Zambian Copper Mine Saves Thousands Annually with Cost-Effective Bucket Teeth

Background: A large open-pit copper mine in Zambia operates multiple Hitachi EX series excavators in highly abrasive quartz-containing ore.

Challenge: The client needed a replacement tooth that matched the wear resistance of European OEM parts but at a more competitive price to combat rising operational costs.

Solution: We customized teeth for the Hitachi EX Series, using a high-chromium iron formulation and slightly increasing the wear layer thickness on the tip without compromising penetration.

Result: The wear life matched the OEM parts, but the price was 25%-30% lower. This saved the mine over $50,000 annually on tooth procurement, with delivery times cut by 3 weeks compared to imported originals.