Description
The Workhorse of Wear Resistance: Our AR400 Steel Plate Story
When you’re running mining operations or heavy construction in abrasive environments, equipment lifespan becomes a daily headache. We’ve seen AR400 become the go-to solution across three continents – not because of marketing claims, but because it consistently outlasts standard mild steel by 3-5x in real-world conditions.
What makes AR400 special? It starts with that 360-440 HBW hardness, achieved through our proprietary quenching process. But unlike some ultra-hard plates that crack under impact, we balance hardness with 1,200-1,400 MPa tensile strength and ≥10% elongation – critical for absorbing sudden impacts in loader buckets or crusher liners.
Where Performance Meets Practicality
A common misconception? That abrasion-resistant means “hard to work with.” We’ve optimized AR400 for fabricators:
- Cutting: Works well with plasma or laser up to 80mm thickness. Over that, oxy-fuel becomes more efficient
- Welding: Preheat to 150-200°C when working with >25mm sections. We recommend low-hydrogen electrodes like AWS E7018
- Forming: Can handle moderate bending (minimum 4x material thickness radius)
One mining client replaced their 20mm mild steel chute liners every 8 weeks with 12mm AR400 – same performance, 60% less weight and 4x longer service life. That’s the kind of math that changes maintenance budgets.
The chemistry tells the story: Our controlled carbon-manganese base (0.20-0.30% C, 1.00-1.60% Mn) with chromium-boron microalloying creates a martensitic structure that resists both sliding abrasion and high-stress gouging. Even in sub-zero environments, the toughness holds – we’ve tested impact resistance down to -40°C.
Why Our Factory Delivers Differently
As a Chinese mill with 15+ years specializing in wear plate, we control the entire process:
- Direct molten steel monitoring for consistent hardness
- In-house lab verification of every batch (ASTM A1011/1018 compliant)
- Custom dimensions from 3mm to 150mm thickness, with widths up to 3.5m
We don’t just sell steel – we solve wear problems. Need plates with drilled holes for quick liner replacement? Or a special 18mm×2.4m×8m configuration for your scraper conveyor? That’s standard for us.
When your project demands reliability without the premium price tag of European mills, let’s discuss how AR400 can work for you. Our engineers have field experience in your industry – we’ll ask the right questions to ensure you get exactly what you need.
