At the Vesconite Bearings factory The South African manufacturer of specialist bushing polymers, Vesconite Bearings, continues to supply articulation bushings to an articulated dump truck manufacturer in the UK. The UK branch of an original equipment dump truck manufacturer first tested the company’s Vesconite Hilube material in its articulation bushes in 2014, and established that they performed well in harsh operating conditions including in large-scale construction projects, quarries and mine sites. The 355.95mm-outside-diameter polymer bearings were more expensive than the nylon ones that they replaced, but they were found to be more cost-effective and durable in the long-run, explains Vesconite Bearings bushings consultant Marius van Zyl. The dump-truck manufacturer has since ordered 72 bushes for use in its 38t dump truck, which has a heaped capacity of 23.3m3 and an engine power of 331kW. The bushings are used in some of the toughest job sites that dump trucks can be employed and are made of a low-friction material with self-lubricating properties. “The long service life of the bushes and the reduction in maintenance is ensured even at higher operating cycles and continuous operation,” says Van Zyl. Vesconite Bearings continues to supply various original equipment manufacturers, equipment repairers and plant hire equipment suppliers that undertake their own repairs. The company has produced bushings for various graders, trucks, front-end loaders, back hoe loaders and trailers. Its bushings are in use globally and are supplied through an international distribution network that includes warehouses in South Africa, the US, the UK, the Netherlands and New Zealand and stocking distributors in Argentina, Australia and Singapore. Contact: Marius van Zyl +27 57 212 0000