Knowledge To Track Shoes for Undercarriage Spare Parts of Construction Machinery Parts

I. Materials and Manufacturing Processes

High-strength, wear-resistant steel

Mainstream applications utilise a premium alloy steel (e.g. 25MnB), which is enhanced through a heat treatment process involving quenching and tempering, as well as shot peening, in order to achieve a surface hardness of HRC 40–50. This process increases impact resistance by over 30% and extends service life by 50%.

Specialised 'triangular plates' for wet regions use integral casting and have a wear layer thickness of 15–20 mm to withstand swampy conditions.

Differentiated manufacturing processes:

Modular track shoes (mainstream): Rolled steel plate blanking → drilling → heat treatment → painting. 

Their lightweight design, small pitch and excellent manoeuvrability make them suitable for high-speed operation.

Monolithic track shoes: Cast as a single piece, they are cheaper but wear out faster and are gradually being phased out.

They are compatible with various bulldozers, including the D4D, D50, D6D, D6R, D65 and D85ESS-2, as well as excavators such as the EX100, EX120, EX200-1, EX300-1 and EX400-5. Major manufacturers include YASSIAN, XCMG, Sany, Shantui, Zoomlion, Komatsu, Hitachi, Kobelco and Caterpillar.

II. Structural design features:

Single-rib (single traction tooth): significantly higher tooth profile; deep ground penetration and increased traction by 30%; mines and dry hard soil.

Triple-rib (triple traction teeth): short ribs with multiple teeth; low steering resistance and increased load-bearing strength; special conditions requiring horizontal thrust.

Flat-bottom type: toothless/rubber-coated. Protects pavements, reduces vibration and noise. Urban hardened surfaces.

Triangular (wet floors): V-shaped cross-section; compacts soil to prevent sinking and is self-cleaning; swamps and clay soils.

Self-cleaning

V-shaped open design

Automatically sheds debris and prevents clay clogging Wet, muddy terrain

Can wear strips bar be welded onto track plates? What precautions should be taken?

I. Feasibility criteria for welding repair

Applicable damage types:

Mild wear: Direct surfacing welding may be used for levelling when groove depth is ≤2–3 mm.

Moderate wear: When the groove depth is greater than 3 mm, steel bars must be embedded for filling before welding. Alternatively, replacement with contour-matched track plate teeth is required.

Non-critical area damage: Welding repairs are permitted on non-load-bearing sections (e.g. non-pin holes and flanges).

Prohibited scenarios:

Critical load-bearing zones: Welding repairs are strictly prohibited on pin holes, connecting flanges and the surrounding area.

Excessive Defects: Groove depth exceeding 40% of the wall thickness for general castings or 20% for high-manganese steel track plates, or a defect area of more than 65 cm², requires special approval.

Dynamic load zones: Solid plate welding repairs are prohibited in areas subject to frequent vibration.

II. Core considerations for welding repairs

(1) Material compatibility:

Base material identification:

Confirm the material of the track plate (e.g. SCMn5 cast steel or high-manganese steel) and select welding rods/repair bars with a composition that is similar to or slightly superior to that of the base material.

Example: SCMn5 track plates can use J606 electrodes for the root pass.

High-manganese steel track plates require Mn-Cr series welding materials.

Repair Strip Selection:

Metal repair strips should be made from rolled steel plates (e.g. U71Mn rails) or custom-shaped tooth bodies. Rubber track plates require wear-resistant rubber repair strips.

Anti-Damage Design:

The overlapping track shoes structure prevents rock jamming, while the mud-clearing holes positioned between the bolt holes utilise the rotation of the drive wheel to dislodge silt.

1. Ground conditions: Select wide plates (30 inches) for soft soil and narrow plates (14–16 inches) for hard ground.

2. Traction requirements: Single-ribbed tracks are preferred for pushing operations and flat-bottom tracks for grading tasks.

3. Maintenance costs: Multi-ribbed tracks offer superior mud-clearing efficiency, reducing downtime.