Biomass & Wood Processing - Bark crusher - Debarking Knives - Stationary equipment - Sweden - +400% lifetime

Objective

Assess the performance of Creusabro^® 8000 as an alternative to S355 with overlay (600 HB) in debarking knives used in a bark crusher, with the goal of increasing wear life, simplifying fabrication, and reducing maintenance in a continuous, high-tonnage wood processing environment.

Test Conditions

• Location: Wood processing facility in Sweden

• Environment: Abrasive and high-impact operation, involving the debarking of logs with an accumulated throughput of 1.8 million tonnes over 32 weeks.

• Function: Debarking knives mounted in a bark crusher, where wear resistance and dimensional stability are critical.

• Original material: S355 structural steel with hardfacing overlay (600 HB), thicknesses 30 & 50 mm

• Replacement material: Creusabro® 8000, homogeneous wear plate in 30 & 50 mm thicknesses, processed by flame cutting and machining.

Results

• The Creusabro® 8000 knives achieved a service life of 360,000 tonnes per mm of thickness, compared to 112,500 T/mm with the S355 + overlay — a 400% increase in wear performance.

• Unlike hardfaced components, Creusabro® 8000 provided uniform wear throughout the full thickness, enabling consistent performance and simplifying wear prediction.

Value Delivered

• 4× Longer Wear Life: +400% service life per mm reduced replacement frequency and overall material usage.

• No Overlay Required: Eliminated the need for hardfacing, simplifying fabrication, repair, and handling.

• Homogeneous Wear Resistance: Creusabro® wears evenly, offering stable performance and full utilization of the plate’s thickness.

• Reduced Maintenance: Fewer changeouts and better wear predictability improved plant availability and process stability.

Conclusion

By switching to Creusabro® 8000, the client and Bergsmekaniska implemented a long-lasting, simplified, and more efficient solution for bark crusher debarking knives — achieving 400% more wear life per mm of steel and eliminating the complexity of hardfacing.

Creusabro® once again proves its superiority in the wood processing industry, delivering high performance with lower maintenance and fabrication costs.

Comparative test