Hardox 500 wear plate is a premium-grade, abrasion-resistant steel designed for applications where both durability and protection are critical - such as armored container shelters and security cabins. Manufactured by SSAB, this high-performance steel provides an exceptional combination of hardness and toughness, ensuring long-lasting protection against wear, impact, and mechanical stress.
With a nominal hardness of 500 HBW, Hardox 500 delivers outstanding resistance to abrasion and deformation, even under heavy use or ballistic impact. This makes it an ideal choice for armored modular structures, military shelters, and secure prefabricated cabins that require superior strength without excessive weight.
Unlike conventional steel materials that may deform under repeated impact, Hardox 500 maintains its geometry and structural integrity. This consistency allows armored shelters to remain operational and secure even in harsh environments or under attack.
By incorporating Hardox 500 plates, manufacturers can significantly extend the service life of armored container systems, reduce maintenance downtime, and enhance overall safety performance. The result is a stronger, more reliable shelter solution that offers both maximum protection and long-term value.
Hardox 500 is produced through an advanced metallurgical process that combines high-quality iron with alloying elements such as carbon, manganese, chromium, and nickel. This specific combination enhances hardness, corrosion resistance, and fatigue strength. The plates are quenched and tempered at carefully controlled temperatures to achieve a fine, uniform microstructure that ensures consistent performance across every batch.
In essence, Hardox 500 is not just about being hard - it’s about being intelligently engineered. Its microstructure enables it to resist cracking and maintain flexibility even under significant loads. This unique trait allows fabricators to cut, weld, and form the material without compromising its quality. The result is a wear plate that’s as versatile as it is strong, perfectly suited for both heavy-duty operations and precision fabrication projects.
The mechanical strength of Hardox 500 defines its superiority in harsh environments. Its 500 HBW hardness level provides exceptional abrasion resistance, while its yield and tensile strength guarantee durability under constant mechanical stress. The steel’s elasticity and ductility make it possible to shape and form it into complex structures, enabling designers to achieve stronger yet lighter configurations for industrial equipment.
These characteristics give Hardox 500 an edge in situations where typical steels fail-prolonging the life of crushers, hoppers, conveyors, and excavator buckets. Engineers value its predictable performance and dimensional stability, which simplify maintenance schedules and reduce equipment replacement cycles.
Hardox 500 wear plates are the backbone of modern heavy-duty industries. Their ability to withstand constant wear and tear makes them essential for applications where material degradation directly affects productivity. In mining and quarrying, Hardox 500 lines truck beds, loaders, and crushers, preventing abrasion from rocks and minerals. In construction and demolition, it protects equipment like bulldozers, concrete mixers, and dump bodies from impact damage.
In the recycling and waste management industry, where materials like glass, metal, and concrete are processed daily, Hardox 500 ensures longer operational hours with minimal maintenance. Agricultural applications also benefit from its toughness; plows, harrows, and grain chutes made from Hardox 500 resist soil abrasion and last significantly longer than those made with conventional steel. From cement plants to forestry equipment, this steel’s adaptability helps reduce costs, enhance efficiency, and maintain consistent production even under extreme wear conditions.
Hardox 500’s benefits go beyond simple durability - it’s a performance multiplier. Its wear resistance directly translates into longer life for machinery components, minimizing unplanned shutdowns and saving businesses both time and money. Operators also appreciate its high structural strength, which allows for thinner designs that reduce overall weight while maintaining the same load-bearing capacity.
In today’s competitive industries, choosing Hardox 500 means making a long-term investment in efficiency. It minimizes downtime, increases operational output, and ensures every piece of machinery performs at its best.
When compared with steels like AR400, Hardox 450, or Dillidur 500, Hardox 500 consistently outperforms in wear tests and service longevity. Its superior hardness results in slower surface erosion, while its impact toughness ensures it doesn’t crack or chip under extreme pressure. Unlike many wear plates that sacrifice formability for strength, Hardox 500 retains excellent workability, making it a preferred choice among fabricators.
This balance is critical in real-world use. For example, while AR400 plates might last two years in a high-abrasion environment, Hardox 500 can last up to five or six years under similar conditions. Its uniform quality also eliminates weak points, ensuring that even edges and corners retain the same durability as the plate’s center. In short, it delivers better performance per kilogram, proving that higher initial investment leads to far greater long-term value.
Although extremely hard, Hardox 500 is designed to be workable using the right techniques. Cutting can be done effectively with plasma, laser, or waterjet technology to maintain clean edges without introducing heat-related microcracks. When welding, it’s crucial to preheat thicker plates to avoid brittleness and to select filler materials compatible with high-strength steels. For forming, using slow bending speeds and uniform force distribution ensures smooth curvature without stress fractures.
Fabrication precision is key to maintaining Hardox 500’s performance characteristics. Proper handling, clean work surfaces, and correct post-weld treatments preserve the steel’s structural properties. By following SSAB’s fabrication guidelines, manufacturers can create complex, lightweight components that are just as strong as heavy, conventional alternatives-allowing innovative engineering designs without compromising on strength or safety.
Hardox 500 has become a benchmark in the industry because it solves a simple yet critical challenge: achieving maximum wear resistance without sacrificing toughness. This unique combination means it can endure years of constant abrasion from rocks, sand, metal, or debris without cracking or deforming. For companies operating in mining, cement, steel recycling, or logistics, this translates to lower lifecycle costs and greater productivity.
Beyond its technical performance, Hardox 500 offers unmatched reliability and peace of mind. Using this material ensures consistent equipment quality, predictable maintenance cycles, and long-term stability for large-scale operations. From dump trucks to material handling systems, any structure made with Hardox 500 benefits from enhanced strength, reduced weight, and extended lifespan-making it a top-tier choice for high-performance engineering.
We provide original Hardox 500 wear plates with certified quality, tailored to your specific project requirements. Whether you need small-format cut pieces or large plates for heavy industrial use, our production capabilities and expert team guarantee precision, speed, and compliance with SSAB standards.
When you buy from us, you gain:
Choose performance that lasts. Contact us today to request a personalized quotation and discover how Hardox 500 can dramatically increase your equipment’s efficiency and reduce downtime. Our team is ready to support your project with durable solutions built for extreme conditions.
Leading manufacturer in modular cabin since 1986.
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