Case Study: Mounted Flap Wheels & Earth Moving Equipment

Flap wheels are an adaptable abrasive product that are made of coated flaps arranged around a hub. They are flexible and allow variation to the shape of the workpiece geometry. Flap wheels are sufficient in a variety of industries such as: metal fabrication, automotive, aerospace, and machinery manufacturing. The adaptability of the product makes them an effective tool for many applications.

mounted flap wheels - flash sale
ARC Abrasives’ flap wheels have high flexibility for exceptional contouring in tight areas, and are fixed with a heat-resistant epoxy for any overwhelming application. Learn more about the featured case study by reading our white paper.

Case Study: EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT

This analysis is based from a manufacturer of small earth moving equipment specializing in compact loaders, excavators and attachments.

Evaluation and Opportunity for Heavy Equipment
Several production departments were available for evaluation, including booms, mainframes, flat beds and rails. Most operators were using 9” 60 grit resin fiber discs on their various applications, with the addition of a knotted wire brush on certain welds.

The majority of all applications involved removal of large scratches or penetration marks and mill scale on mild steel plates or sheets. Relative to the required applications, large resin fiber discs are far too aggressive and their maximum potential is not realized.

ARC believes that we can provide better performance by product with a better base cost than what is currently being used as evidence in our mounted flap wheel quote and feedback from the heavy equipment operator. We provided a better mounted flap wheel at a $1.53 savings per piece.

Solution
ARC identified 3 main products that provide cost savings in cut, life and head to head product savings. ARC was $1.53 less than the current flap wheel that was being used with equal performance. This one item was a $53,000 savings. Additional items such as the resin fiber disc and flap disc showed a faster cut and a 2-to-1 increase in life with a lower product cost.

Check out our social media pages on Linkedin and Facebook to keep up with our weekly updates!