Customer case

Hardox® In My Body earthmoving attachments lose weight, gain better image

July 02, 2021 6 min read

Hardox® In My Body earthmoving attachments

Case details

Product Hardox® 450
Country Taiwan, Province of China
Company Antech Attachments Co. Ltd
Industry Raw material handling
Brand Program Hardox® In My Body

Instead of battling bent cutting edges and cracks in their buckets due to a lower-strength steel, Antech Attachments stepped up its game and started making its excavator buckets in Hardox® 450.

A manufacturer of earthmoving attachments for the global construction and mining equipment markets, Antech Attachments Co. Ltd. has got to make sure its products can stand up to the toughest working conditions. The company, a leading Taiwanese manufacturer of high-quality excavator teeth, buckets and earthmoving attachments, relies on the high performance of Hardox® high-strength steel to gain a competitive edge.

A big gray excavator bucket with the Hardox® In My Body logo.

Excavator buckets like this one from Antech Attachments made in Hardox® 450 get up to 50% longer service life. 

Case details

Product Hardox® 450
Country Taiwan, Province of China
Company Antech Attachments Co. Ltd
Industry Raw material handling
Brand Program Hardox® In My Body

Lower-strength steel dragged down bucket performance and profitability

“Before we used Hardox® 450 in our excavator buckets, we were constantly battling with bent cutting edges and bucket floors due to the lower tensile strength of the steel we used,” says Henry Liao, Antech Attachments’ company director. “Cracks around the wear lining were common due to its poor weldability and low impact toughness.”

As a result, the company was forced to build its buckets with heavier gauge steel in order to maintain bucket life, which made the buckets heavier and more costly to produce.

Weight of earthmoving attachments slashed, service life extended

By using Hardox® 450 in its products, the company was able to cut bucket weight by as much as 30 percent, while maintaining the same or better wear life. 

What else does Hardox® steel do for Antech?
 “Hardox® steel’s superior wear performance, good weldability and formability allow us to produce high-performing earthmoving attachments and keeps us ahead of our competition,” Henry Liao says.

As the company gained success by using Hardox® 450 in its products, many of its competitors also adopted similar types of wear-resistant steel from various sources. “Though they all claim to be quenched and tempered wear steel, we believe the quality does vary,” Henry Liao confirms.

A yellow earthmoving attachment made in Hardox wear plate digging in the dirt

Digging for higher productivity: Earthmoving attachments can weigh 20-25% less yet remain strong and durable.

Spreading the quality message to customers with Hardox® In My Body

After two years of using Hardox® 450 in its applications, Antech Attachments joined
SSAB’s Hardox® In My Body program.

Here’s why:

“We believe that joining the Hardox® in My Body program will improve our product image by spreading a clear message to our clients that we are using high-quality, wear-resistant steel to ensure long product life and performance,”

Henry Liao says.

Customer benefits

Overall bucket weight reduced by 20–25%

Buckets’ useful life extended 50%

Improved durability

Premium quality offering boosted brand image in eyes of customers

Level up with Hardox® In My Body

The Hardox® In My Body sign on equipment means that it is made in Hardox® wear steel and certified to the highest quality

Hardox® In My Body – the sign of quality

A sign of quality and trust for the best products in the market

A digger loading into a truck body made in strong and tough Hardox® 450 steel

Hardox® 450

The most popular abrasion-resistant steel with also perform as a structural steel.

The Hardox® Wear Calc tool, which calculates the right wear plate to use in heavy equipment and attachments

Hardox® WearCalc 

WearCalc makes tough decisions about choosing the right wear plate easy