Crawler crane track shoes, also know as crawler crane track pads, play a crucial role in construction machinery, significantly influencing equipment safety and longevity. To meet strict quality standards, track shoe manufacturer follows a meticulous manufacturing process. In this blog, we will delve into the three key aspects of manufacturing crawler crane track shoes: material inspection, mold preparation, and the processing workflow. Let’s explore each aspect in detail.
Material Inspection: Ensuring Quality and Mechanical Properties
Before commencing the manufacturing process, a comprehensive material inspection guarantees that track shoes meet the required quality and mechanical standards. This inspection forms the foundation for producing exceptional track shoes. Key steps in material inspection include:
Quality Assessment
As a track shoe manufacturer, conducting a thorough quality assessment is paramount. The material’s composition, strength, and durability undergo rigorous scrutiny through various tests and evaluations to ensure adherence to standards.
Dimensional Accuracy
Precise measurements ensure the material is cut to the required dimensions using advanced cutting machines that deliver efficiency and precision. Thorough cleaning follows to eliminate defects and burrs, ensuring a flawless surface.
High-quality material for crawler crane track shoe
As a professional manufacturer of crawler crane track shoes, we possess extensive expertise in determining the optimal material for producing superior track shoes. Currently, the materials used for track pads mainly include rubber, high manganese steel, medium manganese steel, low alloy steel, nodular cast iron, aluminum alloy, and aluminum-based composite materials. Among them, steel track shoes are the most widely studied and applied. They can be classified into the following three categories:
High Manganese Steel
High manganese steel, also known as Hadfield steel, has a standard composition of (wt%) Fe-12Mn-1.2C. It is a typical wear-resistant steel that can withstand strong impact and abrasion. With its high strength, good toughness, and strong work hardening effect, it exhibits excellent wear resistance under intense impact conditions. It is widely used in equipment components in mining, metallurgy, automotive, construction machinery, railways, and other industries. After water quenching and tempering treatment, high manganese steel does not have high strength and hardness. Its main characteristic is work hardening.
Medium Manganese Steel
Due to the conditional limitations of wear resistance in high manganese steel, its high wear resistance can only be achieved when there is sufficient work hardening under intense impact conditions. By reducing the manganese and carbon content, medium manganese steel has been developed and applied in medium to low energy impact conditions, showing superior performance compared to high manganese steel. The composition design of medium manganese steel is critical, mainly controlling the manganese and carbon content. The manganese content is generally between 6% and 10%, while the carbon content is usually between 0.6% and 1.0%.
Low Alloy Steel
In recent years, there have been many reports on the research and application of low alloy wear-resistant cast steel in track shoes. By optimizing the chemical composition, casting process, and heat treatment process, the desired mechanical properties can be obtained to meet the requirements of track shoe usage. Typical examples include medium carbon silicon manganese steel (such as 31Mn2Si, 40Mn2Si) and medium carbon low alloy steels for track shoes with added rare earth, boron, nickel, and other elements (such as 35MnTiB, 32CrMoB, 35CrNiMo, CrMnSiMoRE). Low alloy cast steel has the advantages of low alloy content (total alloy element content of 5%), low cost, wide availability, good comprehensive mechanical properties, and simple manufacturing processes, making it a promising material for track shoes.
Mold Preparation: Designing an Efficient Workflow
Mold preparation plays a crucial role in maintaining consistent quality and shape during track shoe manufacturing. It involves designing the processing workflow, determining steps, and specifying requirements. Key elements of mold preparation include:
Workflow Design
As a track shoe manufacturer, a detailed plan should be created to outline each manufacturing step, including material preparation, forming, heat treatment, and final processing. This design ensures a systematic and efficient manufacturing process.
Mold Design and Selection
Molds should be carefully designed to achieve the desired shape and dimensions, considering factors such as material compatibility, durability, and ease of use. Appropriate mold selection is crucial to ensure the best quality output.
Processing Workflow: Crafting Superior Track Shoes
The processing workflow comprises essential steps that transform the material into finished track shoes. Each step is executed meticulously to maintain quality and performance. The primary stages of the processing workflow include:
Material Cutting
Automated cutting machines equipped with advanced technology precisely cut the material according to the required dimensions. The cutting process is carefully monitored to ensure accuracy and minimize material waste. After cutting, the track shoe material undergoes thorough cleaning to eliminate any debris, burrs, or defects. This step is crucial to achieve a smooth surface, which is essential for maintaining the integrity and functionality of the track pads.
Prefabrication and Forming
After the material cutting stage, the cut pieces are pressed or cut into prefabricated blocks that meet the specific requirements of the crawler crane track shoe design. These prefabricated blocks are then placed into molds, where they undergo shaping to attain the desired track shoe shape and structure. Controlled temperature and time parameters are meticulously maintained during the shaping process to ensure the track shoes’ flatness and stability. Additionally, rigorous cleaning procedures are implemented to eliminate any excess burrs or oil stains that may have occurred during the forming stage.
Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is a critical step in the manufacturing process of track shoes. It involves subjecting the formed track shoes to carefully controlled heating, followed by a specific cooling process. The precise control of heating temperature, time, cooling speed, and method is crucial to achieving the desired mechanical properties, such as enhanced hardness and strength. After heat treatment, the track shoes undergo comprehensive inspection to ensure they meet the required standards and have the desired properties. This inspection helps maintain the track shoes’ quality and performance.
Final Processing
Once the track pads have undergone heat treatment, they proceed to the final processing stage. This stage involves various operations to refine the track shoes and prepare them for installation and use. Operations include drilling holes, chamfering edges, and performing other necessary machining processes. Each operation follows the defined workflow and requirements to minimize errors and ensure product accuracy. Thorough cleaning is carried out after each operation to remove any debris or contaminants that may have accumulated. Additionally, rust prevention treatments are applied to enhance the track shoes’ durability and protect them from corrosion.
Value Crane is your best choice for crawler crane track shoes
We are a reputable and experienced crawler crane track shoe manufacturer. We prioritize quality, performance, and customer satisfaction in our products. Our track shoes are crafted using the finest materials and manufactured with precision and attention to detail. We strive to provide exceptional value by offering durable, reliable, and cost-effective track shoes that meet the specific requirements of your crawler crane. With our expertise and commitment to excellence, we ensure that choosing Value Crane for your track shoe needs will result in a superior and satisfactory experience. Contact us now for the best price!
