JADCO MFG., INC.

Why Cheap Excavator Bucket Repairs Cost More

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:00:51 +0000

In JADCO’s 45+ years of helping our customers get longer life from their wear resistant steel, we have seen nearly every attempt at repairs imaginable.

It is amazing how many people attempt to save money by using the lowest priced steel possible.

What Some People Save In Materials, They Often Waste With Increased Labor.

This before photo was taken at the start of the season. Their new buyer thought JADCO’s quote for a replacement excavator bucket bottom was too high. Rather than using a one piece, accurately formed bottom, the welder was told, “If you weld in several flat pieces of a low price AR400 in the curved section over the old bottom, it will work just fine. After all, we are just digging in sand.”

What the buyer didn’t realize is they work in Frack Sand, which is very abrasive. When you subject low cost AR400 with hard angular particles, you see rapid wear. With none of the protection for your equipment.

THE AFTER PHOTO: This is the condition of the same bucket less than 4 months later. The weld seams wore away, allowing the sand to wear out the multiple edges. The end result? They had to buy a new bucket bottom. This time they ordered a one piece JADCO QT-PLUS ^® bottom, which lasted over four years. Compared to less than four months.

Wider Bucket Bottom Gives Edge Protection.

Here you can see how a formed bucket bottom extends 1” past the bucket side for additional protection of the bottom weld seam. This allows full penetration welds from both sides to the bottom, for superior structural strength.

Remember, Joining Weld Are Not Wear Resistant. If The Weld Seams Aren’t Protected, They Can Wear Away Rapidly.

Cover your joining welds with hardfacing, to protect against abrasive wear.

But NEVER Use Carbide Forming Hardfacing On Heat Treated High Strength, Low-Alloy Steel.

You can identify carbide hardfacing by the checks, or visible cracks across the weld beads. On HSLA steel, these cracks will continue down into the wear plate, leading to premature failure.

What Joining Weld Products Should You Use For The Best Results On Heat Treated Steel?

FUSION UNIVERSAL is a hardfacing weld wire that has good impact, cavitation and corrosion resistance. Also available in stick form as Universal E, this alloy has excellent impact resistance and moderate abrasion resistance.

Depending on the amount of impact, the weld deposit work hardens to different degrees. The weld deposit shows exceptionally high ductility and elongation. This weld wire also has exceptional crack resistance.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS ^® delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Being able to create wear resistant steel having the same hardness through the entire thickness of the steel, demands you accurately control the alloying chemistry with precise heat treating.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS ^® ?

The quick answer is No; although the attention to alloy content required at the steel mill is available to anyone. Yet most wear plate distributors choose to reduce the proper quantities and percentages of these essential alloying elements, to get a lower selling price.

When manufacturers cut back on critical alloys, wear life drops.
When that happens…It is always the customer who suffers…
not the manufacturer!

For the last 45 years JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life for our customers.

Now you understand why we deliver better results to our customers. By strictly focusing on improving your current results, we look at the wear process differently. This is why we deliver better performance results, and lower cost of ownership for our customers.

Allow us to help you today by emailing us at info@jadcomfg.com or calling (724) 452-5252.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

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Dispelling Chrome Carbide Myths

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 27 May 2026 10:00:16 +0000

Sam Anderson, President of JADCO Manufacturing, dispels several common myths about Chrome Carbide Overlay (CCO) wear plate.

There is a lot of misinformation online about which is the proper chrome carbide plate for your specific application. In fact, few people truly understand chrome carbide plate.

There are no ASTM or general manufacturing standards used in making clad plate.

MYTH #1

One of the biggest misconceptions is thinking all CCO plates are created equal, and that chrome carbide, is chrome carbide. This is false across the board. The use of carbides in a clad wear plate are only as good as the carbide formation in the matrix.

Most People Don’t…

This can lead to great differences in CCO wear plate performance, not only between manufacturers, but even plate to plate results from the same manufacturer can vary dramatically.

While people think that all chrome carbides are the same, you have to look at the manufacturer and understand:

Do they have an effective quality control process in place?
Do they continually test to improve their new and existing CCO products?
Do they understand their manufacturing process? Or are they just reselling other companies plate?

MYTH #2

Another myth is the need to position the plate, so the material flow is across the beads. Rather than with the flow of material, down the weld bead joints.

When you work with a quality Chrome Carbide Overlay manufacturer, and an industry leading product such like CHROMEWELD 600; the bead direction is not really a concern.

Traditional thought was the flow of material going across the bead would lead to longer wear life.

Tying one weld bead to the prior weld bead is inconsistent in many CCO plates.
Poor manufacturing processes often result in voids between the beads.

When you have voids, it allows premature wear due to the material wearing away the mild steel base plate. This eliminated the base plate support, allowing the CCO to fall out. Leaving you with mild steel and another unplanned equipment failure just hours away.

This is especially true with a plate having multiple weld layers. When these plates are produced correctly, bead orientation will not have detrimental effects on wear performance.

When you consistently manufacture a product with good bead to bead overlap and a smooth flat surface; it eliminates this potential issue. CHROMEWELD offers more CCO options to control your greatest wear challenge.

As the leading manufacturer of Chrome Carbide Overlay (CCO) plate in the USA, you can depend on the results you get from JADCO.

Our entire CHROMEWELD family of CCO products are made at our headquarters in Harmony, PA, located 30 minutes North of Pittsburgh.

JADCO has created our own clad machines to make certain we deliver the longest lasting materials to our customers. This gives us control over every aspect of making our industry leading CHROMEWELD overlay plate.

This improves your wear plate performance results further; it’s like having your own Research and Development for state-of-the-art wear resistant products. Each one has already been proven in real world applications, before you ever install them in your equipment.

For the last 45 years JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life for our customers.

Allow us to help you today by emailing us at info@jadcomfg.com or calling (724) 452-5252.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

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Our Entire Business Was Created To Eliminate Your Bad News

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 20 May 2026 21:24:36 +0000

Our original Founder, James A. Davison started JADCO Mfg. Inc. in 1980, to solve your wear problems and make your day better. Every day since, we deliver value to you in everything product we manufacture.

This photo clearly shows how most AR 400, AR 450, AR 500, etc. steels are only hard on the surface. When their surface has worn through 0.020” or so, abrasion quickly attacks the softer steel inside. Frequently the middle of many wear plates are no harder than mild steel.

Unilike the AR family of products described above… JADCO’s QT-PLUS ^® guarantees the same hardness all the way through the steel. This gives you 3 to 5 times longer life than commodity AR 400.

Here Is Your Proof – The ASTM 255 Jominy Test

ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical international standards for a wide range of materials.

ASTM 255, tests the hardenability of a specific steel, or how effective it is to become hardened.

The test bar is heated red hot to 1650° F, and retained over a water supply. This slow cools the steel, verifying how heat treating performs on various types of quench and tempered steel.
You can see the red color fading as the steel cools from the water contact below the rod.

After machining a flat surface on the steel sample, the hardness is measured 36 times in 1/16” spacing. This shows if the chemistry of the wear resistant steel actually has the ability to become hardened though the thickness of the steel plates. They are heat treated one at a time.

The following chart shows an independent testing lab’s ASTM 255 results comparing a highly regarded competitor to JADCO QT-PLUS ^®.

As you can see, QT-PLUS ^® has the same hardness 2” up from the contact end. While the much advertised competitor’s top model LOST ONE THIRD of the hardness in one-half inch. At 1.5” from the end, the hardness was no different than mild steel.

Are You Getting The Wear Protection That You Paid For?
Absolutely Not.

Don’t Waste Your Maintenance Budget On Low Cost Wear Plate. Install QT-PLUS To Finally Take Control Of Your Wear Challenges.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS ^® delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Being able to create wear resistant steel having the same hardness through the entire thickness of the steel, demands you accurately control the alloying chemistry with precise heat treating. Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS ^®?

The quick answer is No; although the attention to alloy content required at the steel mill is available to anyone. Yet most wear plate distributors choose to reduce the proper quantities and percentages of these essential alloying elements, to get a lower selling price.

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

For the last 45 years JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life for our customers.

Allow us to help you today by emailing us at info@jadcomfg.com or calling (724) 452-5252.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

The post Our Entire Business Was Created To Eliminate Your Bad News appeared first on JADCO MFG., INC..

Protect Your Stabilizer Drill

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:00:26 +0000

Many people have become familiar with drilling into the earth, from watching the History Channel television series, The Curse of Oak Island.

The most common purpose for drilling, is not to find buried treasure, but to obtain water. Drilling wells hundreds of feet deep exposes the drill to high stress abrasion as it turns its way into the aquifer.

The 10’ long x 10” diameter shaft supporting the well drilling head, is called the stabilizer. Its job is to keep the hole as straight as possible. The stabilizer end is larger in diameter than the 25’ long drill rods that follow it. This allows the drill mud to carry the removed material up and out of the hole. The stabilizer requires protection from the constant friction as it spins while boring into the earth.

To protect the stabilizer from extreme wear, most companies apply hardfacing, which requires substantial labor with minimal surface protection. They tried to use AR400 pads, but as they are not the same hardness throughout, the heat treated pads would wear away rapidly.

Tricone bits are used to bore into the earth, fitted with solid Tungsten carbide bumps on the end. This bit was invented to drill through all types of earth. It will take on anything from soft limestone to hard volcanic rock.

To protect the stabilizer from non-stop abrasion, the customer now welds JADCO CHROMEWELD 600 Chrome Carbide Overlay (CCO) plates, sized appropriately in various locations to protect against abrasion wear.

The Stabilizer Wear Pads Install Faster And Last Longer

As the leading manufacturer of Chrome Carbide Overlay (CCO) plate in the USA, you can depend on the results you get from JADCO. Our entire CHROMEWELD family of CCO products are made at our headquarters in Harmony, PA, located 30 minutes North of Pittsburgh.

JADCO has created our own clad machines to make certain we deliver the longest lasting materials to our customers,. This gives us control over every aspect of making our industry leading CHROMEWELD overlay plate.

Never consider the CHROMEWELD family of products as a “One Size Fits All” wear plate. Our customers look to us for continuous wear resistant improvement. They rely upon JADCO to create new products to address their specific wear challenges. This improves your wear plate performance results further; it’s like having your own Research and Development for state-of-the-art wear resistant products. Each one has already been proven in real world applications, before you ever install them in your equipment.

For the last 45 years JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life for our customers.

Allow us to help you today by emailing us at info@jadcomfg.com or calling (724) 452-5252.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

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JADCO HEADS TO MONTANA MINING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING 2026

Maddie Mawhinney — Wed, 06 May 2026 15:34:59 +0000

July 13 to 15, 2026

Copper King Hotel and Convention Center

Butte, Montana

For JADCO, the Montana Mining Association Annual Meeting is an opportunity to meet mining professionals where equipment performance, uptime, and responsible operations all come together.

This year’s event will take place July 13 to 15, 2026, at the Copper King Hotel and Convention Center in Butte, Montana, a city with deep roots in America’s mining history. The meeting is centered on the theme “Defining Responsible Mining in Montana” and will bring together mining professionals, regulators, suppliers, and stakeholders for three days of networking, exhibits, presentations, and industry insight.

For JADCO, Montana is the right place to talk about the real challenges mining operations face every day. Mining is demanding on people, equipment, and production schedules. Whether handling ore, moving material, processing aggregate, or maintaining high-wear equipment, operations need solutions that help reduce downtime and extend service life.

That is where JADCO’s wear steel products make a difference.

At the Montana Mining Association Annual Meeting, the JADCO team will be available to discuss proven solutions for extreme abrasion, severe impact, and hard-to-protect equipment areas. From the CHROMEWELD family of chromium carbide overlay plate to QT-PLUS ^® wear-resistant steel, FUSION welding wires, FLEXWEAR tungsten carbide cladding, and HARDGUARD Wear Steel Blocks, JADCO provides practical wear solutions built for tough mining environments.

The trade show portion of the annual meeting is designed to connect exhibitors directly with mine operators and industry professionals, with dedicated networking time built into the conference schedule. That makes it an ideal opportunity for JADCO to meet with current customers, build new relationships, and help mining companies identify better ways to protect critical equipment.

Responsible mining depends on more than production. It also depends on safety, reliability, maintenance planning, and making smart decisions about equipment life. JADCO’s mission is to help operations improve performance by solving wear problems before they become expensive downtime problems.

“Montana has a long and important mining history, and this annual meeting is a great place to connect with the companies and professionals shaping the industry’s future. At JADCO, we understand that every hour of downtime matters, and we look forward to helping operations find practical wear solutions that protect equipment and improve performance.”

-Scott Rife, Vice PresidentJADCO Manufacturing

If you are attending the Montana Mining Association Annual Meeting 2026, make plans to connect with JADCO in Butte. Bring your toughest wear challenges, and let’s talk about how the right wear steel solution can improve your operation.

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Improve Your Wear Plate ROI

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 06 May 2026 10:00:14 +0000

Investors watch their Return On Investment to determine if they made or lost money. While it is easy to track short term gains or losses, having your investment continue producing over time, is how and when you truly multiply your earnings.

“The critical message with wear plate, is don’t confuse the initial sales price, with your cost per month or cost per ton performance.”

The Difference Between Spending vs. Investing

Spending always delivers short term results.

Investing means you expect a substantial return on your money over a longer period of time.

How are you going to invest your available labor and material budget to make the biggest improvement in your life?

REMEMBER:

Receive Extraordinary Results Using JADCO QT-PLUS ® Wear Resistant Steel

People initially buy lower priced steel, thinking cheaper is better. “Because all wear plate is the same, right?”

Nothing Could Be Further From The Truth

In real life you have to live with the results your investments deliver, good or bad. JADCO wear products deliver both longer life and greater value.

Wear resistant steel is sold by the pound. As a result, many purchasing people focus only on the price from one vendor to another. This method assumes all wear plate performs the same. Which is simply not the case, since there are No Industry Standards for wear resistant steels.

Crusher Wear Plate Failure Causes Expensive Downtime.

One of our customers recently bought a crusher. The salesman promised it would crush the local problematic field stone, with no problems. And promised the wear plates would last several seasons.

The Reality Was Quite Different…

Evidently the field stones were not informed they are supposed to be easy to crush, and put up a remarkable fight. The wear plates didn’t last a full season, causing them to miss their production targets. This meant they had to buy material to cover their production, instead of making their own stone. The price difference meant they fell short on revenue and profits, meaning less capital for new equipment.

When the dealer’s replacement parts arrived, the product labels indicated the new wear plates were Chinese aftermarket AR500. They knew the outlook for next year looks like more under-performing wear resistant steel, destined to let them down again in less than one season.

When they saw they received Chinese steel, they contacted their local representative, they asked JADCO to quote QT-PLUS^® replacement parts. “With QT-PLUS^® we know the side plates will last multiple seasons.”

Attention to detail is a hallmark of JADCO products. You can be certain when your parts arrive, they are ready to install without having to spend time you can’t afford to make them fit.

Correct Fit And Longer Life, Is The Logical Choice For Your Equipment.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Being able to create wear resistant steel having the same hardness through the entire thickness of the steel, demands you accurately control the alloying chemistry with precise heat treating.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS?

The quick answer is No; although the attention to alloy content required at the steel mill is available to anyone. Yet most wear plate distributors choose to reduce the proper quantities and percentages of these essential alloying elements, to get a lower selling price.

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

For the last 45 years JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life for our customers.

We are able to deliver better results to our customers, because we think differently. How? By strictly focusing on improving your current results.

Allow us to help you today by emailing us at info@jadcomfg.com or calling (724) 452-5252.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

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Wear Plate Formed To Your Needs

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:24 +0000

One of the most common questions we get is…
“Can you form QT-PLUS ^® wear liners to fit my equipment?”

The Answer…ABSOLUTELY! *

Note the asterisk after ABSOLUTELY!
While you can cold form or shape QT-PLUS ^® with the right equipment, you must first make certain your equipment is up to the task.

QT-PLUS ^® was designed to resist wear. If you are comfortable forming mild steel to shape with your press brake, you need to understand QT-PLUS ^® requires FOUR TIMES THE FORCE in order to bend to shape.

For Example:

If Your Press Can Form 1.5” Thick Mild Steel, It Will Only Be Able To Form 3/8” QT-PLUS.

Don’t worry if your press doesn’t have enough tonnage, JADCO has you covered.

JADCO has TWO quantity 1,000 ton press brakes with 10’ tooling, allowing us to make certain your project is created to exacting specifications.

Having trained operators using laser alignment tools, you can rely on JADCO to deliver replacement parts that fit the first time, every time.

QT-PLUS ^® was designed for superior formability, when compared to any other high abrasion resistant plate in its class. The material’s toughness enables it to be rolled or formed for almost any application up through 2” thick.

Minimum forming guidelines are 8 times the thickness across the grain and 12 times the thickness with the grain is recommended. For plate over 2” thick, the minimum is 12 times the thickness transverse (across) to the grain is recommended.

Working with JADCO, your products receive the same level of attention to detail and workmanship on every order.

When a fabricator texts to tell you how well his formed bucket liner fit compared to a competitor’s liner, you know you are making the customer’s life easier.

This is the text we received from a customer who had previously used a leading wear plate vendor. While most people are quick to point out when things are not delivered as ordered, This clarifies how unique it is to receive materials that fit.

Another common question we hear is, “Can you machine JADCO QT-PLUS ?”

Again, the answer is yes, when you use the proper equipment.

CLICK HERE for complete fabrication and machining information.

For Turning & Milling QT-PLUS…

For maximum life from their rotary air-lock feeders, they rely on JADCO QT-PLUS wear plates formed to the proper radius. The machine shop then takes a slight cut to assure their 0.003” clearance to the rotor.

Other companies can’t achieve the same hardness all the way through. Their plates are softer in the center of the steel thickness than at the face. This would expose the softer material, and begin to fail rapidly.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Being able to create wear resistant steel having the same hardness through the entire thickness of the steel, demands you accurately control the alloying chemistry with precise heat treating.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS?

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

For the last 45 years JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life for our customers.

We are able to deliver better results to our customers, because we think differently. How? By strictly focusing on improving your current results.

Allow us to help you today by emailing us at info@jadcomfg.com or calling (724) 452-5252.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

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JADCO TO ATTEND THE 27TH WORLD MINING CONGRESS IN LIMA, PERU

Maddie Mawhinney — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:00:23 +0000

June 24 to 26, 2026

Lima Convention Center, BOOTH #1, US PAVILLION

Lima, Peru

Some trade shows matter because of the audience they attract. Others matter because of the industry moment they represent. For JADCO Manufacturing, the 27th World Mining Congress in Lima, Peru, is both.

This year, the global mining community will gather at the Lima Convention Center for World Mining Congress 2026, an international event focused on the future of mining under the theme, “Mining for the Future: Trust, Transformation & Technology.” The Congress brings together leaders from mining companies, governments, investors, research institutions, and technology providers to address one of the industry’s most important challenges: how to deliver the minerals the world urgently needs faster, smarter, and more responsibly.

That makes this event especially meaningful for JADCO. Mining operations face some of the most demanding wear environments in the world. From crushing and conveying to loading, hauling, processing, and material transfer, every stage of production places severe pressure on equipment. Abrasion, impact, and constant material movement do not just wear down steel. They affect uptime, maintenance schedules, production efficiency, and long-term operating costs.

JADCO’s place in that conversation is easy to understand. The company has built its reputation around helping heavy industries solve real wear problems with application-focused solutions. In mining, that means helping operations protect critical equipment, reduce unplanned downtime, and get more life from the components that keep production moving.

With products such as QT-PLUS severe impact and abrasion resistant plate, the CHROMEWELD family of chromium carbide overlay plate, FUSION welding wire, FLEXWEAR tungsten carbide cladding, and HARDGUARD wear steel blocks, JADCO offers a wide range of solutions for mining applications where standard materials often fall short. Each product is designed to help customers match the right wear protection to the conditions their equipment faces every day.

The location also adds significance. Peru is one of the world’s most important mining regions, and Lima provides a fitting setting for a global conversation about minerals, technology, sustainability, and production performance. As mining companies look for ways to improve efficiency while meeting rising demand for critical resources, wear protection plays a practical and important role in helping operations do more with the equipment they already have.

For JADCO, attending the 27th World Mining Congress is an opportunity to meet with mining professionals from around the world, listen to the challenges they are facing, and share how the right wear solution can improve reliability, maintenance planning, and long-term value.

“World Mining Congress brings together the people who are shaping the future of mining, and JADCO is proud to be part of that conversation. Mining operations are under constant pressure to improve uptime, extend equipment life, and control maintenance costs. Our goal is to help customers solve those wear challenges with practical, proven solutions that perform in the real world.”

-Sam Anderson, CEO JADCO Manufacturing

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For Longer Equipment Life, Start with a Steel Checkup

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:41 +0000

Many people try to avoid a devastating heart attack by eating right, getting exercise, getting proper sleep and taking proper medications. Doing these things will normally help people live longer.

Doesn’t Your Equipment Deserve The Same Attention?
Keep Your Equipment Healthy With JADCO Check Ups.

Just like your body, if you don’t take care of your equipment; you can’t expect it to last a long time.

Steel “lifetime” differs…like genetics, it depends on what’s in the steel, the alloys, and how well you take care of “the body.”

Have you noticed immediately after an equipment breakdown…Why is the first action often finger pointing?
It seems the critical task at that moment is to find out what happened, rather than trying to find who to blame.

Effective “Root Cause Analysis” for production equipment issues, needs to involve both operations and maintenance crews.

What is the root cause of the of problem?

Was it an equipment problem? Is it a process problem? Did it turn into a safety issue?
Operations & maintenance need to support each other, rather than trying to assign blame.

Alloys In Steel Are Like Medication, Both Deliver Longer Life!

Just like various medications work together to keep your body healthy, alloys in steel make the wear plate last longer.

Here Are The Benefits When These Alloys Are Added To Steel.

Click on the element names below to see their definition and understand why they are important.

Many additional terms can be found on our website in the resource section under JADCOPEDIA.

Nickel (Ni)

NIckel is one of the most widely used alloying elements in steel. In amounts from 0.50% to 5.00% in alloy steels, Nickel increases the toughness and tensile strength while maintaining ductility. Nickel also increases the hardenability.

Chromium (Cr)

Chromium increases the steel’s hardenability, corrosion resistance, and provides wear and abrasion resistance in the presence of carbon.

Boron (B)

Boron is used as an alloying element in unalloyed and low alloyed steels for hardness enhancement. Boron is effective even at very small concentrations, of just 0.0010%. Boron has the same hardenability enhancement as the more expensive elements, which need larger quantities to be added to deliver the same hardness result.

Molybdenum (Mo)

Molybdenum is used as an alloying element in steel to increase hardenability and in low alloy steels reduces temper brittleness. Added to stainless steel, Molybdenum increases corrosion resistance.

Vanadium (V)

Steel containing vanadium have a much finer grain structure. Vanadium increases hardenability and also lessens softening on tempering. Vanadium combined with other alloying elements, is used in nitriding, heat resisting, tool and spring steels.

Titanium (Ti)

Small amounts of Titanium added to steel contribute to a finer grain size. Titanium carbide is also used with tungsten carbide in producing hard metal tools. In austenitic stainless steels, Titanium acts as a carbide stabilizer.

In QT-PLUS ^®, The Correct Ratio Of These Alloying Elements Delivers The Longest Life Of Any Heat Treaded Wear Resistant Steel Available.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS ^® delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS ^®?

The quick answer is No; although the attention to alloy content required at the steel mill is available to anyone. Yet most wear plate distributors choose to reduce the proper quantities and percentages of these essential alloying elements, to get a lower selling price.

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

For the last 45+ years, JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life for our customers.
We are able to deliver better results to our customers, because we think differently.

How? By strictly focusing on improving your current results.

Allow us to help you today by emailing us at info@jadcomfg.com or calling (724) 452-5252.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

The post For Longer Equipment Life, Start with a Steel Checkup appeared first on JADCO MFG., INC..

Creating Your Wear Plate Action Plan

JADCO • Rich F. — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:00:30 +0000

A large paper mill maintenance manager was recently thrust into leading the woodyard maintenance department. He was out of his element and nearly overwhelmed with responsibilities where he had no prior experience.

He had been trained as an electrician who worked his way up to Electrical & Instrumentation supervisor. The company often moved supervisory people into different departments every couple of years. We had met in passing on some earlier projects, and knew each by sight. But now he was struggling in an area with little prior experience.

It is not your fault when the company assigns you in charge of mechanical maintenance, in a different production area with no prior training. Worse, they had changed computer systems twice in the past six years. This left little documentation or background on what previously failed, what worked or if it performed great.

Here you see a chain deck with 4 layers of ¾” thick AR400, where they added one plate over another rather than remove and replace them with the correct wear plate for longer life. Throwing patch after patch created new wear challenges not see previously.

This is particularly true when dealing with wear resistant steel.

There are NO INDUSTRY STANDARDS to use as a guideline; meaning without previous experience or records, you are literally flying blind.

Using company data and strategic planning…Here is what to do:

After a few months to get acclimated into his new position, the department team leaders held regular small group discussions and talked about their challenges and potential ideas.

The only way to get on top of it all was to have their meetings initially focused on what the production people identified as Chronic Issues with their equipment on a daily or weekly basis.

It is essential to clarify which wear resistant steel items, required the greatest investment of parts and labor in their manufacturing equipment.

Digging into past department purchases they logged each piece of equipment into a spreadsheet. Certainly it was time consuming, but necessary.

Then they could sort the spreadsheet by the maintenance investment with each wear plate application. Note what was replaced and the dollar amount involved for materials and labor.

This identified which wear resistant steel applications could potentially trigger a production breakdown.

These Are Your Top Priority Items:

Armed with this information, they had a more in depth meeting with production, to determine what could be addressed using their limited maintenance budget and labor resources.

TARGET YOUR FOCUS

The Outermost “A” Ring is where you are today, struggling to just keep things running.

The Middle “B” Ring are the parts of your business you have improved, but still require fine tuning. Here you will continue employing incremental advancements heading to a best practice scenario. Each move closer to the center of the bullseye delivers improved reliability, fewer breakdowns and increased production.

The Inner “C” Ring Or Bullseye of the circle represents your goals. This is where the important parts of your business are running smoothly.

Equipment operating here has preventative maintenance shut downs for upgrades and repairs, scheduled at your convenience. Working in this area is your greatest efficiency.

This exercise only works if you answer these questions honestly:

1. List three irritating or frustrating situations, and/or tasks in your business or equipment.

2. List three situations and/or tasks currently acceptable, in your business or equipment.

3. List three intriguing and motivating situations, people, and/or tasks in your business or equipment.

Out of 100% of your time, what percentage are you CURRENTLY spending in the “A”, “B”, and “C” activities?

In 90 days, what percentage of your time do you WANT to spend in “A”, “B”, and “C” activities?

For example, you might be spending 15% of your time on “A” activities right now. In 90 days you want to be spending 0% of your time there.

And you might be spending 40% of your time now on “C” activities, and in 90 days you want to be spending 70% of your time there.

Every 90 days, You Want To Have Eliminate Your A’s, And Systematize And Automate The B’s.

By doing this, you will have A LOT more time to focus on “C” items to fascinate and motivate situations, people and tasks.

Having listed your current “A”, “B” and “C” activities above, here’s what to do next:

1. Select the three actions you’re going to attack over the next 90 days, to eliminate each of the three most irritating situations, and/or tasks on your list.

2. List the three actions you’re going to take over the next 90 days to systematize and automate three current “okay” activities you listed.

3. List the three actions you’re going to take over the next 90 days to expand the three fascinating and motivating, situations, and/or tasks you listed.

Finally, answer this question: What’s ONE “Game Changer Action ” You’re Going To Focus On Implementing In The Next 90 Days?

A game changer should change the outcome of the game for your business.

Of course, you can have more than one game changer…but over the next 90 days, which is the ONE ITEM you’re going to focus on? Using these steps over the last 45+ years to partner with our customers, JADCO has focused exclusively on delivering consistent, longer equipment life.

Producing wear resistant steel with consistent hardness through the full thickness of the plate requires precise chemistry control and careful heat treatment.

After more than 45 years of focusing on longer, more predictable wear life, JADCO understands what it takes to help customers reduce downtime and improve operating efficiency.

We will schedule a meeting with one of our local wear plate specialists at a time that best fits your schedule.

Remember, the only thing you have to lose by not working with JADCO is profit.

The post Creating Your Wear Plate Action Plan appeared first on JADCO MFG., INC..

JADCO MFG., INC.

Why Cheap Excavator Bucket Repairs Cost More

In JADCO’s 45+ years of helping our customers get longer life from their wear resistant steel, we have seen nearly every attempt at repairs imaginable.

It is amazing how many people attempt to save money by using the lowest priced steel possible.

What Some People Save In Materials, They Often Waste With Increased Labor.

What the buyer didn’t realize is they work in Frack Sand, which is very abrasive. When you subject low cost AR400 with hard angular particles, you see rapid wear. With none of the protection for your equipment.

Wider Bucket Bottom Gives Edge Protection.

Remember, Joining Weld Are Not Wear Resistant. If The Weld Seams Aren’t Protected, They Can Wear Away Rapidly.

Cover your joining welds with hardfacing, to protect against abrasive wear.

But NEVER Use Carbide Forming Hardfacing On Heat Treated High Strength, Low-Alloy Steel.

You can identify carbide hardfacing by the checks, or visible cracks across the weld beads. On HSLA steel, these cracks will continue down into the wear plate, leading to premature failure.

What Joining Weld Products Should You Use For The Best Results On Heat Treated Steel?

FUSION UNIVERSAL is a hardfacing weld wire that has good impact, cavitation and corrosion resistance. Also available in stick form as Universal E, this alloy has excellent impact resistance and moderate abrasion resistance.

Depending on the amount of impact, the weld deposit work hardens to different degrees. The weld deposit shows exceptionally high ductility and elongation. This weld wire also has exceptional crack resistance.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS ® delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Being able to create wear resistant steel having the same hardness through the entire thickness of the steel, demands you accurately control the alloying chemistry with precise heat treating.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS ® ?

The quick answer is No; although the attention to alloy content required at the steel mill is available to anyone. Yet most wear plate distributors choose to reduce the proper quantities and percentages of these essential alloying elements, to get a lower selling price.

When manufacturers cut back on critical alloys, wear life drops.When that happens…It is always the customer who suffers…not the manufacturer!

Dispelling Chrome Carbide Myths

Sam Anderson, President of JADCO Manufacturing, dispels several common myths about Chrome Carbide Overlay (CCO) wear plate.

There are no ASTM or general manufacturing standards used in making clad plate.

MYTH #1

Most People Don’t…

MYTH #2

Our Entire Business Was Created To Eliminate Your Bad News

Our original Founder, James A. Davison started JADCO Mfg. Inc. in 1980, to solve your wear problems and make your day better. Every day since, we deliver value to you in everything product we manufacture.

Here Is Your Proof – The ASTM 255 Jominy Test

The following chart shows an independent testing lab’s ASTM 255 results comparing a highly regarded competitor to JADCO QT-PLUS ®.

Are You Getting The Wear Protection That You Paid For?Absolutely Not.

Don’t Waste Your Maintenance Budget On Low Cost Wear Plate. Install QT-PLUS To Finally Take Control Of Your Wear Challenges.

The quick answer is No; although the attention to alloy content required at the steel mill is available to anyone. Yet most wear plate distributors choose to reduce the proper quantities and percentages of these essential alloying elements, to get a lower selling price.

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

Protect Your Stabilizer Drill

Many people have become familiar with drilling into the earth, from watching the History Channel television series, The Curse of Oak Island.

The most common purpose for drilling, is not to find buried treasure, but to obtain water. Drilling wells hundreds of feet deep exposes the drill to high stress abrasion as it turns its way into the aquifer.

The Stabilizer Wear Pads Install Faster And Last Longer

JADCO HEADS TO MONTANA MINING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING 2026

July 13 to 15, 2026

Copper King Hotel and Convention Center

Butte, Montana

That is where JADCO’s wear steel products make a difference.

Improve Your Wear Plate ROI

Investors watch their Return On Investment to determine if they made or lost money. While it is easy to track short term gains or losses, having your investment continue producing over time, is how and when you truly multiply your earnings.

“The critical message with wear plate, is don’t confuse the initial sales price, with your cost per month or cost per ton performance.”

The Difference Between Spending vs. Investing

REMEMBER:

Nothing Could Be Further From The Truth

Crusher Wear Plate Failure Causes Expensive Downtime.

The Reality Was Quite Different…

When they saw they received Chinese steel, they contacted their local representative, they asked JADCO to quote QT-PLUS® replacement parts. “With QT-PLUS® we know the side plates will last multiple seasons.”

Attention to detail is a hallmark of JADCO products. You can be certain when your parts arrive, they are ready to install without having to spend time you can’t afford to make them fit.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS?

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

Wear Plate Formed To Your Needs

One of the most common questions we get is… “Can you form QT-PLUS ® wear liners to fit my equipment?”

The Answer…ABSOLUTELY! *

For Example:

Another common question we hear is, “Can you machine JADCO QT-PLUS ?”

Again, the answer is yes, when you use the proper equipment.

For Turning & Milling QT-PLUS…

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS?

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

JADCO TO ATTEND THE 27TH WORLD MINING CONGRESS IN LIMA, PERU

June 24 to 26, 2026

Lima Convention Center, BOOTH #1, US PAVILLION

Lima, Peru

For Longer Equipment Life, Start with a Steel Checkup

Many people try to avoid a devastating heart attack by eating right, getting exercise, getting proper sleep and taking proper medications. Doing these things will normally help people live longer.

Doesn’t Your Equipment Deserve The Same Attention?Keep Your Equipment Healthy With JADCO Check Ups.

Just like your body, if you don’t take care of your equipment; you can’t expect it to last a long time.

Steel “lifetime” differs…like genetics, it depends on what’s in the steel, the alloys, and how well you take care of “the body.”

What is the root cause of the of problem?

Alloys In Steel Are Like Medication, Both Deliver Longer Life!

Here Are The Benefits When These Alloys Are Added To Steel.

In QT-PLUS ®, The Correct Ratio Of These Alloying Elements Delivers The Longest Life Of Any Heat Treaded Wear Resistant Steel Available.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS ® delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS ®?

When you cut back on these critical alloys, wear life drops, and it is always the customer who suffers.

How? By strictly focusing on improving your current results.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS ^® delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS ^® ?

When manufacturers cut back on critical alloys, wear life drops.
When that happens…It is always the customer who suffers…
not the manufacturer!

The following chart shows an independent testing lab’s ASTM 255 results comparing a highly regarded competitor to JADCO QT-PLUS ^®.

Are You Getting The Wear Protection That You Paid For?
Absolutely Not.

When they saw they received Chinese steel, they contacted their local representative, they asked JADCO to quote QT-PLUS^® replacement parts. “With QT-PLUS^® we know the side plates will last multiple seasons.”

One of the most common questions we get is…
“Can you form QT-PLUS ^® wear liners to fit my equipment?”

Doesn’t Your Equipment Deserve The Same Attention?
Keep Your Equipment Healthy With JADCO Check Ups.

In QT-PLUS ^®, The Correct Ratio Of These Alloying Elements Delivers The Longest Life Of Any Heat Treaded Wear Resistant Steel Available.

JADCO’s QT-PLUS ^® delivers greater performance IN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEAR APPLICATIONS than the various AR400 steel plates you have used previously.

Doesn’t Every Steel Company Make Their Wear Plate Last As Long As JADCO QT-PLUS ^®?