When mandrel components begin to wear, it rarely happens in isolation. Misalignment, surface scoring, and coil inconsistencies often follow. That’s why bronze wear plates are so important. If correctly fitted they act as the first defense, absorbing mechanical impact and shielding critical interfaces from early failure.
Mandrels play a central role in steel strip rolling, ensuring tight coil formation, dimensional control, and uninterrupted line performance. Due to high mechanical loads and thermal cycling, mandrel components are vulnerable to wear, especially at the contact surfaces. When protective interfaces break down, problems like uneven tensioning, coil slippage, and misalignment can follow quickly.
AMPCO® aluminum bronze wear plates are engineered to counter these exact issues. With high resistance to abrasion, strong impact tolerance, and excellent thermal stability, they serve as consumable but still durable components that absorb stress before it reaches the core of the mandrel assembly. In both hot and cold strip operations, this protection directly extends service life, stabilizes coil handling, and reduces unplanned maintenance.
In mandrel assemblies, wear plates serve a simple but critical purpose: they protect key surfaces from damage caused by repeated mechanical contact, side loading, and strip tensioning. These plates act as the interface between moving parts and the mandrel frame, absorbing impact and distributing pressure during coil winding and release.
Over time, standard wear plates made from carbon steel or low-grade bronze alloys are prone to:
If these exposures are left unchecked, they not only reduce the effectiveness of the wear plate itself, but also cause fluctuations throughout the entire coil handling process. This leads to premature wear in neighboring parts, more frequent maintenance, and increased risk of unplanned shutdowns.
Coiler mandrel wear plate made from AMPCO® 18 with lubrication grooves
Not all wear plate materials are engineered for the operating conditions of steel mill mandrels. Bronze and particularly aluminum-bronze provides a performance profile that is needed for both hot and cold strip operations. Its inherent resistance to abrasive wear, combined with low friction and excellent load distribution, makes it uniquely suited to protect mandrel surfaces without compromising alignment or responsiveness.
Compared to harder materials that can crack under shock or softer metals that deform quickly, high-performance bronze plates maintain contact stability while absorbing impact. This prevents localized stress concentrations, which are often the root cause of mandrel misalignment and surface damage. The result is longer-lasting protection, fewer dimensional inconsistencies, and reduced mechanical fatigue across the system.
AMPCO® 18 coiler mandrel wear plate
AMPCO METAL offers a range of aluminum-bronze alloys that are engineered specifically for high-load, high-friction applications like mandrel wear plates. Alloys such as AMPCO® 18, AMPCO® 21, and AMPCO® M4 combine excellent mechanical strength with consistent dimensional stability, which are essential for preserving mandrel alignment during continuous rolling cycles.
Key performance benefits include:
Each alloy is produced with a refined grain structure, ensuring uniform hardness and wear properties throughout the entire wear plate. This results in fewer plate replacements, less maintenance downtime, and better long-term protection of critical mandrel components.
Animation of AMPCO® aluminum bronze wear plates specially designed for use in steel mill mandrels. You can watch the full video here!
Mandrels are only as reliable as the components that protect them. In strip rolling mills, bronze wear plates from AMPCO METAL offer a proven way to reduce wear-related failures, preserve alignment, and extend service intervals.
With high-impact resistance, excellent dimensional stability, and consistent performance under thermal and mechanical stress, AMPCO® aluminum-bronze alloys provide a durable, application-specific solution for protecting critical mandrel interfaces, where even small deviations can lead to costly disruptions.
Download our technical paper for further comprehensive details on enhancing steel mill performance with advanced alloys.