Customized wear protection: extending the life of heavy equipment

In industries such as mining and road construction, equipment operates in some of the harshest environments on earth. Every day, heavy equipment components are exposed to intense abrasion, impact, and corrosion. The result? Shortened part lifespan, unplanned downtime, and increasing maintenance costs. According to Global Market Insights (Global Market Insights – Mining Equipment Industry Report (2024), losses caused by unplanned downtime in the mining sector can reach 3–5% of total annual production value. In the road and construction industries, the cost of replacing worn parts can account for up to 30% of total equipment maintenance expenses.

Not all wear looks the same. The edge of a bucket in a limestone quarry experiences completely different loads than a grader blade or a concrete mixer paddle. To meet these diverse challenges, more and more companies are moving away from the traditional “repair or replace” approach - investing instead in customized wear solutions. Personalization is no longer a luxury; it’s a strategic necessity. Tailor-made wear protection can extend component life up to 50–70%, improve overall productivity, and significantly reduce total operating costs.

One of the best examples of this approach is KenCast™ - an advanced composite material developed by Kennametal. By combining tungsten carbide particles with a durable steel matrix, KenCast delivers exceptional abrasion resistance and impact protection, even in the most demanding working environments. Tests have shown that parts protected with KenCast can retain full functionality up to six times longer than unprotected components. Unlike one-size-fits-all solutions, KenCast can be precisely customized to match the shape and size of any element. From the smallest bucket to the largest excavator, KenCast meets every dimension. The result? Consistent performance across the entire fleet - all from a single, trusted solution designed for cost-effective performance and maximum reliability.

From open-pit mining to large-scale road construction, KenCast demonstrates proven durability in the harshest operating environments. It provides reliable wear protection for critical components such as loader buckets, grader blades, mixer paddles, hoppers, wear plates, and bucket edges. In material transfer systems and crushing equipment, KenCast prevents erosion and impact damage caused by continuous material flow. Its versatility allows seamless integration across mining, construction, and recycling operations — ensuring maximum uptime, reduced maintenance costs, and consistent performance throughout the entire production cycle.

The coming years will likely bring a growing focus on predictive technologies and automated wear diagnostics. By analyzing data from IoT sensors, manufacturers will be able to create detailed wear profiles for virtually any type of machine and offer even more precisely tailored wear-protection solutions. At the same time, closed-loop composite materials are gaining traction, enabling regeneration and reuse instead of replacement. This approach not only reduces costs but also supports global sustainability goals increasingly adopted by leading mining and construction operators worldwide*.

*Sources:

Deloitte – Tracking the Trends 2024: The Top 10 Issues Transforming the Future of Mining

McKinsey – The Future of Mining and Metals (2023)

World Economic Forum – Circularity in Mining and Materials (2023)

Kennametal Sustainability Report (2023)

Global Market Insights – Mining Equipment Industry Report (2024)