Form meets function as excavator buckets are made demolition ready.
If there are two things in the world that excavator buckets hate most, it is impact and abrasion; demolition delivers both – quite literally – by the bucketful.
Hidden rebar encased in jagged concrete grind, wear and eat away at buckets. And all the Hardox steel, ground engaging tools, reinforced teeth and cutting edges and enhanced operator care offers about as much long-term protection as a silk-line cloak afford a Matador.
According to fabrications specialist Rich Holt, one of the key issues is that buckets are generally designed with digging in mind. They are manufactured to ease the flow of material in and out of the bucket with the minimum resistance. And that same lack of resistance tends to corral material – debris in the case of demolition – ensuring that the wear is contained and concentrated in the same place over and over again. The result is premature bucket wear and a hefty repair or replacement bill. “The front of the bucket is where all the wear and tear is contained as, basically, this is where it strikes the material,” Rich Holt says. “Over time, this will wear, causing the bucket to lose its strength and, ultimately, to fail.”
Rich Holt, founder of Fabrications by Design, comes to buckets and demolition with a fresh pair of eyes. And rather than replicate the straight line bucket protection that is the stuff of tradition and received wisdom, the bucket protection provided by Holt and his team is characterised by an intricate and unique tribal tattoo aesthetic. “People used to weld rebar on or solid strips of hard facing wire.” Holt continues. “Our solution is basically putting hard facing wire down through a MIG welder, which is quick and cost effective. What’s really different with the way we do it is basically we heat the steel up, temp it, and then put the wire down in lots of different directions so it has more places to wear.”
According to Holt, this approach is doubly effective. “By laying down the hard facing in these swirls and patterns, we are able to give the bucket greater protective coverage,” he explains. “In addition, the tattoo-style pattern helps to ensure that the material is dispersed and doesn’t follow the same path over and over again. This too helps reduce overall wear.”
As you will see from this exclusive Diggers and Dozers video, it also looks pretty damn good too. You can view the video below or click here to read the full Diggers and Dozers article.
