Quick Pipe Repairs: How to Use instaGRIP Wear Liners

Quick Pipe Repairs: How to Use instaGRIP Wear Liners

Pipes, chutes, and material handling lines in industrial settings wear out fast. Abrasive materials — grain, slurry, aggregate, sand — eat through steel from the inside. When a pipe or chute wears through, the traditional fix is replacement: expensive, slow, and disruptive. instaGRIP wear liners offer a smarter approach: line the inside of your pipes and chutes before they fail, or repair worn sections without replacing the whole component.

What is instaGRIP?

instaGRIP is a self-adhesive wear liner available in ceramic tile, ceramic hex, and AR 400 steel formats. It installs without welding or bolting — peel, stick, and it's done with no damage done to your equipment. The ceramic variants offer exceptional hardness, while the AR 400 steel options provide tough, impact-resistant protection.

Common Applications

  • Grain elevators
  • Slurry and tailings pipelines
  • Aggregate and sand handling chutes
  • Drainage lines in mining and oil & gas facilities
  • Conveyor transfer points and impact zones

What You'll Need

Step-by-Step: Installing instaGRIP Wear Liners

Step 1: Identify the Wear Zone

Inspect the pipe or chute to identify where wear is occurring. In straight pipe runs, wear typically concentrates on the bottom and sides. In elbows and bends, wear is heaviest where the elbow or bend turns.  

Step 2: Prepare the Surface

Clean the surface with a wire brush or angle grinder to remove rust, scale, and loose material. Wipe down with acetone and allow to dry. The surface must be clean and dry for the adhesive to bond properly.

Step 3: Plan Your Layout

Measure the wear zone and plan your tile layout before peeling any backing. For ceramic tile and hex formats, stagger the joints like brickwork to avoid continuous seam lines that can become wear points. Use the cuttable ceramic or AR 400 steel options to curve inside pipes easily. Or cut with a utility knife to quickly create the sizes you need with no special equipment necessary.  

Step 4: Peel and Apply

Remove the backing from the tile and press firmly into place, especially along the edges. 

Step 5: Grout Edges

For best results, use the Ceramic Armor to grout along edges. Ceramic armor is easily applied and cures with 5 minutes of UV light. It will protect the from any material working its way under the tile - more information here

Choosing the Right instaGRIP Format

  • Ceramic Tile: Best for high-abrasion, sliding wear — grain, sand, aggregate
  • Ceramic Hex: Ideal for curved surfaces and irregular shapes; the hex format conforms easily
  • AR Steel: Great in high-impact applications; also available in cuttable format for custom shapes
  • Cuttable Ceramic Tile: For applications requiring custom sizing without specialized cutting tools

Not sure which product is right for your application? Try our instaGRIP Sample Pack to test different formats before committing to a full installation.

Protect your pipes and chutes before they fail. Browse the full instaGRIP lineup and find the right wear liner for your operation.

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