Polyurethane Gib Blocks vs. Babbitt Gib Blocks

Location: 84” Hot Mill Roll Shop
Originally reported:
April 3, 2009

At the 84″ Hot Mill Roll Shop, the Area Manager and his team were experiencing a short life span of three to four weeks from their Gib Blocks that had standard Babbitt material on their Herkules Roll Grinder. The Gib Blocks in question measured 5.118” diameter by 2.717” in overall height and 6.69” diameter and 3.11” in over all height. Two of each is required at time on this machine. Kastalon looking to always come up with a way to ease our clients pain, suggested replacing the standard Babbitt material used throughout the industry for this application, with our specially formulated polyurethane material. The roll shop has now been using Kastalon’s polyurethane Gib Blocks for over a year now with great success. The polyurethane Gib Blocks are lasting four to five times (12 to 16 week life span) longer than the Babbitt material Gib Blocks. Putting a cost savings number to this is as follows.

Due to this mill’s purchasing standards, the area manager was unable to tell us what they were paying for the Gib Blocks to be reconditioned with the Babbitt material, but they did gave us permission to quote him on saying “Kastalon’s material costs substantially less”

The price of the Gib Block reconditioned from Kastalon is as follows:
5.118″ diameter by 2.717” overall height $190.00 ea
6.69″ diameter by 3.11 overall height $225.00 ea
The machine uses two of each at a time for a total of $830.00

$830.00 x 15 times per year with Babbitt material equals $12,450.00
$830.00 x 4 times per year with Kastalon’s Polyurethane equals $3320.00
Savings per year to the mill: $9130.00

Using Kastalon Prices, with the substantial longer life cycle of the Kastalon Gib Blocks, we can show a savings to the mill of $9130.00 per year for one roll grinder. We have now moved passed the testing period and we are outfitting the rest of the grinders with the Kastalon Gib Blocks at the 84″ Roll shop.
In addition, weigh inventory costs, transportation costs, labor costs.

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