Heavy Equipment

Engineered plastics are an excellent alternative to traditional metal components in construction, agricultural, and mining equipment. The unique physical characteristics of a wide variety of materials provide a performance advantage in the rugged requirements of heavy equipment.

Heavy Equipment Pain Points

Wear Life

Lubrication Reduction

Corrosion & Abrasion Resistance

Weight Reduction

Wear Life

The low coefficient of friction and inherent wear resistance of engineered plastics have proven to increase part life in demanding applications. These materials are also non-abrasive to mating surfaces, improving the wear life of the metallic components as well.

Lubrication Reduction

The sliding characteristics of engineered plastics and the enhanced surface lubricity offered by internal fillers can reduce or in some cases eliminate the need for additional lubrication.

Corrosion & Abrasion Resistance

Engineered plastics do not rust, they exhibit good UV resistance, and they are unaffected by a wide variety of chemicals. Abrasion resistance is also very good, enabling the materials to be used in extremely dirty environments.

Weight Reduction

Engineered plastics have an excellent strength to weight ratio, providing fuel economies, decreased compaction, and lower structural stress.

Secondary Industries

Agricultural Equipment

Plastic parts have long been preferred over metal parts in the agriculture industry, where weight reduction and lubricity are the primary concern. Lighter weight plastic parts increase equipment’s fuel efficiency and ease of operation, and self-lubricating material eliminate the need to add grease and grime to the field. Plastics are also corrosion and shatter resistant, making them ideal for outdoor applications. Cope Plastics fabricates many different parts for tractors, harvesting equipment, implements, silage, and other types of agriculture equipment. Popular parts include wear pads, thrust washers, slider beds, bushings, windshields, and much more.

Featured Parts:Wear Pads, Bed Liners, Kick Plates, Drag Flights, Hose Clamps, Skid Plates, Stump Plates, Chain Tensioners, Sprockets, Slider Beds, Hopper Liners, Conveyor Boards, Skylights, Windshields, Windows, Bushings, Bearings, Rollers, Guides, Gears, Impact Plates, Thrust Washers

Spacers Plastic part used for Agricultural Equipment

Reprocessed UHMW Hose Clamp Plastic part used for tractors

Sleeve Bushing Plastic part used for agricultural equipment

Wear Pad Plastic Part used for agricultural equipment

Mining Equipment

There aren’t many environments tougher than mining operations. Replacing metal parts with engineering plastics helps mitigate many of the common challenges mining professionals experience when it comes to safety and equipment operation. Plastics are self-lubricating, impact- and corrosion-resistant, and many materials exhibit a low coefficient of friction while performing exceptionally well under high pressure and at high rates of speed. When used in safety applications, plastics can even save miners’ lives through proximity alarming equipment (read our armor housings case study) and by preventing arching and rat-holing. At Cope, we partner with OEMs and tier 1 manufacturers of surface mining equipment, crushing equipment, screening equipment, conveyors, and more.

Featured Parts: Wear Pads, Bed Liners, Railcar Liners, Kick Plates, Drag Flights, Hose Clamps, Skid Plates, Chain Tensioners, Sprockets, Pulleys, Slider Beds, Hopper Liners, Conveyor Boards, Skylights, Windshields, Windows, Bushings, Bearings, Rollers, Guides, Gears, Impact Plates, Thrust Washers, Armor Housings

Nylon Roller Plastic part used for mining equipment

Lubricant Filled Nylon Bushing Plastic part used for mining equipment

Nylon Shoulder Bushing Plastic part used for mining equipment

Construction & Utility Equipment

The corrosion resistance, high strength, light weight, and dimensional stability of engineering plastic materials such as HDPE, nylon, PET, and UHMW (among others) make them ideal for use in construction and utility equipment. Engineering plastics wear parts preserve the life of expensive machined mating parts, and perhaps even more importantly, they can prevent your equipment from exerting harmful effects on the environment. Because plastics are self-lubricating, they eliminate the need for oil-based lubricants that can leak and contaminate groundwater. According to the EPA, groundwater is the primary source for more than 80% of community drinking water in the United States…and just one gallon of refined oil lubricant can contaminate 100,000 gallons of groundwater. Cope Plastics provides high-quality fabricated parts for cranes, lifts, frontloaders, bulldozers, concrete pumpers, dump trucks, and many, many more types of critical construction and utility equipment.

Featured Parts: Wear Pads, Duct Bank Spacer, Sheaves, Bed Liners, Snow Plow Scrapers, Kick Plates, Salt Spreader Blades, Hose Clamps, Fifth Wheel Seats, Skip Plates, Chain Tensioners, Sprockets, Pulleys, Suspension Liner Strips, Slider Beds, Hopper Liners, Conveyor Boards, Cab Skylights, Cab Windows, ATV Windshields, Bushings, Bearings, Rollers, Guides, Gears, Impact Plates, Outrigger Pads, Thrust Washers

Custom Duct Bank Spacer Plastic application used in underground installation for conduit support, bore spacer, and duct spacer.

Bearing Grade Nylon Boom Pad Plastic part used for Cranes

Nylon Sheave Plastic part used for Forklifts

Oil Filled Nylon Boom Pad Plastic part used for Cranes

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