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Hardox 450 steel working hard in an excavator bucket that is digging up abrasive rocks.
Hardox 450 steel working hard in an excavator bucket that is digging up abrasive rocks.

Hardox® 450

Hardox® 450 is probably the world’s most recognized wear-resistant steel, with tight tolerances and excellent structural properties, only from SSAB. With a nominal hardness of 450 HBW, Hardox® 450 combines good bendability and excellent weldability. The extra 50 HBW hardness over our Hardox® 400 grade provides better dent and abrasion resistance as well as longer wear life. Or you can use the additional hardness to reduce plate thickness and get lighter equipment.

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    What is Hardox® 450?

    Hardox® 450 has been setting the benchmark for quality steel for more than 30 years, for good reason. It has a solid reputation as a highly versatile, abrasion-resistant steel that also has structural properties. With an extra 50 HBW hardness over AR 400 grades, it provides additional wear resistance for an extended service life with similar toughness as an AR 400 steel. This allows for more high-performing buckets, dump bodies and other equipment that lasts longer and still can take impact forces without compromising structural integrity.

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    A trailer with Hardox 450 steel in the dump body, on a wet and muddy road.
    Giant excavator releasing an enormous rock up in the air. The bucket’s edges are made in Hardox® 450 steel.

    Hardox® 450 leaves S235 and S355 steel behind

    Hardox® 450 consistently outperforms mild steel, whether it’s S235, S355, A36, grade 50, A514, SS400, S45C or any AR 400 grade. That’s why it’s the industry standard for hard-wearing, hard-working equipment. Mild steel simply doesn’t have the strength to enable modern excavators or other machines to perform at their full potential. Premature maintenance or repairs just because the business end of your equipment isn’t hard or strong enough is neither convenient nor cost-effective. When switching to Hardox® 450 from such steels, expect a more productive operation with less downtime.

    Relative service life of Hardox® 450 compared to S355 steel in sliding wear for different abrasive materials

    If you want to protect the valuable investment you made in your equipment, Hardox®450 can significantly extend its service life. Here’s how Hardox® 450 outperforms milder steels like S355 and S235 when exposed to sliding wear from different abrasive materials.

    Download Hardox® WearCalc and do your own calculations
    Bar chart showing how Hardox® 450 AR steel can extend equipment service life based on the type of rock.
    Three drawings of Hardox® 450 wear plate being subjected to different stresses.

    Hardox® 450 is more than a number

    Comparing wear steels on the basis of hardness only is not enough. Hardox® 450 is different than your average AR 450 steel. It starts already in the quenching and tempering process at the steel mill, giving Hardox® 450 its guaranteed through-thickness hardness. Your advantage? Outstanding, dependable and predictable performance, throughout the service life of your equipment.

    Additionally, Hardox® 450 comes with guarantees for thickness, flatness, and bending performance. These properties ensure predictable processing in the workshop. Every plate you work will behave just like the one before it. There won’t be any unexpected surprises – great news for every production manager.

    Download Hardox guarantees

    Ready to step up a grade from AR450?

    Hardox® 450 has been state-of-the-art in wear steel for a long time, and it will stick around. That shouldn’t stop you from exploring newer grades of Hardox® steel. Hardox® 500 Tuf has taken the toughness of Hardox® 450 and added 50 HBW in extra hardness. May not sound much but the effect on wear life is impressive. Calculations with the Hardox® WearCalc app show that Hardox® 500 Tuf can increase wear life compared to Hardox® 450 by close to 50%.

    Learn more about Hardox® 500 Tuf
    Bar chart showing that an upgrade to Hardox® 500 Tuf steel extends service life by 50 percent compared with Hardox® 450.

    See how Hardox® 450 brings benefits to OEMs and end users

    • Wimmer NA digs higher productivity with Hardox® wear plate buckets

      Every type of bucket has a lot to gain from upgrading to a better steel. Using premium abrasion-resistant steel makes good business sense. A severe-duty bucket built with steel with a Brinell hardness of 400-500 HBW will last much longer and save the operator money by minimizing downtime for maintenance and repairs.

    • Hardox® 450 helps KH-Kipper lose half a tonne weight in the W1CE body

      To meet customers’ demands for more cost-effective transport solutions, KH-Kipper upgraded its well-known tipper body W1C to W1CE – with the letter E denoting a body that is around 500 kg lighter than the previous version thanks to the use of Hardox® wear plate.

    • Roller containers from Winfa weigh less yet outperform with Hardox® steel

      “When a product is made from Hardox, it outperforms the competition.” That’s why spare parts and container producer Winfa chooses Hardox® 450 over S355 steel in its heavy-duty containers.

    • Steelmer in Thailand builds success with Hardox® wear plate

      Steelmer relies on Hardox® wear plate. The combination of hardness and toughness is what makes Hardox® outstanding.

    • Dynapac innovates tougher design to take on thin asphalt and abrasive aggregates

      Abrasive aggregates no match for Dynapac’s asphalt roller drums in Hardox®

      When the going gets tough, Hardox® steel in oscillating drum rollers keeps them rolling. Discover how Dynapac’s asphalt rollers can turn for 10,000 hours yet require little maintenance.

    • Wastequip ultra duty container with Hardox® wear plate

      Wastequip revolutionizes U.S. roll-off containers with Hardox® wear plate

      Roll-off waste containers are notoriously abused by rough transports, precarious material handling and just downright harsh loads. For end users, having to continuously repair or replace damaged boxes means high operating costs and unplanned business interruptions.

    • A blue tipper truck with body built in Hardox® sheet steel, dumping out a load of rocks.

      Lighter side walls for tippers and flatbeds with Hardox® wear sheet

      Discover how Austrian company Fuhrmann’s lighter-weight, heavy-duty profiled side walls in Hardox® wear sheets give customers tipper side walls that are more durable and longer-lasting.

    • Hardox® In My Body earthmoving attachments lose weight, gain better image

      Instead of battling bent cutting edges and cracks in their buckets due to a lower-strength steel, Antech Attachments stepped up its game and started making its excavator buckets in Hardox® 450.

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      Bay-Lynx solidifies cutting-edge design for lighter, smarter volumetric mixer

      Why tinker with what works? Continuous improvement delivers to mixer operators all the benefits of a more efficient, safer and longer lasting vehicle.

    • Cotech’s commitment to innovation unearths buckets of creativity using Hardox® wear plate

      When excavator operators complained about interrupting their work to change out attachments, Canadian-based Cotech/X-Metal went to work on a solution with four new category designs

    • Truck bodies in Hardox® 450 help RMB Sateci drive more efficient mining operations

      Thanks to a new design using a configuration of both Hardox® 450 and Strenx® 700MC, not only do RMB Sateci trucks carry double the load but they are lighter and more resistant to impact and abrasion.

    Find your closest Hardox® 450 steel supplier

    Local supplies of Hardox® 450 are available anywhere in the world. In less than 48 hours, you can get the most popular Hardox® grades and dimensions from an SSAB mill or local SSAB stocks. Hardox® Wearparts, our global network of wear service centers, manufactures wear parts from Hardox® 450 and other Hardox® grades.

    Find your local Hardox® 450 supplier
    Find a Hardox® wearparts center near you
    Wear plates of Hardox® 450 steel being delivered to a workshop for fabrication. Black and white image.
    A truck with body made in Hardox® 450 steel, travelling past a job site with a load of abrasive gravel and rocks.

    Where is Hardox® 450 used?

    If we were to list industries where Hardox® 450 isn’t used, it would be a very short list. Wear is a challenge in most industries, and Hardox® 450 has been the go-to solution to meet these challenges. Here are some machines and equipment that use Hardox® 450: Concrete mixers, snow blowers, roll-off containers, excavator and front loader buckets, grapples, shears, garbage trucks, dump trailer bodies, concrete drums, asphalt rollers, potato harvesters, recycling tools, crushers, chutes – just to mention a few.

    Learn more about real-life applications

    Dimension Range

    Hardox® 450 is available in thicknesses of 3.2 - 130 mm (1/8 - 5.12") as plate, as sheet in thicknesses 2.0 - 8.0 mm (0.079 - 0.315") and as CR sheet in thicknesses 0.8 - 2.1 mm (0.031 - 0.083"). For thicknesses over 80 mm (3.15") the preferred width is 1650 mm (64.96"). More detailed information on dimensions is provided in the dimension program.

    A matrix showing the available dimensions of Hardox® 450 wear steel.

    Mechanical Properties

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      Product Thickness
      (mmin)      		 Hardness 1)
      (HBW)      		 Typical yield strength
      (MPaksi), not guaranteed
      Hardox® 450 CR sheet 0.8 - 2.100.031 - 0.083 425 - 475 2) 1250181
      Hardox® 450 sheet 2.0 - 8.00.079 - 0.315 425 - 475 2) 1250181
      Hardox® 450 plate 3.2 - 80.00.126 - 3.150 425 - 475 1250181
      Hardox® 450 plate 80.1 - 103.03.154 - 4.055 410 - 475 1250181
      Hardox® 450 plate 103.1 - 130.04.059 - 5.118 390 - 475 1250181
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      Comparison

        1) Brinell hardness, HBW, according to EN ISO 6506-1, on a milled surface 0.5 – 3 mm below surface. At least one test specimen per heat and 40 tons.

        2) Hardness test is not performed or guaranteed for Hardox® products with thicknesses < 2.5 mm. The tabulated hardness values for thickness < 2.5 mm is a conversion from the tensile strength. For more information please see the datasheet 2067- Hardness conversion of thin Hardox® wear sheet.

        The nominal thickness of supplied plates will not deviate more than +/- 15 mm from the thickness of the test specimen used for hardness testing.

        Hardox® wear plate is through-hardened. Minimum core hardness is 90 % of the guaranteed minimum surface hardness.

        Impact Properties

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          Product Longitudinal test, typical impact energy,
          Charpy V 10x10 mm test specimen          		 Transverse test, guaranteed impact energy,
          Charpy V 10x10 mm test specimen 1)
          Hardox® 450 sheet & plate 50 J / -40 °C37 ft-lbs / -40 °F —
          Hardox® 450 Tuf — 27 J / -20 °C 2)20 ft-lbs / -4 °F 2)
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          Comparison

            1) Impact testing is performed on thicknesses ≥ 6 mm for plate and ≥ 3 mm for sheet. For thicknesses between 3 and 11.9 mm, sub-size Charpy V-specimens are used. The specified minimum value is proportional to the cross-sectional area of the test specimen, compared to a full-size specimen (10 x 10 mm). Impact testing according to ISO EN 148 per heat and thickness group. Average of three tests

            2) Single value minimum 70% of specified average.

            Chemical Composition (heat analysis)

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              Product type C *)
              (max %)              		 Si *)
              (max %)              		 Mn*)
              (max %)              		 P
              (max %)              		 S
              (max %)              		 Cr*)
              (max %)              		 Ni*)
              (max %)              		 Mo*)
              (max %)              		 B*)
              (max %)
              CR sheet 0.19 0.30 1.50 0.020 0.005 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.004
              Sheet & plate 0.26 0.70 1.60 0.025 0.010 1.40 1.50 0.60 0.005
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              Comparison

                The steel is grain refined. *) Intentional alloying elements.

                Carbon Equivalent CET(CEV)

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                  Product type CR sheet Sheet Plate Plate Plate Plate Plate Plate
                  Thickness (mmin) 0.8 - 2.100.031 - 0.083 2.0 - 8.00.79 - 0.315 3.2 - 4.90.126 - 0.193 5.0 - 9.90.197 - 0.390 10.0 - 19.90.394 - 0.783 20.0 - 39.90.787 - 1.571 40.0 - 80.01.575 - 3.150 80.1 - 130.03.154 - 5.118
                  Max CET(CEV) 0.36 (0.49) 0.36 (0.49) 0.37 (0.48) 0.38 (0.49) 0.39 (0.52) 0.41 (0.60) 0.43 (0.74) 0.41 (0.67)
                  Typ CET(CEV) 0.32 (0.46) 0.33 (0.47) 0.33 (0.46) 0.33 (0.45) 0.36 (0.48) 0.38 (0.56) 0.40 (0.71) 0.39 (0.64)
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                  Comparison

                    Tolerances

                    More details are given in SSAB’s brochure Hardox® Guarantees.

                    Thickness

                    Tolerances according to Hardox® Thickness Guarantees. Hardox® Guarantees meet the requirements of EN 10029 Class A for plate. For sheet, the guarantees meet the requirements of 1/2 EN 10051 and EN 10131 for cold rolled sheet products.

                    Length and Width

                    According to SSAB’s dimension program. For plate, the tolerances are according to SSAB´s mill edge standard or tolerances that conform to EN 10029 and EN 10131 for cold rolled sheet. Tolerances conform to EN 10051 for sheet, tighter tolerances available on request.

                    Shape

                    Tolerances according to EN 10029 for plate, EN 10051 for sheet and EN 10131 for cold rolled sheet

                    Flatness

                    Tolerances are according to Hardox Flatness® Guarantees Class D for plate, which are more restrictive than EN 10029. For sheet, the tolerances are according to Hardox® Flatness Guarantees Class A, that offer narrower tolerances compared to EN 10051. Cold rolled sheet tolerances are according to Hardox® Flatness Guarantees Class B.

                    Surface Properties

                    According to EN 10163-2 Class A, Subclass 1.

                    Delivery Conditions

                    The delivery condition is Q or QT (Quenched or Quenched and Tempered). Hardox® 450 plates are delivered with sheared or thermally cut edges, and thicknesses over 80 mm are delivered with mill edge as standard. Hardox® 450 sheets are delivered with an as-rolled surface and mill edge as standard. Hardox® 450 cold rolled sheets (0.80 - 2.10 mm (0.031 - 0.083")) are supplied as cold rolled surface. 

                    Delivery requirements can be found in SSAB’s brochure Hardox® Guarantees or www.ssab.com.

                    Fabrication and Other Recommendations

                    Welding, bending and machining

                    Recommendations can be found in SSABs brochures at www.hardox.com or consult Tech Support.

                    Bendability for plate are according to Hardox® Bending Guarantees Class F. For sheet, the bendability are according to Hardox® Bending Guarantees Class C for cold rolled sheets, and Class B for sheet.

                    Hardox® 450 and Hardox® 450 Tuf are not intended for further heat treatment. Mechanical properties are achieved by quenching and when necessary, by means of subsequent tempering. The properties of the delivery condition cannot be retained after exposure to temperatures in excess of 250 oC (482 oF).

                    Appropriate health and safety precautions must be taken when welding, cutting, grinding or otherwise working on this product. Grinding, especially of primer coated plates, may produce dust with a high particle concentration.