Properties of Selected Additive Materials Used to Increase the Lifetime of Tools for Crushing Unwanted Growths Using Hardfacing by Welding Technology

This article focuses on the possibilities of increasing the service life of tools for crushing unwanted growths. One way to increase their service life is to increase the hardness and resistance to abrasive wear of exposed surfaces of the tool, which are their face and back. At the same time, however, care must be taken to ensure that the shape and weight of the tool is not altered after the additive has been hardfaced on. Thus, the tool was first modified by removing the material by milling from the face and back. Subsequently, two surfacing materials, namely UTP 690 and OK WearTrode 55, were chosen and hardfaced by welding onto the pre-prepared surfaces. After hardfacing by welding, the tools were ground to their original shape and their weight was measured. Subsequently, the tool was sawn, and specimens were created for Rockwell hardness evaluation, material microstructure and for abrasive wear resistance testing as per ASTM G133-95. The OK WearTrode 55 electrode is a hardfacing electrode that produces weld metal with a high-volume fraction of fine carbides in a martensitic matrix. Better results were achieved by the UTP 690 hardfacing material. The hardness was 3.1 times higher compared to the base tool material 16MnCr5 and 1.2 times higher than the OK WearTrode 55 material. The abrasive wear resistance was 2.76 times higher compared to 16MnCr5, and 1.14 times higher compared to the OK WearTrode 55 material. The choice of a suitable pre-treatment for the tool and the selection and application of such additional material, which with its complex properties better resists the effects of the working environment, is a prerequisite for increasing the service life of tools working in forestry.