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News from Partmaster

They work so good ‘cos they're made so good
(with apologies to Farmer Brown)

Ask any farmer what he wants from soil engaging parts, such as plough mouldboards and cultivator sweeps, and he will say, "Longer life and a cheaper price".  A difficult concept, normally one gets what one pays for so it is impossible to receive better quality for less cost.  In an effort to provide better quality for no greater cost, Agriwear, the Company that manufactures exclusively for Partmaster has introduced a new material for the production of these parts.  Partmaster plough mouldboards and shins, and sweeps for cultivators are now manufactured from MCr24 spring steel.  Because of the volumes manufactured by Agriwear for Partmaster, this material can be purchased in sheet form at a very competitive price.  It is then "Laser cut" into the required shape.  Laser cutting lends itself to more consistent accuracy than the profile cutting methods formally employed.  This means that all the holes are in the correct places, ensuring an easy fit when new parts are required to replace worn ones.  Another major advantage for this material is that it can be water quenched after being formed in the furnaces.  This is much kinder to the environment than the oil bath quenching previously employed.  It also means that there are considerable cost savings because the process of cleaning before tempering doesn't entail the use of detergent chemicals.  The finished product is also much easier to paint.

At Agriwear, a strict testing procedure is employed In order to ensure that the quality is maintained throughout the manufacturing process.  This includes hardness testing to ensure that, in the field, the components have a long working life and, at the same time, are able to withstand impact when encountering rocks or other obstructions.

The net result is that Partmaster is able to supply a superior product at a competitive price.

	The hardness testing equipment comprises of a hydraulic press, which makes an indent relative to a fixed pressure and a measuring device to check the size of the indent.
	Colin Scott, manager of Agriwear, checks the hardness of a plough shin.
	The components are hardened in a moving belt furnace.
	Boltholes are punched whilst the material is red hot.
	The ends of the cultivator point are shaped in another press.
	Components, in this case half sweeps, are laser cut to ensure accuracy.
	Laser cut mouldboards after hardening, shaping, punching and tempering.
	Agriwear is able to order raw materials in large quantities ensuring competitive prices for the finished articles. This plough share profile bar is part of a consignment of 300 tons.