Cement industry - Concrete mixer - Bottom plates - Stationary equipment - Sweden - +33% lifetime

Objective

Evaluate the performance of Creusabro^® 8000 as an alternative to 500 HB steel for bottom plates in concrete mixers, with the goal of extending wear life while reducing plate thickness — leading to improved efficiency and easier handling.

Test Conditions

• Location: Concrete production plant in Sweden

• Environment: Continuous abrasion from sand, gravel, and cement mix during high-volume batching operations — totaling 16,500 tonnes mixed in one year.

• Function: Bottom wear plates in the concrete mixer, exposed to abrasive and rotational movement with every batch.

• Original material: 500 HB wear plate, 16 mm thickness

• Replacement material: Creusabro® 8000, reduced to 12 mm thickness, processed by flame cutting and machining.

Results

• The Creusabro® 8000 bottom plate reached a wear performance of 1,375 tonnes per mm of plate thickness, compared to 1,031 T/mm with the 500 HB — a 33% improvement in wear life per mm.

• This gain was achieved despite a 25% reduction in thickness, demonstrating the superior wear resistance and through-thickness homogeneity of Creusabro® 8000.

Value Delivered

• Improved Wear Efficiency: +33% more material processed per mm of plate, reducing steel consumption over time.

• Reduced Weight: Thinner plates improve mixer dynamics and reduce energy use during rotation.

• Handling & Fabrication Benefits: Easier to machine and install compared to thicker conventional steels.

• Lower Lifecycle Costs: Fewer replacements, less material used, and better overall performance per tonne mixed.

Expert Insight

In this case, the ability to reduce thickness while improving performance highlights one of the key benefits of Creusabro® 8000. Thanks to its homogeneous and advanced microstructure, the plate offers consistent wear resistance from surface to core — enabling smarter design choices that reduce both weight and cost, without sacrificing durability.

Conclusion

By switching to Creusabro® 8000, S:T Eriks and Bergsmekaniska achieved a more efficient and technically advanced solution, extending wear life by 33% per mm and optimizing both equipment performance and material usage.

Creusabro® once again proves to be the intelligent choice for industrial applications where abrasion, precision, and cost-efficiency matter most.

Comparative test