditions: softer, more abrasive material.
Helps divert material away from steel body, reducing steel wash.
Areas with uninterrupted cuts. Will not withstand high impact.
NB – Narrow Bottom
Combination of a cap and a plug, with superior strength and abrasion resistance.
Conditions: excels in hard, abrasive material.