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Paddy Handling Plants:

In January 2022, an SOS came to us from a rice husk handling plant. There were small holes throughout the chute. Initially, dust started leaking through the pores, but eventually the rice husk itself started slipping out. The plant was only two and a half years old. When we did a root cause analysis, we realized that the rice husk with its high silica content had abraded right through the 3mm mild steel of the chute and was escaping into the open.

In material handling, the difference between a smooth-running plant and one constantly down for maintenance often comes down to one thing—material choice. At Rollcon Technofab, we’ve spent over a decade engineering solution for rice mills, biomass plants, and coal handling systems across India. And when it comes to paddy chutes and spouts, we've tested them all—from stainless steel to abrasion-resistant steels to liners. Here’s a no-nonsense breakdown of the top contenders, and the material that comes out on top.

Stainless Steel (SS304/SS316) – Clean, but Costly

  • 1. Great corrosion resistance? Yes.
  • 2. Good weldability & formability? Absolutely.
  • 3. But the friction coefficient is high (~0.4), and it doesn’t handle abrasion well.
  • 4. For chutes and spouts, that means higher wear and slower material flow.
  • 5. And it’s expensive—3x to 4x the cost of mild steel.

    • So, unless your plant is in a highly corrosive coastal zone, SS is overengineered and overpriced for paddy applications.

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AR400 – Strong, But Not Smart

  • 1. AR400 is a high-hardness steel built for brutal abrasion.
  • 2. Limited formability and weldability that needs preheating—it’s not very fabrication-friendly.
  • 3. Its surface is also not smooth, meaning poor flow characteristics—a serious issue when handling paddy.
  • 4. Cost sits at 1.3x to 1.5x of mild steel.

In short, it’s too much metal for too little benefit in this application.

Mild Steel with UHMWPE Liner – The Dark Horse That Wins

  • 1. A mild steel base gives us flexibility in fabrication—easy to cut, weld, and shape.
  • 2. On top of that, we fix a UHMWPE liner (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene)—a material with extremely low friction (~0.1) and high abrasion resistance.
  • 3. Paddy flows smoothly. No choking, no buildup.
  • 4. The liner takes the wear, not the chute. This adds serious life to the component.

Cost: Around 1.3x to 1.7x of plain MS—a smart long-term investment. This is our go-to solution at Rollcon—and the one we recommend to clients who want performance without overspending.

Rollcon's Verdict: Go with Mild Steel + UHMWPE

We’ve built and supplied systems across industries. We’ve seen what lasts, what performs, and what ends up costing more over time.
Mild Steel with a UHMWPE liner hits the sweet spot

  • Abrasion resistance? Check.
  • Smooth material flow? Check.
  • Easy fabrication? Check.
  • Smart cost-efficiency? Big check.

This is we suggested to the rice husk handling plant with the damaged chute. We believe in building systems that work today, and keep working tomorrow—with less downtime, less maintenance, and more output. That’s why at Rollcon, this isn't just a recommendation—it’s our standard.

From the MD’s Desk

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that intelligent engineering isn’t about using the strongest material—it’s about using the right one. At Rollcon, our job isn’t just to supply components. It's to ensure your plant runs efficiently, day in and day out. And if you're serious about optimizing your paddy handling systems—don’t chase steel grades. Chase solutions.