TECHSUPPORT #65

Upgrading from Hardox® 450 to Hardox® 500 Tuf

STEP UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL

IN WEAR PLATE PERFORMANCE
By upgrading your products from Hardox® 450 to Hardox® 500 Tuf, you can use a
thinner material to increase the load capacity and still have the same outstanding
service life. Or stay with the same thickness and increase service life by up to 40%.

Mechanical properties Hardox® 500 Tuf Hardox® 450 Material Thickness range mm (in.) Maximum width mm (in.)

Hardness 475-505 HBW 425-475 HBW Hardox® 500 Tuf sheet 3-6.5 (0.118-0.256) 1600 (63)

Yield strength* 1300 MPa (189 ksi) 1200 MPa (174 ksi) Hardox® 500 Tuf plate 4-25.4 (0.156-1) 3350 (132)

Tensile strength* 1600 MPa (232 ksi) 1400 MPa (203 ksi) Hardox® 450 sheet 2-8 (0.079-0.315) 1650 (65)

Elongation A5* 10% 10% Hardox® 450 plate 3.2-130 (0.126-5.118) 3350 (132)

Impact toughness at -40 °C

45 J (33 ft-lb) 50 J (37 ft-lb)
(-40 °F)*

*Typical value for 20 mm (0.787”) plate thickness.

The data in these tables may be subject to change without notice. Please download the latest
version of the respective Hardox® wear plate product data sheet at www.ssab.com.
Upgrading benefits with Hardox® 500 Tuf
40% LONGER WEAR LIFE
Hardox® 500 Tuf adds around 50 HBW of hardness compared
Basalt Granite Steel scrap
to Hardox® 450. Case studies show that the extra hardness
can deliver up to 40% longer wear life, and even more in some
38% 40% 27%
applications. This naturally makes a dumper body, container,
mining tray, excavator bucket or any other wear-affected Examples of increased wear life by upgrading from Hardox® 450 to Hardox® 500
equipment more cost-effective. Tuf for different materials and sliding wear, according to Hardox® WearCalc™.

THINNER MAKES LIGHTER

You can use thinner wear steel when designing with Hardox® IMPROVED DENT RESISTANCE
500 Tuf instead of Hardox® 450, with the same or better Higher hardness equals higher yield strength. This in turn
service life. Thinner steel means lighter structures that can translates into higher dent resistance. Upgrading from
take more payload and increase your profitability. A 5 mm plate Hardox® 450 to Hardox® 500 Tuf improves the dent
of Hardox® 500 Tuf is 17% lighter than a 6 mm plate of Hardox® resistance as shown in the figure. In this test, a 300 kg
450. New design solutions naturally need to take buckling, (661 lbs.) weight is dropped from 2.8 m (9.2 ft.) onto a 600 x
deflection and fatigue strength into consideration. 600 mm (23 x 23”) test plate.

25
Hardox® 450 [mm]
300 kg (661 lbs)

Hardox® 500 Tuf [mm]

Dent depth [mm]

20
2.8 m (9.2 ft)

15

10
4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Results from impact drop tests of Hardox® 500 Tuf and Hardox® 450. Thickness [mm]

Hardox® 500 Tuf in the workshop

WELDING
Hardox® 500 Tuf can be welded with all conventional arc Single plate thickness mm (in.) Hardox® 500 Tuf °C (°F)
welding methods for ordinary and high-strength steel. Use
< 16 (0.630) Room temperature
welding consumables with a yield strength of max. 500
16-25.4 (0.630-1) 75 (167)
MPa (72 ksi) and a sufficiently low hydrogen content of
max. 5ml/100 g of weld metal. Welding materials with these
properties reduce residual stress levels in the joint and its Single plate thickness mm (in.) Hardox® 450 °C (°F)
sensitivity to cold cracking. The following consumables fulfill < 25 (0.984) Room temperature
the hydrogen criteria:
25-39.9 (0.984-1.571) 125 (257)

• All solid wires applied at MAG (GMAW) and TIG welding The tables show recommended preheating temperature using a heat input of 1.7
• MAG welding with flux cored wires (FCAW): kJ/mm (43.2 kJ/inch) and a weld metal hydrogen content of maximum 5 ml/100 g
of weld deposit. For heat inputs between 1.0-1.69 kJ/mm (25.4-42.9 kJ/inch), the
Certain types
min. preheat temperature is raised by 25 °C (77 °F) in comparison to the values in
• MAG welding with metal cored wires (MCAW): the tables, except when no preheating is required. For heat inputs below 1.0
Certain types kJ/mm (25.4 kJ/inch) the preheating temperatures can be calculated by SSAB’s
• SAW: Basic types of fluxes in combination with software WeldCalc. A user license of this software can be attained through www.
solid wires ssab.com, or by contacting SSAB.

More detailed information regarding the hydrogen content Preheating can be avoided by welding with austenitic stainless
of a certain brand can be attained from its manufacturer. consumables according to type AWS 307 or AWS 309. Hydrogen
In addition, SSAB provides examples of suitable welding content is not relevant when welding with stainless consumables.
consumables, please contact techsupport@ssab.com.
CUTTING
Oxy-fuel, plasma, laser and abrasive water jet (AWJ) are all suitable methods for cutting Hardox® wear plate.

Recommendations for oxy-fuel cutting of Hardox® 500 Tuf and Hardox® 450. Recommended maximum cutting speed without
Preheating is usually not required. preheating.

Minimum Max. plate

Plate thickness Max. allowable ≤ 25.4 (1)
Grade preheating thickness mm (in.)
mm (in.) temp. °C (°F)
temp. °C (°F)
Hardox® 500 Tuf No restriction*

Hardox® 500 Tuf ≤ 25.4 (1) No preheating 225 (437)

Max. plate
< 40 (1.576)
Hardox® 450 < 40 (1.576) No preheating 225 (437) thickness mm (in.)

Hardox® 450 No restriction*

*Maximum allowable temperature is the temperature which must not
be exceeded by preheating or cutting, or a combination of these two
*Please follow recommendations from the cutting
processes, otherwise the hardness of the cut part will be reduced.
equipment manufacturer.

BENDING
Minimum recommended tool radius (R) and die opening width (W) when the bend line is perpendicular or parallel to the rolling direction.

Transverse to rolling direction Along rolling direction Die opening width (W)
Thickness (t) mm (in.)
minimum R / t minimum R / t minimum W / t

Hardox® 500 Tuf & Hardox® 450 Hardox® 500 Tuf & Hardox® 450 Hardox® 500 Tuf & Hardox® 450 Hardox® 500 Tuf & Hardox® 450

t < 8 (0.315) 3.0 3.5 12

Plate 8 (0.315) ≤ t < 20 (0.787) 3.5 4.5 14

t ≥ 20 (0.787) 4.5 5.0 16

3 (0.118”) ≤ t < 4 (0.157) 3.0 4.0 12

Sheet
4 (0.157) ≤ t ≤ 6 (0.236”) 3.0 3.5 12

To estimate the force needed during bending, P = Bending force, tonnes (metric)
all factors should be considered: Bending length, t = Plate thickness, mm
plate thickness, die width, tensile strength, and the b • t2 • Rm W = Die width, mm
changing moment arm during bending. The peak P= b = Bend length, mm
load is assumed to be reached at a bend opening (W-Rd-Rp) • 9 800 Rm = Tensile strength, MPa
angle of 120° with normal friction (no lubrication). Rd = Die entry radius, mm
Trial tests are always recommended. The SSAB Bending Formula© is verified by tests for Rp = Punch radius, mm
90° bends.

Since the tensile strength is higher for Hardox® 500 Tuf, the is 6% thinner than a Hardox® 450 plate is bent with the same
required bending force is about 14% higher than for a Hardox® force. A 5 mm (0.197”) plate of Hardox® 500 Tuf requires a
450 plate of the same thickness. A Hardox® 500 Tuf plate that lower bending force than a 6 mm (0.236”) Hardox® 450 plate.
DRILLING
Drill HSS-8% Co Drill Solid cemented carbide

Drill Ø mm Hardox® 500 Tuf Hardox® 450 Drill Ø mm Hardox® 500 Tuf Hardox® 450

Vc [m/min] 3-5 5-7 Vc [m/min] 35-50 40-60

fn [mm/rev] 10 0.08 0.10 fn [mm/rev] Min-max Min-max

15 0.12 0.15 3.0-5.0 0.03-0.05 0.03-0.05

20 0.16 0.20 5.01-10.0 0.05-0.10 0.05-0.11

25 0.20 0.25 10.01-15.0 0.10-0.14 0.11-0.15

30 0.24 0.30 15.01-20.0 0.14-0.18 0.15-0.20

Drill Exchangeable drill head Drill Indexable inserts

Drill Ø mm Hardox® 500 Tuf Hardox® 450 Drill Ø mm Hardox® 500 Tuf Hardox® 450

932- en-Techsupport 65- V2-2022- AplusM-Österbergs Tryckeri

Vc [m/min] 35-50 40-60 Vc [m/min] 40-70 50-90

fn [mm/rev] Min-max Min-max fn [mm/rev] Min-max Min-max

7.5-12.0 0.06-0.10 0.07-0.11 12.0-20.0 0.04-0.08 0.04-0.10

12.01-20.0 0.10-0.14 0.11-0.15 20.01-30.0 0.04-0.10 0.06-0.12

20.01-25.0 0.14-0.18 0.15-0.20 30.01-44.0 0.06-0.12 0.06-014

25.01-33.0 0.18-0.24 0.20-0.28 44.01-63.5 0.08-0.14 0.08-0.16

Use an as short drill as possible, when drilling with indexable inserts. The recommendations are for 2xØ.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT
For more information about the benefits of upgrading from
Hardox® 450 to Hardox® 500 Tuf, please contact your local
SSAB sales representative. You will find contacts for all
markets at www.ssab.com

SSAB is a Nordic and US-based steel company. SSAB offers value added
products and services developed in close cooperation with its customers to
create a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world. SSAB has employees
in over 50 countries. SSAB has production facilities in Sweden, Finland and
the US. SSAB is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and has a secondary listing on
Nasdaq Helsinki.

www.ssab.com.

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Sweden the suitability or appropriateness of any application. It is the
user’s responsibility to independently determine suitability
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