United States Department of Transportation
i
Standard Specifications for Plow Blades With Carbide Inserts
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2020-04-01
[PDF-3.07 MB]
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Edition:Final Report; [Feb. 2018 – Apr. 2020]
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Abstract:Many agencies use snowplow blades with carbide inserts to remove snow and ice from their roadways. While carbide inserts are effective at extending the service life of plow blades, there is variability in carbide quality and in the specifications used by each agency in their procurement. This project developed a set of standard specifications to improve this procurement process. Project tasks included a literature review and surveys of both winter maintenance agencies and snowplow blade manufacturers. Follow-up interviews and a site visit to a plant that manufactures these blades provided additional insight into the challenges and opportunities in creating a standard specification. The standard specifications developed cover the chemical composition and the metallurgical, mechanical and physical properties of the carbide inserts. In addition to these technical elements, the specifications include a general set of testing and inspection procedures that can be used to accept or reject a lot of carbide inserts. Separate specifications were developed for inserts with a trapezoid shape and bullnose shape. By putting these standard specifications into practice, winter road maintenance agencies can realize better performance in their plow blades and possible cost reductions as manufacturers can streamline their manufacturing and inventory processes to more efficiently prepare blades to a single set of specifications.
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