Hardox from SSAB – a Success Story turns 50

Hardox has been a protected brand for steel products of the Swedish steel producer SSAB since 1974.

Rolled wear-resistant quarto and strip sheet in various thicknesses and smaller round material and tubes are primarily sold under this name.

As an SSAB brand product, the name Hardox has long been synonymous with excellent resistance and quality in the steel industry.

After 50 years, its leading global market position is stronger than ever. At SSAB, Hardox is one of the most successful products in the company’s history.

With the introduction of Hardox 50 years ago, SSAB achieved its goal of developing a wear plate that was stronger and more resistant than any other steel on the market. It had to be hard enough to withstand enormous wear and tear over a long period of time and durable enough not to tear when bent and used intensively.

When it was introduced in 1974 as a “bendable wear plate”, the new material was the first wear plate in the world to combine a high degree of hardness with resistance and was also suitable for use as structural steel. Hardox was a complete success right from the start and has since been further developed to meet ever more demanding requirements.

For this reason, Hardox is still the leader in the wear plate segment.

The decisive factor in the development of Hardox steel grades was that they are not only particularly resistant, but can also be used well as structural steel.

The fact that Hardox is also an excellent structural steel proved to be a key reason for its lasting success. This is very important for our customers. This enables them to develop efficient solutions for thin-walled and lightweight truck bodies, containers and excavator shovels that can also withstand high levels of wear.

Manufacturers around the world are intensively searching for lighter designs. Less weight means a higher payload and better environmental properties.

Less weight means a higher payload and better environmental properties. A lighter vehicle consumes less fuel and requires fewer journeys, which also reduces emissions.

Hardox has always been well received by markets around the world.

The benefits for the customer have been obvious over the years, creating one of the world’s strongest brands in the steel industry.

What is Hardox steel?

Hardox steel is a brand name for a specific type of wear-resistant steel produced by the Swedish company SSAB (Swedish Steel AB). It is a high-strength steel grade known for its hardness, strength and toughness and is suitable for various applications in industries such as mining, construction and transportation.

Hardox steel is designed to withstand extreme wear and impact, making it ideal for use in equipment exposed to abrasive and harsh environments. It is often used to manufacture buckets, tipper bodies, bunkers, crushers, chutes and other components that are subject to heavy wear.

Hardox steel is produced using a special heat treatment process that optimizes its mechanical properties and enables a combination of hardness and toughness. The steel is treated by quenching, tempering and precise control of its chemical composition to achieve the desired properties.

There are different grades of Hardox steel, such as Hardox 400, Hardox 450, Hardox 500 and so on, with each grade having different degrees of hardness and strength. The number in the grade designation indicates the nominal hardness of the steel in Brinell hardness properties (HBW).

Overall, Hardox steel is characterized by its durability, long service life and resistance to wear, making it a popular choice for applications where high strength and wear resistance are crucial.

Why is Hardox steel used?

Hardox steel is used in various applications due to its specific properties and advantages. Here are some reasons why Hardox steel is used:

1. High wear resistance: Hardox steel is extremely wear-resistant and resists abrasion and erosion by abrasive materials such as ore, rock, gravel or sand. It is therefore often used in equipment that is subject to heavy wear, such as excavator buckets, tipper bodies or mills.

2. High strength: Hardox steel has a high strength, which means that it can withstand heavy loads without deforming or breaking. This makes it suitable for use in structures and components that are subject to high mechanical loads, such as crane arms, welded structures or bridges.

3. Good toughness: In addition to its hardness and strength, Hardox steel also has good toughness, which means that it can withstand knocks and impacts without failing. This makes it ideal for use in applications where impact loads occur, such as in crushers, blow bars or impact plates.

4. Weight savings: Weight savings can be achieved by using Hardox steel, as thinner and lighter components can be used without compromising wear resistance. This can lead to better fuel efficiency of vehicles and an increased payload of machines.

5. Extended service life: Due to its high wear resistance and durability, Hardox steel has a longer service life compared to conventional steel grades. This means that components and equipment made of Hardox steel need to be replaced or repaired less frequently, resulting in cost savings and less downtime.

Overall, Hardox steel is used in applications subject to high stress and wear due to its superior wear resistance, strength, toughness and longer service life to improve equipment performance, efficiency and reliability.

Properties

Hardox sheets are rolled and through-hardened sheets which, as wear-resistant steels and wear plates, combine high strength with hardness and toughness. Hardox steels can be welded to each other and to other steels and can be cut, drilled, milled and ground using the usual machining steps, but offer greater resistance to tools as the degree of hardness increases. Sheets of Hardox 400, 450 and 500 can be cold-formed. The properties of Hardox sheets are mainly created by the processing and the hardening and tempering process, so that heating above 250° C during processing must be avoided in order to maintain the properties. Small amounts of carbon, manganese, sillicon, chromium, nickel, molybdenum and boron are contained as alloy components.

Hardox is supplied ex works with a rust-brown corrosion protection and printed brand name, manufacturer and steel grade

The most important grades are Hardox 400, Hardox 450, Hardox 500, Hardox 550 and Hardox 600, where the number indicates the nominal Brinell hardness (HBW).

We can process all Hardox steels and would be delighted to receive your request.