Good Roads’ lighter, tougher Hardox® 500 Tuf "super blades" conquer icy conditions
5 min read
Case details
Product
Hardox® 500 TufCountry
United States
Company
The Godwin Group: Good Roads
Industry
Raw material handling
Good Roads efficiently builds tougher, longer-lasting snow plow blades that weigh less and last 3-times longer using Hardox® 500 Tuf.
North-Carolina-based Good Roads snow plow manufacturer relies on Hardox® 500 Tuf wear plate to give multiple state departments of transportation (DOTs) a superior edge to conquer harsh, icy conditions.
Good Roads, the oldest known snow plow manufacturer in the United States, is credited with building the first motorized version in 1913. Trusted by several state DOTs, the company needed stronger, more consistent material to meet rising durability epectations. Now, as part of The Godwin Group, Good Roads upgraded its blade performance turning to Hardox® 500 Tuf wear plate.
“You're literally dragging a steel edge across concrete and asphalt. You can't get more wear than that,” says Patrick Godwin, The Godwin Group’s Marketing Director.
In the past, the traditional abrasion-resistant (AR) steel used by the company cracked during forming and wore out more quickly when clearing icy highways. Their customers demanded a better blade, asking for a more durable cutting edge without adding extra weight to the truck-mounted snow plow. That’s why Good Roads chose Hardox® 500 Tuf to build snow removal blades that checked all the boxes. The company’s new design is abrasion- and impact-resistant, light weight and lasts 3-times longer than its previous snow plow design.
Watch the full video - design a superior snow plow
The Godwin Group’s Good Roads company manufactures lighter and more rigid snow plows with Hardox® 500 Tuf.
Watch the full story in the video
Listen to why the oldest snow plow manufacturer in the U.S. upgraded its proven design to use Hardox® 500 Tuf for a lighter weight plow that stands up to the harshest icy conditions.
American-made snow plows for harsh conditions
Tough jobs don’t wait—and neither can production. The Godwin Group’s manufacturing teams were tired of steel that buckled under stress and wasted time in their workshops. Upgrading many of their companies’ equipment designs to use Hardox® 500 Tuf provided better results across their product lines. For Good Roads, the change means weight-optimized snow plows that provide 3-times longer service life and performance efficiencies for end users, as well as, consistent processing along the production line.
Switching to Hardox® 500 Tuf meant working with a stronger material, but didn’t require special processes or machining to integrate into workshop processes. The performance gains were so significant, the new long-lasting snow plow blades earned the fitting nickname of “super blades”.
Show me next-generation Hardox® 500 Tuf
Manufacturers designing equipment with Hardox® 500 Tuf save weight and provide heavy-duty performance for harsh conditions.
Not all high-strength steels are created equal
Comparing wear steels only based on hardness is not enough. Hardox® wear plate is different than average AR grade steel. It starts already in the quenching and tempering process at the steel mill, giving Hardox® wear steel its guaranteed through-thickness hardness.
Additionally, Hardox® wear plate comes with guarantees for thickness, flatness, and bending performance. These properties ensure predictable processing in the workshop. Every plate behaves just like the one before it.
For Good Roads, the advantage is consistent, dependable and predictable performance, throughout the production process, that also extends the service life of their super blades on the road.
“Hardox 500 Tuf showed up at the perfect time,” explains Chris Ward, The Godwin Group’s General Manager. It’s significantly better—and easier to work with than expected.”
Unlike other high Brinell abrasion-resistant steels that can fracture under pressure, Hardox® 500 Tuf proves to be easy to cut, bend, and weld. Its exceptional consistency meant fabricators did not encounter unplanned surprises on the shop floor—just clean, predictable results and uninterrupted production time.
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Hardox® 500 Tuf guarantees consistent workshop properties when cutting, bending and welding for consistent processing day after day.
Super blades with hard-hitting results
When Good Roads set out to build a better snow plow blade, they needed steel that could take on the extreme punishment dished out by the demands on the job and without production line changes or interruptions. That’s where Hardox® 500 Tuf delivered hard-hitting results.
“Our end users love it,” Ward says.“The blades just last forever.”
Get the FAQs about wear steelHow Hardox® 500 Tuf made the difference:
- Up to 3X the wear life of traditional snow plow blades
- Consistent processing performance during cutting, bending and forming
- Lighter weight for faster, safer handling and increased fuel efficiency
- Fewer maintenance intervals thanks to consistent steel quality and longer life
- DOT-trusted performance in demanding, real-world snow and ice removal applications
Ready to step up your steel?
Join companies like Good Roads and step up from average abrasion-resistant (AR) steel to Hardox® wear plate - the world’s only wear-resistant steel hard and tough enough for extreme applications.
I’m ready to step up my steel
Ready for winter, Good Roads meets States Departments of Transportations’ demands for rigid, light and safe snow plows.
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