Surface engineering of basecutter blades to reduce wear

One of the ways to improve the efficiency of harvesting is to reduce basecutter blade wear. Reducing wear also keeps the cutting edges of basecutter blades sharp, resulting in less stalk damage in the field. Worn blades were studied using microhardness, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, in order to determine their dominant wear mechanisms. Tungsten carbibe-cobalt (WC-Co) coatings were applied by thermal spraying and hard-facing techniques, on AISI 1065 steel substrates, using facilities of commercial vendors. The design of the coatings, i.e., thickness and positioning of welds, was also varied. The wear rates were determined using weight loss and dimensional loss methods. The results from the microscopic observations are also discussed with a view to recommending further research into this area.