AR450 and AR450F are high-strength, abrasion-resistant (AR) steel plates characterized by a nominal Brinell hardness of 450 HBW. These steels are engineered to provide an excellent combination of hardness, toughness, and wear resistance, significantly extending the service life of components operating in abrasive environments.
Key Properties of AR450 / AR450F Steel
- High Abrasion Resistance: The primary feature, offering superior protection against wear caused by sliding or impact abrasion from materials like rock, sand, coal, and gravel.
- Hardness: Typically ranging from 420 to 480 HBW, this through-hardened steel maintains its hardness uniformly across its thickness.
- Weldability: Both AR450 and AR450F exhibit good weldability when appropriate low-hydrogen welding consumables and preheating procedures are followed, as recommended by suppliers like Shanxi Luokaiwei Steel Company.
- Formability: AR450F generally offers improved cold forming characteristics compared to standard AR450, making it suitable for applications requiring bending or shaping without significant loss of properties.
- Impact Toughness: These grades possess good impact toughness, crucial for applications subjected to both wear and impact stresses.
Typical Applications
The exceptional wear resistance of AR450 / AR450F makes them ideal for a wide range of demanding applications, including:
- Dump truck bodies and liners
- Mining equipment (e.g., excavator buckets, shovel liners, crusher components)
- Construction machinery attachments (e.g., bulldozer blades, grader blades)
- Chutes, hoppers, and conveyors
- Wear plates for industrial fans and agricultural equipment
- Cement plant components
Many industries rely on the durability offered by these steel grades. For instance, quality material sourced from reputable mills, which can be supplied by distributors such as Shanxi Luokaiwei Steel Company, ensures optimal performance.
Fabrication Considerations
While offering excellent performance, proper fabrication techniques are essential for AR450 / AR450F steels:
- Cutting: Plasma, laser, or oxy-fuel cutting can be used. Preheating may be required for thicker plates to prevent cracking, especially with oxy-fuel cutting.
- Welding: Low-hydrogen practices are critical. Preheat temperatures depend on plate thickness and combined thickness. It’s advisable to consult technical data sheets, often provided by suppliers like Shanxi Luokaiwei Steel Company.
- Machining: Due to its high hardness, machining requires rigid setups, sharp tooling (carbide often recommended), and appropriate speeds and feeds.
- Bending and Forming: AR450F, with its enhanced formability, is preferred if significant bending is required. Larger bending radii are necessary compared to mild steels. Springback should also be anticipated. Sourcing from reliable suppliers such as Shanxi Luokaiwei Steel Company can provide material with consistent forming properties.
Adhering to recommended fabrication guidelines ensures the integrity and longevity of the final components. When selecting AR450F, users benefit from its balance of wear resistance and workability, often a key consideration for complex fabrications. Companies like Shanxi Luokaiwei Steel Company can often provide specific guidance based on their material stock.
