In steel applications where abrasion is an issue, AR500 steel plate can stand up to the test time and time again. That is because it is made from abrasion resistant steel properties and, as a result, offers outstanding wear and impact resistance. In addition AR500 steel affords fatigue and corrosion resistance for applications in which heavy wear and exposure to the elements are issues. In fact, this steel plate is so reliably made that consumers can count on it to perform consistently every time with no surprises. Following are some of the specifications that lend to that reliability.
AR500 steel plate achieves its surface hardness of a minimum of approximately 477 BHN and core hardness of approximately 450 BHN through a quenching and tempering process. As a result of this heavy duty strength, it is often the material of choice the heaviest wear applications. Machining AR500 can be a challenge. Drilling, countersinking, counterboring, tapping, milling, and general machining can be difficult due to its high hardness properties.
Although not typically intended for structural use, AR500 can be welded if low hydrogen-producing electrodes are used. In addition, when premium grades of AR500 steel plate are heat treated, they exhibit excellent through-hardening, improved forming and welding capabilities.
All of these properties add up to AR500 steel being a suitable material for mining equipment manufacturers, in the truck and trailer industries (in particular for chute liners), in forestry, in construction, and in the concrete and aggregate industries, all of which routinely require the abrasion and impact resistance on their equipment that AR500 provides. Whether it is slide wear, rub wear or heavy wear that a business is seeking to combat, AR500 steel plate can help them do just that.
Now that you know where AR500 steel is used, let’s talk a little bit about the basics surrounding it. The AR in the name isn’t just for branding purposes. It actually stands for abrasion resistance to indicate what this type of steel has to offer as its biggest selling point. The second half of the name, 500, indicates the approximate Brinell hardness of the steel, which represents the indentation hardness of a material through the scale of “penetration of an indenter.”
That hardness allows AR500 to withstand pressure of approximately 110 tons, 220,000 pounds. In comparison, mild steel amounts to only 120 on the Brinell scale. This is why steel targets are often made of AR500 steel instead of mild steel. Whereas mild steel produces divots when hit by bullets, even when it is double plated. Without the double plating the bullets pass right through the mild steel. On the other hand, when AR500 is used as a target, there is no damage done to the steel when the bullets hit it. The front surface remains nice and clean with no bumps, dents or penetration through the backside. This remains the case after multiple rounds of ammunition from a wide range of guns.
If AR500 steel can hold up to impacts like these then imagine what it can do in all your abrasive applications. Why trust them to anything else?