The history of Hardox® wear plate
Back in the 1970s, the Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB solved the longstanding contradiction between hardness and toughness in steel. Thanks to its century-long expertise in steelmaking, SSAB managed to master the art of uniting these two qualities in Hardox® wear plate, setting a new industry standard. A mission made possible.
It all started with OX AR 360 S
Officially launched in 1974 under the intricate name “OX AR 360 S”, Hardox® 400 shook things up with a game-changing design. It was produced in Oxelösunds Järnverk, SSAB’s steel mill in Oxelösund, Sweden, and was the first user-friendly wear plate that could be cut, bent, welded and machined without hassles in the workshop. It wasn’t long before customers took notice. Lennart Bergqvist and his team at SSAB tirelessly promoted its benefits, quickly ushering in market acceptance – and a new era in wear steel technology.
Creating lasting connections with customers across the globe
It’s not just the performance of Hardox® wear plate that sets it apart. It’s also the hands-on approach of our engineering and sales teams, who turn up wherever our customers are – on site, in workshops, and of course at exhibitions worldwide. They tend to listen more and speak less, perhaps because of our Nordic heritage that values overperforming over overselling. We look forward to meeting you in person at upcoming events!
Year after year, it keeps getting better
1983 – Hardox® 450 launches and becomes the brand to beat
Hardox® 450 was introduced and quickly became the versatile, go to steel for our customers’ abrasion-fighting needs across a variety of applications. With high toughness and being 50 HB harder than Hardox® 400, it has served as a recipe for success for many years.
That same year, the registered brand name of Hardox® wear plate was established. The name was derived from its exceptional hardness and its origin in Oxelösund. The former heavyweight boxing world champion and Swedish hero, Ingemar Johansson, spearheaded the launch of the new brand name.
1994 – Hardox® wear plate now red and white
Hardox® plates got their characteristic red primer color and white markings covering the entire surface of the plate. This feature helps customers identify the right plate for their needs and distinguish smaller pieces of plate more easily.
1998 – What a difference a U shape makes!
The dump body manufacturer Carnehl from Germany decided to collaborate with technical specialists from SSAB to innovate the design of their dump bodies. The idea of a free-hanging U-shaped body was nothing less than revolutionary compared to traditional heavy, thick bodies that used a lot of external stiffeners. This new design worked perfectly together with hard and tough Hardox® 450, providing both high wear and dent resistance.
2000 – Hardox® Wearparts makes the most out of Hardox® wear plate
In 2000, the first Hardox® Wearparts centers opened their doors in Europe. Now, with over 500 full-service centers, we continue to provide wear parts made of Hardox® wear plate and offer services like installation and maintenance across the world.
Visit Hardox® Wearparts
2017 – A new generation of wear plate hits the market
Hardox® 500 Tuf was launched as the world’s first 500 HBW steel with the workshop and structural properties of a 450 HBW steel. It offers outstanding strength, hardness and toughness in a single plate. It has proven its worth worldwide in dump trucks and bodies, containers, mining equipment, agricultural machinery, liner plates, wear parts and buckets of all kinds. When customers upgrade to Hardox® 500 Tuf, their applications get longer service life and become more sustainable.
Learn more about Hardox 500 Tuf
2018 – Mantella bodies in Hardox® 500 Tuf win award
The Italian tipper trailer manufacturer Mantella was an early adopter of Hardox® 500 Tuf. By upgrading their Stratosphere tipper body with Hardox® 500 Tuf in thinner dimensions, they reduced the body’s weight by 365 kg (805 lbs.). Mantella claimed the prestigious Swedish Steel Prize in 2018 with their groundbreaking approach.
How Mantella slashed weight off its bodies
2024 – The unrivaled choice for extreme wear challenges turns 50
Hardox® wear plate has a 50-year history of successfully tackling extreme wear challenges. Not only is it a premium steel, but it’s backed up by SSAB’s comprehensive service and support resources to assist our customers in optimizing their use of Hardox® wear plate. Bring it on!
Choose the right Hardox® wear plateA look towards the future
Quality
Hardox® wear plate grades are constantly fine-tuned to deliver even more consistent quality. The guarantees that come with every plate cover thickness, flatness and bending properties, ensuring predictable workshop processing and reliable performance in operation.
The Hardox® Guarantees
Emission-free wear steel
Deliveries of emission-free Hardox® wear steel are starting already now. Naturally, emission-free grades of Hardox® wear plate will have the same superior properties as today’s Hardox®.
Step up your sustainability with emission-free Hardox®