NM500 Wear Plate: the Practical Top of the Hardness Scale
NM500 sits at the practical ceiling of wear-plate hardness: a 500 HBW-class quenched-and-tempered plate chosen when abrasion — not impact — is what destroys your equipment. Crusher liners, bucket lips and heels, screw conveyors, sand and gravel plant wear parts: where sliding abrasion dominates, the extra 50 HBW over NM450 buys measurable service life. Buyers searching for AR500 steel plate or a Hardox 500 equivalent are looking for exactly this class. Baohui Steel supplies NM500 as an annual-agreement partner of Baosteel, with the original mill test certificate for every shipment.
International equivalents
| Mill / standard | Designation |
|---|---|
| Baosteel · GB/T 24186 | NM500 |
| SSAB (Sweden) | Hardox 500 |
| thyssenkrupp (Germany) | XAR 500 |
| JFE (Japan) | JFE-EH500 |
| Dillinger (Germany) | Dillidur 500V |
| Ruukki (Finland) | Raex 500 |
| Generic (North America) | AR500 |
Real mill certificate data (delivered to Baohui)
Guaranteed values are one thing — delivered steel is another. This is inspection certificate No. BGBWI2504240235400, issued by Wuhan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. — the Wuhan base of Baowu Group — on 24 April 2025 for a delivered 12.00 × 2000 × 12000 mm NM500 plate:
| Property | Certificate result | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Brinell hardness | 518 / 516 / 518 HBW, average 517 | Comfortably inside the Hardox 500 hardness window |
| Yield strength ReL | 1,410 MPa | Matches the Hardox 500 typical value — as a measured result |
| Tensile strength Rm | 1,723 MPa | Very high strength reserve for extreme wear parts |
| Elongation A | 11 % | Normal for the class — hardness is bought with ductility |
| Charpy V KV2, −20 °C | 54 / 69 / 64 J, average 62 J | Above the Hardox 500 Tuf guaranteed level, on the base grade |
| Bend test | 90°, d = 8a (96 mm mandrel on 12 mm), OK | Forms cold with generous radii |
| Ladle analysis | C 0.27 %, S 0.001 %, CEV ≈ 0.61, Cr 0.67 % | Hardness chemistry — weld with discipline |
Two readings matter commercially. First, 62 J average at −20 °C on the base grade — SSAB itself only guarantees 27 J at −20 °C on the separate Hardox 500 Tuf product. Second, honest hardness chemistry: C 0.27 % and CEV ≈ 0.61 welds well, but demands low-hydrogen consumables, controlled heat input and preheat on thicker sections. Our line-by-line MTC guide shows how to verify these fields on any certificate you receive.
Measured vs delivery-condition values
| Property | Measured — certificate BGBWI2504240235400 | Guaranteed / reference |
|---|---|---|
| Brinell hardness | 517 HBW average | 500 HBW class — delivered plates typically 470–540 HBW |
| Tensile strength Rm | 1,723 MPa | Not stated as a single guarantee — hardness-class controlled |
| Elongation A | 11 % | ≥ 5 % |
| Impact KV2 | 62 J at −20 °C | Contract option on the base grade; NM500E guarantees ≥ 20 J at −40 °C |
NM500 vs Hardox 500 vs XAR 500: the 500 HBW class compared
| Grade | Mill | Hardness (HBW) | Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| NM500 | Baosteel (GB/T 24186) | 500 class; delivered avg 517 | Practical top of the hardness scale; FOB Shanghai 820–900 USD/MT |
| Hardox 500 | SSAB (Sweden) | 470–530 (plate ≤ 32 mm) | Reference brand; brand premium; 27 J at −20 °C only on Hardox 500 Tuf |
| XAR 500 | thyssenkrupp (Germany) | ~500 class | European mill alternative; project-specification driven |
| Dillidur 500V | Dillinger (Germany) | ~500 class | German mill alternative, project-driven |
The full head-to-head with pricing: NM500 vs Hardox 500 — specs, price and real mill certificate data. Weighing the American AR standard too? See AR500 vs Hardox 500 vs NM500.
NM500E: when impact or sub-zero temperatures join the wear
The same duty with impact energy or freezing temperatures — where a brittle fracture would stop the machine — calls for NM500E: the 500 HBW class with a guaranteed KV2 ≥ 20 J at −40 °C. Full E-series data (NM400E/NM450E/NM500E): −40 °C E-series wear plate.
Real stock dimension table (updated weekly)
We publish our actual stock because a stockholder can and a broker cannot. Current NM500 stock: 1,639.3 MT across 19 thicknesses from 3 to 50 mm (updated 2026-11-13; the weekly list lives on our wear plate price page).
| Thickness (mm) | Stock (MT) | Width × length (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0 mm | 75.6 MT | 1,500 × 4,000–6,000 |
| 4.0 mm | 100.9 MT | 1,500–2,000 × 5,000–6,000 |
| 5.0 mm | 158.6 MT | 1,500–2,200 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 6.0 mm | 213.0 MT | 1,500–2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 8.0 mm | 156.4 MT | 1,500–2,500 × 5,400–12,000 |
| 10.0 mm | 174.1 MT | 1,500–2,500 × 5,900–12,000 |
| 12.0 mm | 119.3 MT | 1,500–2,500 × 5,600–12,000 |
| 15.0 mm | 33.9 MT | 2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 16.0 mm | 136.2 MT | 2,000–2,500 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 18.0 mm | 14.9 MT | 2,200 × 12,000 |
| 20.0 mm | 15.4 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 12,000 |
| 25.0 mm | 73.5 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 30.0 mm | 14.5 MT | 2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 35.0 mm | 10.0 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 36.0 mm | 14.9 MT | 2,200 × 12,000 |
| 38.0 mm | 11.8 MT | 2,200 × 6,000 |
| 40.0 mm | 123.6 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 45.0 mm | 29.7 MT | 2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 50.0 mm | 162.9 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 6,000–12,000 |
Baosteel's thin-gauge program extends below this list — down to the 1.5 mm class — for lightweight wear parts; ask for current availability.
Applications by industry
Mining. Crusher liners, grizzly bars, chutes and hopper liners under rock and ore sliding abrasion.
Sand, gravel and aggregates. Screen decks, wear strips, classifier and conveyor wear parts.
Construction and earthmoving. Bucket lips and heels, cutting edges in high-abrasion duty.
Recycling and cement. Glass-recycling equipment, shredder wear parts, screw conveyor flights, mixer liners.
Fabrication and welding notes
NM500 is bought with ductility: 11 % elongation and d = 8a bending mean generous radii and disciplined welding. Use low-hydrogen consumables, control heat input, and preheat thicker sections — the certificate's CEV ≈ 0.61 tells you why. Baosteel's official welding procedure is summarized in our Baosteel welding guide. In-house we cut to size on 60 kW fiber lasers and offer shot blasting plus primer coating (Sa 2.5, 15–50 μm) before export packing.
Sizes, stock and supply
Thickness 3.0–50 mm in standing stock (table above), widths to 2,500 mm, lengths to 12,000 mm; thin gauges to 1.5 mm via Baosteel's thin-gauge program. Indicative FOB Shanghai: 820–900 USD/MT depending on thickness and volume — every shipment with the original Baosteel mill test certificate and ISO 14025-verified EPD. Typical HS code: 722540. SGS / BV third-party inspection available before loading. Request the current stock list and a firm quote.
FAQ
Is NM500 the same as Hardox 500 or AR500? Same hardness class and comparable properties — different mill and standard. Treat NM500 as the Hardox 500 / AR500 equivalent and verify each heat with the original mill test certificate we ship with every order.
Can NM500 be welded and bent? Yes, with discipline: the certificate shows 90° at d = 8a, and CEV ≈ 0.61 calls for low-hydrogen consumables, controlled heat input and preheat on thicker sections; see our welding guide.
When should I choose NM500 over NM450? When pure sliding abrasion dominates and forming is less critical — crusher liners, bucket lips, screw conveyors. If impact and abrasion arrive together, choose NM500E instead of chasing headline hardness.
What sizes can you ship? Standing stock covers 3.0–50 mm (table above), cut-to-size on 60 kW fiber lasers, from single trial plates to full container loads.
Which certificate do I get? The original Baosteel mill test certificate with heat number traceability, plus ISO 14025-verified EPD; EN 10204 3.1-equivalent documentation and third-party inspection (SGS / BV) on request.
Further reading
- NM400/NM450/NM500 wear plate hub (AR400 / Hardox 400/450/500 class)
- NM400 — the 400 HBW all-rounder · NM450 — the 450 HBW middle-weight
- NM550 wear plate (Hardox 550 class) · NM600/AR600 wear plate (Hardox 600 class) · E-series −40 °C wear plate
- NM500 vs Hardox 500: specs, price and real mill certificate data · AR500 vs Hardox 500 vs NM500
- Baosteel welding guide: preheat, filler metal and real joint data · China's wear-resistant steel mills, ranked
