Outrigger pads are used for cranes, lifts, fire truck equipment, drill equipment, and more to distribute weight over the ground and improve stability. Common outrigger pad materials include composite, wood, and aluminum. For most applications, composite pads outperform traditional wood and aluminum outrigger pads in terms of longevity, corrosion resistance, and durability. Here, we’ll compare the features of composite pads, wood pads, and aluminum pads to help you choose the right solution for your project.
Composite Pads
Manufacturers produce composite outrigger pads from materials like thermosets and fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP). These materials are typically more versatile and corrosion-resistant than other types of outrigger pads. Key benefits of composite pads include:
- Durability: Composite pads last much longer than metal and wood, especially in environments with temperature extremes, chemical exposure, moisture, and wear. Composite outrigger pads do not conduct electricity and are resistant to weakening, warping, or cracking throughout their long service life.
- Corrosion resistance: Composite materials work well in marine and industrial environments because the synthetic material won’t rust or corrode. These pads also prevent metal-on-metal contact and the resulting corrosion and wear.
- Recyclability: Many manufacturers produce composite pads from recycled materials. The pads can also be recycled once again at the end of the product lifecycle.
- Lightweight: Composite materials generally weigh less than metal or wood. A composite outrigger pad can be a quarter of the weight of an aluminum pad and one-seventh the weight of a steel pad.
- Versatility: Manufacturers can create composite pads in virtually any size and shape.
Wood Pads
Made from natural resources, wooden outrigger pads are a popular choice in niche applications. However, they have several drawbacks that make them unsuitable for use with heavy-duty industrial equipment:
- Susceptible to damage: Compared to composite and aluminum, wood doesn’t last as long because it is susceptible to damage from the elements, rot, cracking, decay, and pest infestation. Users will need to replace wood pads more often.
- High maintenance: Because they are more prone to damage, wood pads must be maintained with regular staining, sealing, and cleaning to prolong their service life.
- Environmental impact: Unless manufacturers specifically use sustainable sources of wood, demand for wood pads may contribute to deforestation.
Aluminum Pads
Aluminum pads are also popular for certain applications, but they weigh more than composite and wood pads. Other disadvantages include:
- Conducts heat and cold: Aluminum pads can conduct heat or cold between surfaces, which may be undesirable in certain commercial and industrial settings.
- Can corrode: While aluminum resists many types of damage, it’s not fully corrosion-resistant in some environments.
- Noisy: When struck or otherwise contacted by other objects, aluminum pads can produce more noise than wood or composite pads.
Composite Pads From WS Hampshire
Wood, aluminum, and composite pads are the most common options for many applications, but composite pads outshine wood and aluminum pads in most areas. For over 100 years, WS Hampshire has been a leading manufacturer of custom non-metallic materials for use in critical industrial applications. We produce high-quality composite outrigger pads in standard and custom shapes for use in virtually any work environment.
Our robust Ryertex thermosets and Timco thermoplastics are designed for long-lasting performance in a broad range of tough industrial applications, including steel and aluminum mills, cranes, aerial work platforms, industrial saws, and other equipment. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of our composite outrigger pads or to start your order.
In industries like construction, forestry, mining, oil and gas, and others that use cranes, bulldozers, excavators, lifts, dump trucks, and other heavy equipment, wear and tear on components is inevitable. Depending on operating conditions and the work being performed, maintenance, repair, and replacement of worn components can cause excessive downtime, labor, and expense.
WS Hampshire specializes in fabricating custom, thermoplastic and composite parts and components that are durable and tailored to the needs of each application. We work with a range of high-performance materials that outperform traditional materials in heavy equipment, even in harsh conditions.
Learn more about the benefits of developing custom components for heavy equipment and read how our team engineered a solution for a customer that dramatically reduced maintenance work and expenses.
The Power of Customization
Heavy equipment is complex and must withstand hundreds or thousands of hours of repetitive motion at a job site or facility. Moving heavy loads, hoisting equipment or material, operating in excessive hot, cold, or wet conditions, with little down time take a toll on external and internal components.
Time and money spent replacing components means downtime that impacts other departments or customers and eats into profitability. Fortunately it is often possible to engineer replacement components from composite materials that are more durable, easier to maintain, and more convenient to use such as:
- Nose Cone Bearing
- Body Pivot Bushings
- Wire rope Sheaves and Pulleys
- Wear Plates and Slide Pads
- Guide Pads for Extension Cylinders
- Rollers and Wheels
- Hose Clamps and Guides
- Dust Seals
- Scraper Blades
- Outrigger Float Pads
Key Benefits of Custom Components
Custom components are designed specifically for the machine and application in question. Material properties, dimensions, and any special features like colors or finishes, can be included to optimize performance and wear over time. There are several benefits to this custom approach:
1. A Solution Tailored to the Application
Custom parts and equipment are developed to be fully functional for a specific application, so there is no trade off between performance and one-size-fits-all design. Parameters that can be customized include:
- Material composition
- Performance and durability
- Shape
- Dimensions
- Tolerances
2. Competitive Advantage
By upgrading heavy equipment with custom components that enhance efficiency and performance, less production time is lost to maintenance, repair, or developing workarounds for an application. More time on-task is a competitive advantage and boosts profitability.
3. Enhanced Performance
Custom components can be designed to achieve specific goals such as:
- Enhanced performance
- More time between repairs
- Longer useful life
- Process efficiency
- Improved finished product quality or higher yields
4. Cost Efficiency
While custom engineering and manufacturing may be more costly than standardized, ‘off the shelf’ parts, there are often long-term savings to be gained. These include:
- Less frequent replacement of durable composite materials
- Decrease downtime and boost productivity
- Minimize maintenance costs
- Reduce the need for modifications to other components
5. Integration and Compatibility
Custom-engineered components are made to fit equipment precisely and seamlessly integrate with other parts of a system. This reduces the risk of damage or downtime from ill-fitting or incompatible standard parts.
6. Flexibility and Innovation
Custom engineering fosters innovative state-of-the-art components that set new standards for the equipment, application, and industry. Each component is an opportunity to refine operations and benefit from new ideas.
Real-World Success
This real-world example highlights how changing material used for a critical component in a steel mill saved both time and money.
Replacing Metal with Nylon Makes Major Impact
A specialty steel mill sought ways to reduce downtime and expenses due to a slipper pad on their rolling mill. The aluminum bronze pad was heavy and cumbersome, and required the use of a crane each time it was replaced. With pads wearing out frequently, the mill determined a new solution was needed.
Our team evaluated the requirements for cost and performance as well as factors like weight, operating conditions, and expected lifespan of the pad. A self-lubricating, impact-modified cast nylon material that matched the property profile for the pad was selected. Once fabricated, the new pad was 80% lighter than the original and could be replaced safely without the need for a crane.
We monitored the new pad for signs of wear for over a year to validate the solution. Not only did this nylon component meet the basic performance goals for the project, the new pad lasted longer and even eliminated wear on the mating spindle – an unexpected additional benefit. Pleased with the outcome, the mill chose to standardize all of their parts with WS Hampshire.
Invest in Your Equipment with WS Hampshire
WS Hampshire brings decades of experience with non-metallic and composite materials to custom manufacturing. Our capabilities include CNC machining, punching, stamping, rotary die, vacuum forming, and assembly. We are dedicated to meeting or exceeding our customers’ expectations and requirements for each project.
Contact us to learn more about getting the most from your heavy equipment with custom components from WS Hampshire.
