A Study of the Wear on a Loaded Bucket Lined with Rubber-Woven Mats when Loaded with Bulk Materials

Abstract

The paper addresses a highly important engineering and scientific problem of increasing the operational lifetime and mitigating the structural vibration levels of heavy front-end wheel loader buckets operating under intensive interaction with fragmented rock mass of low abrasiveness, such as limestone with a fraction size of 80–120 mm. Conventional wear protection techniques based on continuous lining with high-strength cavities or martensitic steels (such as HARDOX 400) show supreme performance under tangential micro-cutting and sliding abrasion conditions on the cutting edge and bottom plate, but are dynamically sub-optimal for bucket zones dominated by normal impact loads and material recirculation. Rigid metallic liners generate severe peak contact forces, transferring harmful cyclic vibrations to the lifting boom and prime mover structure, thereby decreasing overall equipment reliability and operator comfort. This study proposes and validates a differentiated protection concept by implementing a 20 mm thick elastomer liner made of short carbon-fiber-reinforced rubber-fabric composite on the rear, upper, and side walls of a 4.5 m³ Komatsu WA500-8 bucket, where its structural edges are protected by transition steel wedges. The operational behavior and surface degradation mechanisms were evaluated via comprehensive numerical Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations encompassing a complete kinematic cycle (digging, lifting, carrying, dumping) realized in Ansys Rocky 2025 R2 software. The bucket kinematics were precisely incorporated using Functional Mock-up Unit (FMU) co-simulation coupling derived from the Ansys Motion environment. Based on computed contact energy spectra and particle velocity fields, the excellent damping capacity of the elastomeric composite was quantitatively verified: its low Young's modulus prolongs the impact pulse duration and drastically amplifies energy dissipation compared to bare steel sections. Statistical time-series analysis of particle kinematics revealed that the average velocity skewness stays within a narrow margin (-0.4 to 0.12), proving the establishment of a steady-state dense sliding regime devoid of catastrophic high-velocity impact anomalies. The simulation successfully pinpointed a vulnerable zone prone to severe tangential abrasion in the lower third of the rear wall, and practical design recommendations, including local ceramic reinforcement layouts or bucket geometry optimization, were formulated to ensure uniform lifespan of the entire equipment.