What is Wear Plate? – The Ultimate Guide

Wear Plates are seen as one of the most important things that manufacturing and industrial companies need. If you own one, then you might have already considered using wear plates; but what are they actually for?

Many industries require using a wear plate for one or more machine parts they have. But in case you’re not sure what a wear plate is, we’ll help you!

This guide will be all about understanding what a wear resistant plate is. How it can help you, where you can apply it, where you can get it, and many more!

What is a Wear Plate?

A wear plate is an item that you use to keep your machines and equipment safe.

Commonly, you will use them to keep the parts of your machines and equipment safe from all kinds of damages.

Definition of Wear Plate

A wear resistant plate is an item that you can use to protect or secure machine parts.

You can apply and install it to a wide range of equipment, like crushers, buckets, chutes, etc. to secure and keep their performance.

Wear Plate Manufacturing Process

The procedure of manufacturing a wear plate is easy.

You can easily summarize it by following these steps:

1. Raw Material Cutting
2. Welding
3. Inspection or Assessment
4. Repair Welding
5. Precise Cutting
6. Leveling

You might find it different, but other manufacturers can have different procedures. This is just the raw or the general process on how it’s done.

The Importance of Using Wear Plates in Industrial Equipment

Industrial equipment are usually the machines that undergo the most wear.

Horizontal color image of large group of automated injection moulding machines for plastic parts production.

You use them 100% of the time, sometimes even 24 hours a day! Its importance in the industrial sector encompasses layering.

In fact, it’s also important because:

• They can prolong the lifespan of a part or a component
• Wear resistant plates can increase productivity and efficiency
• Wear plates can enhance the quality of results

Uses for Wear Plates

You can choose to use wear resistant plates for many things.

But, among the versatility of its uses, the most common reasons why it’s used are:

• Prevent excessive and premature wear
• Avoid damages like scratches, cracks, burrs, etc.
• Increase or prolong the life expectancy of a part

Wear Plate HS Code

The Harmonized System (HS) code is a classification system used to identify goods and products.

All products traded have HS codes, it’s used for classifying good exportation and importation.

Wear Plate Material

Wear resistant plates are made out of different materials.

You can have wear plates made out of abrasion resistant (AR) steel, aluminum steel, mild steel, etc.

Moreover, there also are wear plates made of hardened materials like:

• A2
• S7
• 4140
• And others

What are Bronze Wear Plates

It’s a type of wear plate you can purchase that uses bronze alloys instead of regular or hardened steel.

You can choose bronze wear plates for their color and their physical properties.

Wear Plates Vs. Wear Pipes

How do wear resistant plates and wear resistant pipes differ? The answer is simple – their use.

A wear plate is literally a “slab of thick material” that can be shaped, while a wear pipe is a cylindrical object that you can use for pipes, tubes, and other fittings.

Can Wear Plates be Used for Structural Parts?

Yes, you can use wear plates for structural parts. The most ideal hardness that can complement the industry would be about 350 to 500 HBW.

Since the industry utilizes mild steel, it’s also worth noting that you can weld it with it too!

What are Hardox Wear Plates?

It’s a type of wear resistant plate manufactured by SSAB, a Swedish company.

Hardox wear plates are considered as one of the most popular types of wear plates in the industrial sector.

Hardox Wear Plate Characteristics

Because of its versatility and flexibility, you can use it for a wide range of applications.

Its most noteworthy characteristics include:

• Superior and extreme hardness
• Excellent lifespan
• Does not impact structural performance
• High toughness (crack and deformation-resistant)
• Consistency in high impact and temperatures

Those are just a few of the characteristics of Hardox wear resistant plates.

AR 600 Steel Plate for Sale

AR or abrasion resistant steel plates are commonly used for construction, forestry, and mining.

The “600” defines the hardness of the plate. Therefore, it means that the AR 600 wear resistant plate has a hardness figure of 600 in the Brinell scale.

What are Wear Rings on a Centrifugal Pump?

It’s a type of wear resistant part that you attach to the impeller. This allows a bit of clearance between the casing of the pump and the impeller.

What this does is it’ll allow your pump to exceed its lifespan by preventing excessive wear.

How Are Wear Plates Used?

Since their main purpose is to prevent damage, you can add them as an overlay to your machines. Some of the most common machines that you can use wear plates on include:

• Press Brakes
• Shredders and Crushers
• Heavy Lining and Moving Equipment
• Turning and Milling Equipment
• And Many More

If you have machines that perform heavy-duty work, installing wear plates can save them from excessive damages.

Why do Industrial Companies Need Wear Plates?

Manufacturing or industrial companies would highly make use of wear plates because of their processes.

Most of the machines their industry are performing heavy-duty work, so they need wear plates to lengthen the lifespan of their machines.

Are There Different Types of Wear Plates?

Yes, you can use different types of wear plates.

You can select them based on the specific use you need. The different types of wear plates are, but not limited to:

• 4140QT
• 4340QT
• C954 Aluminum Bronze
• AR400
• AR500

You’ll find these the most common types of wear plates, but there are other types out in the market.

What are the Materials of a Wear Plate?

There are many materials that comprise wear plates. However, the most common materials that complete it are:

• Hardened Materials (4140, D2, S7, 1045)
• Abrasion Resistant Grades (A514, AR400, and AR500)

What is AR in Steel?

The definition of AR is simply Abrasion Resistant. It is a type of steel plate, which is harder because it has more carbon levels.

What is the Difference Between AR400 and AR500?

AR stands for Abrasion Resistant; but AR400 and AR500 are two different plates. AR400 is a type of an alloy steel high in carbon.

It is specifically designed to make parts and components resistant to abrasion and wear.

AR500, on the other hand, has a medium carbon level. Unlike the AR400, the AR500 is most often used for resistance and toughness.

If you need a wear plate for an armored van, mining, manufacturing, and the like, AR500 is the wear plate for you.

What Makes AR500 Strong?

AR500 is known to have a high Brinell Hardness Number (BRN).

What makes AR500 so strong is t that it’s made with approximately 0.31% of carbon and it is packed with iron.

Is Wear Resistant The Same as an Abrasion Resistant (AR) Plate?

Yes, a wear resistant steel plate is technically the same thing as an Abrasion Resistant (AR) plate.

They’re usually intertwined because the majority of wear plates promote its property of being more resistant to abrasion.

Understanding What Abrasion Resistant Materials Are

They are the materials that you use to improve and enhance the durability of a part.

Due to its high carbon composition, it’s made shapeable and more weather resistant.

What Does the HB Mean in Metalworking?

In the welding or the metalworking industry, you use HB as the measurement of hardness.

It is the Brinell Hardness Number and it’s gotten through the division of the applied force to the diameter in mm and the depression in mm.

How Are Wear Resistant Steel Plates Made?

Similar to how most metals and steels are made, you can make them through quenching and tempering.

Quenching is the process of cooling a material or workpiece in water in a fast manner.

Tempering, then, is the process of treating the material by heating it to a higher temperature in the air.

When a piece is heated and quenched, that is the time when the crystal structures in the material are formed; and, this is what increases the hardness of the metal.

Reheating it again breaks the structures, along with the crystals made – which is responsible for the malleability of the material.

Repetition is what makes it hard, tough, and more challenging to break.

Is AR400 Better Than AR500?

AR400 and AR500 plates are AR plates that are 400 and 500 BHN, respectively.

The use of AR400 is in high wear resistance and is perfect for mining machinery and heavy-duty machinery.

AR500, on the other hand, is designed for impact and fatigue resistance, wear, corrosion, and abrasion resistance, and the like.

What’s the F in AR400F and AR500F?

Classifying wear resistant steel plates usually have the letter “F” at the suffix of their name. Although it’s not anymore that recognized today, it was a big thing before as it meant that a steel plate is “formable.”

It means that a material can be bent and folded to a degree without cracking or breaking.

Which Industries Can Find the Most Use of Wear Resistant Steel Plates?

The outstanding properties that wear resistant steel plates have make it functional and useful in the following industries:

• Heavy-Machinery Type of Industries
• Mining and Milling Industries
• For Funnels, Feeders, and Other Industrial Equipment
• Earth Moving
• And Many More

The hardness that it offers makes it the best type of material for some industries. You can use it to prevent and deter wear to your equipment, parts, and machines.

What Benefits Can You Get From Wear Resistant or Abrasion Resistant Steel Plates?

By using Abrasion Resistant steel plates, you’ll never have to think about damage and wear.

As a matter of fact, what you will be focusing on would be the output quality. Some of the most common benefits that you can get from using wear resistant steel plates include:

• Reduced costs for new equipment and machineries
• Higher capacity of work
• Longer lifespan of parts and components
• Continuous usage of machines
• And many more

What is AR400 Steel?

Many of you might still be confused about what AR400 steel is.

Stacks of AR400 steel ready to be distributed

To keep it short and simple, AR is an acronym for Abrasion Resistant. Furthermore, the value 400 simply stands for the nominal hardness level of the steel.

You can easily identify and classify AR400 steel as a type of carbon steel.

a Wear Resistant Steel Plate

A wear resistant steel plate, also called an AR plate or an abrasion resistant plate, is steel that is comes in many different grades.

tiff infomation

Example of what a wear resistant steel plate looks like

The main purpose of a wear resistant plate is to subdue premature wear that can be caused by various activities in different business sectors and industries.

What is an Abrasion Resistant Steel Plate?

It’s akin to what a wear resistant plate is.

Abrasion resistant steel plates, magnified

Furthermore, its main goal is to allow a part to be resistant even to harsh abrasion.

Composition of Wear Resistant Steel Plates

Different wear resistant plates are made up of different ingredients and components.

Abrasion resistant steel plates after heat treatment for composite integration

However, the most common and usual include:

• Carbon
• Iron
• Other Types of Alloys
• Chromium (in some cases)

These have varying measurements and grades, which depend on the use and the functionality it will have.

AR400 Steel: What is it Used For?

AR400 is a type of abrasion resistant steel with a nominal hardness of 400 BHN.

An example of what AR400 steel looks like

You can choose to use AR400 in a wide scale of applications, including:

• Serving as liners for heavy-duty and earth moving equipment
• Additives for coal and mining equipment
• Plates and wear material for buckets and excavator parts
• Rifle range targets
• And many more

The versatility of AR400 steel plates come from its hardness and overall flexibility.

Do You Need AR400 or an AR500 Steel Plate?

Choosing whether you need an AR400 or an AR500 wear resistant steel plate will depend on the application.

You would want to use AR400 steel if your activities will need high wear resistance levels. For instance, you can use AR400 to attach to digging blades and others of the like.

AR500, on the other hand, is perfect because of its high toughness and resistance levels. It’s harder, meaning, it’s a lot more brittle – and that basically means it’s not ideal for high impact applications and areas.

What is the Best Steel for Wear Resistance?

Out of the many different types and kinds of wear resistant steels, stainless steel remains to be the favorite.

Stainless steel stacked up onto one another

The shine and the ability of stainless steel to resist impact, corrosion, and abrasion make it the best nominee for wear resistance.

However, there are situations where other types of steel are more effective. So, you need to consider the application you would have for it.

Abrasion Resistant Steel Plate Manufacturers and Suppliers

You’ll be able to find many manufacturers of wear resistant steel plates over the internet.

There will never be a shortage of them – the only thing you have to take note of is who do you trust?

Some of the most popular wear resistant steel plate manufacturers include:

• HARDGUARD
• JADCO
• QT-Plus
• Fusion
• Duracorr

What is the Hardest Type of Metal?

There’s no specific answer to this question, but the metal with the alloy of nickel and iron are part of the hardest and the most reliable compounds.

Tungsten strips // Known to be the one of the hardest types of metal

If we were to consider this in our formula, the hardest would be tungsten, followed by chromium.

Again, you can play with the different factors that make up for the hardness of the metal.

What’s a Wear-Resistant Steel Chart?

It’s basically a chart that discusses a manufacturer’s catalog of wear resistant steel plates.

The earliest and the most classical form of wear-resistant steel charts only discuss the hardness of a material.

However, with the wear-resistant steel charts manufacturers have today, the following characteristics and traits are also seen:

• Abrasion Resistance
• Impact Resistance
• Weldability
• Machineablity
• Forming
• Oxy-Acetelyne Cutting

What’s included in the chart will depend from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Purpose of a Wear-Resistant Steel Chart

The main goal of a wear-resistant steel chart is to educate a buyer about the specifications of the wear plate a manufacturer is offering.

By carefully checking and inspecting the chart, you’ll know everything about a certain product. You’ll have a view of how resistant it is to abrasion, impact, and temperature – and the like.

What is the AR600 Steel Plate?

The AR600 steel wear plate is known to be one of the most sought after wear plates.

Example of what an AR600 steel plate looks like

Because of the nominal hardness of 600 BHN that it has, it’s tough and durable; however, it’s also brittle and is not ideal in high impact situations.

AR600 Steel Plate for Sale

You can find a ton of AR600 steel plates for sale in the market. Just searching the internet can give you the answers you need.

There are a myriad of manufacturers and suppliers you can trust and bank on. However, you’ll be able to find the best and the most trusted ones in China.

Steel wear plates’ usual thickness ranges from 0.18 mm to 3.5 mm, with widths playing around the ranges of 1000 mm, 1200 mm, 1219 mm, 1250 mm, etc.

In addition to that, there are also manufacturers that offer customized steel plates!

What are Chromium Carbide Overlay Plates?

Chromium Carbide Overlay or CCO, is a type of clad plate that is extra hard with high abrasion resistance.

You can consider it as an effective solution for cavitation, fretting, and even erosion even in high temperatures.

Compared to other types of wear plates, CCOs are low maintenance. Ideally, you can use them up to moderate impact.

What is a Hardox Plate?

A Hardox plate is a type of wear-resistant steel manufactured in Sweden. It is designed to be tougher, harder, but lighter than your average AR plates.

Where Can You Use Hardox Plates?

You can use Hardox Steel and Plates for a wide range of uses.

The high toughness and resistance it has is perfect for overlaying certain machines such as:

• Rock Crushing Machines;
• Conveyors
• Dump Trucks
• Excavation Machines
• And Others

What is Abrasion Resistant Steel?

You might have been reading it far too long without knowing what it is. In its simplest terms, abrasion resistant steel is a kind of steel that weathers all types of damages.

Being resistant to abrasion means that it is able to resist being worn out by the weather, friction, and the like.

What are Cladded Wear Plates?

Cladded wear plates are multi-layered plates, which are either low alloy steel plate or carbon combined with a cladded material.

Clad or cladding is an application that makes a material resistant to corrosion, scratches, and the like.

How Strong is AR400 Steel?

AR400 is a type of abrasion resistant steel that has the minimum hardness on the Brinell scale of 360.

It only has a nominal hardness of 400, putting it in the classification of carbon steel.

Its strength makes it efficient and effective for overlaying heavy equipment, mining, blades, and so on.

How Do You Weld a Wear Plate?

To be able to install a wear plate, it needs to be welded; and it’s not a difficult thing to do.

In fact, you can take note of these tips so you can weld a wear plate fast and easily:

1. Pre-heat the material where you will weld the wear plate to
2. Take the plate and attach it based on the design wanted
3. Weld it using the right type of welding method and material
4. Choose the correct and the most appropriate filler metal
5. For new equipment, it is advisable to use wire indoors

What is a Wear Liner?

Wear liners are solutions that protect your machines from different types of wear; from both the inside and the outside.

Oftentimes, they’re applied and installed to machines and equipment that are mobile. But, they can also be used for fixed machines, too.

Their main function is to protect the equipment that would be in areas of serious movements and operations, leading to abrasion and wear.

What are the Basic Types of Liners?

The basic types of wear liners can be categorized into three (3) types:

Ceramic Tiles

These are wear liners that you can use to protect parts and components from immoderate wear.

They’re usually made from a mixture of polyurethane panels and steel-backed rubber. When formed and molded, they become and form into ceramic.

Steel Plates

Steel plates are also what you can use to protect parts from excessive wear.

Unlike ceramic tiles, though, they’re usually made from steel plates from varying hardness grades and properties.

UHMWPE

Short for Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene, UHMWPE is for improvement of material flow. UHMWPE is best for friction resistance that can demote heat.

You’ll mainly want to use it in soft surfaces to improve movement within a certain route.

There are other types of wear liners; these are just the basic and the most classical ones you can get.

Where Can Wear Liners Be Applied?

Since they’re for protection, they’re usually applied to equipment in the mining and chemical sectors.

The most common applications you can use it for would include, but not limited to:

• Hoppers
• Transfer Chutes
• Screen Chutes
• Tanks
• Buckets
• Conveyors and Conveyor Belts
• Bulldozers
• Lifting Equipment
• Ball Mills
• And Others

As you can see, these are all high impact and abrasion activities.

You can find it most useful if your machines and equipment would be exposed to high levels of impact, friction, movement, and abrasion.

Wear Liners in the Mining Industry

Should you be involved in the mining industry, wear liners can help you by:

• Extending the lifecycle of a machine or a particular equipment
• Increases the wear resistance of parts
• Reduces chances of developing rust and corrosion
• And Many More

The mining sector is one of the areas that have high impact, wear, and abrasion. You’ll definitely find use for wear liners if you are in this particular sector or industry.

What are Chute Wear Liners?

A chute is a part or component that transports materials from a high level to a lower level.

It can be anything from livestock, coal, stones, rocks – even water and other liquids.

Chute wear liners are materials you can use to reduce wear from your usage of it. You can install chute liners either on the interior or exterior part of it – or both.

What are Wear Ceramic Liners?

They’re ceramic materials you can use to install to parts or components to reduce wear.

The common composite of it would be Aluminum Oxide (AL203) and a rare metal oxide. It’s then exposed to 1700 degrees Celsius and it’s roasted to a unique type of ceramic.

Is Ceramic a Good Wear Resistant Liner?

In terms of hardness and durability, ceramic wear liners are the winners.

You would want to use ceramic liners if you want to achieve:

• Reliability and Natural Sturdiness
• Smooth Surface
• Better Grain Quality

What are Rubber Wear Liners?

They’re wear liners that are designed to have a reduced impact and force on certain structures.

Mostly made from rubber, you can use rubber wear liners effectively in high and heavy impact areas.

Is Rubber a Good Wear Resistant Liner?

Rubber is known to be one of the best wear resistant liners in the market. Because it helps absorb the energy produced from impact; and they deflect it, which reduces damage.

You can also use them better because they last multiple times than steel. It’s a good alternative because it’s low in cost and it can insulate your machines and equipment.

What’s are the Goals of Wear Liners?

The main purpose of a wear resistant liner is to prevent excessive wear of a material. However, it can also be used to:

• Decrease maintenance costs
• Reduce vibration and noise
• Improve resilience of a material
• Improve corrosion resistance
• And others

Technically, you’ll want to use wear resistant liners to prolong the lives of your machines.  But, you can also use it to enhance your machines’ or your equipment’s properties.

Where can You Purchase Wear Plates?

You can purchase wear plates from a lot of manufacturers in the market.

But, the best production lines and manufacturers can be found in China.

Chinese Wear Plate Manufacturers

Chinese manufacturers of wear resistant plates have been one of the most trusted worldwide.

Because of the innovation and the affordability, Chinese manufacturers have been the favorite.

You can find many manufacturers of wear plates in the country, but the best is none other than us here at Waldun.

Wear Plate Prices and Rates

The rates and the prices of wear plates would depend on your manufacturer. Here with us at Waldun, we can guarantee you a cheap and an inexpensive rate.

Choosing Waldun can help you specify and customize the wear plate that you need!

Just tell us the specifics of the wear resistant plate you’ve been eyeing on and we’ll craft it for you!

Finding the Best Wear Plate Manufacturer

Years have passed and other manufacturers have never overtaken Waldun when it comes to wear plates.

Our skill and precision in creating and manufacturing wear resistant plates exceed the normal.

• We’re ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified
• Our products and services are accepted globally
• You can get a free sample of the wear plate you need
• We don’t require a Minimum Order Quantity (MoQ)
• You can choose the packaging of all our products

If you’ve been looking for the best and the highest quality of wear plates, choose Waldun! We’re always ready to help you with what you need, wherever you are!