E-Plas has provided high-quality industrial and engineering performance plastics to some of Australia’s most demanding sectors for more than 40 years. It currently has branches in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and capability to service the Northern Territory, ACT and Tasmania.
The company’s popularity among various operators has fuelled the growth of its interstate network with branches in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia. E-Plas’ innovations have remained fundamental to its offering within all of them.
Among these markets is the transport industry. Many operators in this sector face unique challenges with specific freight handling. Common issues, particularly for tipper combinations carrying sticky or abrasive materials, include wear on trailer beds and sides and product hang-up. Luckily for transporters facing these problems, E-Plas provides robust solutions in the form of its QuickSilver truck linings.
QuickSilver has been integral to E-Plas’ product offering for more than 20 years. This proven track record has ensured the liner is a convenient and long-term investment for operators according to E-Plas National Operations Manager, Rupin Joshi.
“QuickSilver has enabled our customers to keep their trailers on the road for longer and get a great return on investment,” he says. “It can be installed in a day based on the feedback we’ve received from operators.”
E-Plas’ QuickSilver Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylenes (UHMW-PE) truck lining is widely regarded as a state-of-the-art industrial strength liner for tipper applications. Its core objective is to keep tippers durable, safe and productive while on the road.
Typically used in end tippers, side tippers and quick-release applications across transport, the product was also designed with versatility in mind and has the potential to be used in off-road trucks as well. QuickSilver truck linings can be used across a variety of functions including bulk handling, minerals, agriculture and grain with protection against a multitude of materials such as mineral ore, concentrate, gravel, coal, top-soil, cement and more.
A core benefit of the QuickSilver truck lining is it solves the frequent issue of hang-up in tippers. This is due to its impressive flow rate which prevents bulk material from sticking to the surface of a tipper tray and allows materials to flow much easier at a lower tipping angle, thereby increasing safety for operators.
As a result of its durability, QuickSilver also increases the lifetime of a given combination by preventing corrosion. Its application also contributes to operational efficiency, due to the plastic liner weighing less than steel and aluminium while protecting the integrity of the original equipment. This bolstered protection eliminates unnecessary maintenance, downtime and expenses for fleets.
“QuickSilver saves time and maintenance by removing the need for trailer beds to be cleaned or repaired,” Rupin says. “Once tippers drop off one batch of freight, they can be ready for the next one straight away. Having a totally empty trailer when returning after each trip is also a huge economic benefit for operators. Since tippers are always left empty, drivers can load them with more cubic metres and get more money per trip.”
QuickSilver is also met with QuickSilver Heavy Duty. This innovation, also developed by Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials (MCAM), was designed for more demanding operations.
“The classic silver grey QuickSilver truck lining was already a premium product,” Rupin says. “However, we wanted to better address the specific needs of a niche group of operators. We needed to come up with something that would give customers experiencing extreme wear issues and frequent high impact loads by providing better extended life.”
While QuickSilver Heavy Duty solves the issue of product hang-up much like its sister, it also caters to a much wider scope of abrasive materials. These include sand, gravel, rock, recycled glass and construction rubble which require eight or more trips per day.
“This product targets a heavy-duty and abrasive market where aluminium trucks or steel bodies cannot handle the wear,” Rupin explains. “This includes combinations that are doing more trips than usual for increased weight properties.”
These capabilities are complemented by the liner’s particular green colour which allows operators to easily discern if a tipper is empty or if there is still product in the trailer.
“Also, QuickSilver Heavy Duty’s distinct high-visibility properties make it a real stand-out product,” Rupin says. “It’s incredibly tough, and it tips and cleans like a dream. It’s an effortless solution.”
To compare the effectiveness of each QuickSilver product, E-Plas and MCAM conducted a case study which applied both liners to the fleet of a customer that was transporting a very abrasive material. The results found that Heavy Duty lasted approximately 30 per cent longer than the standard QuickSilver, thus corroborating the claims behind its durability.
In another study, E-Plas and MCAM compared QuickSilver Heavy Duty and a wear resistant steel liner with a customer that was looking to reduce weight and achieve a similar product lifespan. Heavy Duty lasted twice as long as the wear resistant steel liner material did.
E-Plas is actively testing the long-term benefits of QuickSilver Heavy Duty and the development of the standard QuickSilver truck lining range in collaboration with MCAM.
“E-Plas has been a loyal partner of MCAM for many years now,” Rupin says. “We’ve always worked with MCAM when it comes to UHMW-PE linings such as Quicksilver, and other products such as the TIVAR 88.
“It’s the absolute quality of material, shared knowledge and solid support network that has benefitted E-Plas over decades of partnership. For us, UHMW-PE linings do not exist without MCAM at E-Plas.
Fast fact
QuickSilver Heavy Duty is also now available for added life with high intensity, high impact repeat tipping.
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