Reducing Maintenance with Magnetic Urethane Liners: How a Modular Design Improved Wear Protection and ROI

01. The Challenge

A ready-mix concrete operation was experiencing excessive wear in the weigh hopper funnels used to measure sand and aggregate before loading delivery trucks. The lower-funnel section required annual replacement with an AR plate, a labor-intensive process that required two welders to work in a confined space for three days.

The operation needed a wear solution that would extend equipment life while reducing maintenance time, labor, and downtime.

02. The Solution

Buffalo's TechSquad® recommended a custom-engineered system of Magnetic Urethane Liners designed as modular sections for easy replacement. Complete installation drawings were provided to ensure a precise fit, allowing individual liner sections to be replaced as needed in approximately 2 hours rather than replacing the entire funnel.

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03. The Result

The Magnetic Urethane Liner system significantly reduced maintenance requirements while delivering exceptional wear life. More than two and a half years after installation, the original liners remain in service with minimal wear, leading the customer to expand the solution to additional locations.

As a result, the customer experienced:

• Reduced maintenance time from a three-day replacement to approximately two hours for modular liner replacement
• Extended wear life with the original liners still performing after more than 2½ years
• Improved return on investment through reduced labor and maintenance costs
• Expanded the solution to multiple locations based on proven performance
• Plans to install the system at additional portable plants due to its long-term success