New Wear Strip for Sludge Collector Tracks

N/A> has developed a new, non-metallic floor rail system to compliment its J-Track non-metallic return track system. C-Rail, named for the shape of the wear strip, can be used in new and existing rectangular sludge collector installations. It utilizes the same wear strip as the J-Track system, which is said to be the widest and thickest standard wearing surface of its type available and is made of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE).

The system utilizes high strength, molded polypropylene anchor "plates" which can be attached to existing steel rail, channel or angle iron support systems. In new construction, they can be anchored directly to the concrete surface of the tank floor. There are three of these anchor plates required for each 10-foot section of wear strip. The UHMW-PE wear bars slide over the anchor plates and into place. A polypropylene stop plate is inserted through a slot in the side of the wear bar and snaps into the anchor plate, holding the wear bar securely in place, but allowing it to expand and contract without buckling. As with the J-Track, there are no bolts or "weld washers" penetrating the face of the wear strip to reduce the effective wearing thickness of the strip. A full one half inch of wearing depth remains.

C-Rail is very similar to the return track system, and is well-suited for installation on rough concrete surfaces and uneven expansion joints because of the way the strip floats on the anchor plates. The C shape is rigid enough to keep from warping and buckling as more traditional designs have been known to do. Since there are no fasteners or weld washers to contend with, the wear strips are simple to replace when they are worn. Even strips located mid-span can be removed with ease.

Following the introduction of the J-Track and the C-Rail, FMC plans to announce the development of a new, high strength flight named H-Flight which can span 10 meters.