NM400 Wear Plate: the 400 HBW All-Rounder
NM400 is the most versatile grade in Baosteel's wear-resistant steel program: a 400 HBW-class quenched-and-tempered plate that balances hardness, toughness and formability better than any other grade in the NM family. If a part needs bending, welding or machining — and most wear parts do — NM400 is usually the starting point. Buyers searching for AR400 steel plate or a Hardox 400 equivalent are looking for exactly this 400 HBW class. Baohui Steel supplies NM400 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 | NM400 |
| SSAB (Sweden) | Hardox 400 |
| thyssenkrupp (Germany) | XAR 400 |
| JFE (Japan) | JFE-EH400 |
| Dillinger (Germany) | Dillidur 400V |
| Ruukki (Finland) | Raex 400 |
| Generic (North America) | AR400 |
Real mill certificate data (delivered to Baohui)
Guaranteed values are one thing — delivered steel is another. Five original Baosteel inspection certificates from recent NM400 shipments delivered to Baohui Steel:
| Certificate | Mill | Spec (mm) | Yield (MPa) | Tensile (MPa) | EL (%) | Impact KV2 | Hardness HBW (avg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGSAI2410200614900 · 2024-10-20 | Baoshan, Shanghai | 12 × 1800 × 12000 | 1,049 | 1,271 | 18 | 73 J at −20 °C | 413 |
| BGBWI2506110451600 · 2025-06-11 | Wuhan Iron & Steel | 16 × 2000 × 12000 | 1,071 | 1,321 | 12 | 61 J at −20 °C | 419 |
| BGBWI2405200314900 · 2024-05-20 | Wuhan Iron & Steel | 8 × 2000 × 12000 | 1,222 | 1,298 | 10 | 58 J at −20 °C | 419 |
| BGSAI2510281743500 · 2025-10-28 | Baoshan, Shanghai (Q+T) | 5 × 1500 × 6000 | 1,256 | 1,269 | 11 | — | 427 |
| BGBWI2509230821600 · 2025-09-23 | Wuhan Iron & Steel | 10 × 2000 × 12000 | 1,127 | 1,280 | 13 | 62 J at −20 °C | 441 |
Five heats, two mills, 2024–2025: delivered hardness lands at 413–441 HBW every time — never at the floor of the 370–430 HBW class. Download an anonymized sample: real NM400 mill certificate (PDF).
Five heats measured vs GB/T 24186 guaranteed values
All figures below are measured batch data from the five original mill certificates above — the GB/T 24186 guaranteed values are shown for reference only.
| Property | Measured — 5 heats (certificates above) | GB/T 24186 guaranteed (reference) |
|---|---|---|
| Brinell hardness | 413–441 HBW average | 370–430 HBW (400 ± 30 class) |
| Tensile strength | 1,269–1,321 MPa | ≥ 1200 MPa |
| Elongation | 10–18 % | ≥ 9 % |
| Impact KV2 | 58–73 J at −20 °C | ≥ 17 J at −20 °C (NM400E option: −40 °C) |
NM400 vs Hardox 400 vs XAR 400: the 400 HBW class compared
| Grade | Mill | Hardness (HBW) | Positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| NM400 | Baosteel (GB/T 24186) | 370–430; delivered 413–441 | Best price-performance in the 400 class; FOB Shanghai 720–930 USD/MT series range |
| Hardox 400 | SSAB (Sweden) | 370–430 | Reference brand; sold through distributor network at a significant premium |
| XAR 400 | thyssenkrupp (Germany) | ~370–430 class | European mill alternative; project-specification driven |
| Raex 400 | Ruukki / SSAB Finland | ~400 class | Nordic mill alternative |
The full head-to-head with pricing: NM400 vs Hardox 400 — specs, price and real mill certificate data.
NM400E: the −40 °C cold-climate option
Need the same 400 HBW class but guaranteed impact at −40 °C? That is NM400E — identical hardness and formability with a guaranteed KV2 ≥ 20 J at −40 °C, built for freezing climates from Russia and Central Asia to Northern Europe and Canada. 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 NM400 stock: 2,767.9 MT across 18 thicknesses from 1.8 to 60 mm (updated 2026-11-13; the weekly list lives on our wear plate price page).
| Thickness (mm) | Stock (MT) | Width × length (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 1.8 mm | 3.8 MT | 1,250 × 8,300 |
| 3.0 mm | 88.9 MT | 1,200–1,500 × 3,000–12,000 |
| 4.0 mm | 267.1 MT | 1,350–2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 4.9 mm | 2.8 MT | 1,500 × 3,000 |
| 5.0 mm | 239.3 MT | 1,350–2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 6.0 mm | 377.6 MT | 1,350–2,080 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 8.0 mm | 497.3 MT | 1,500–2,080 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 10.0 mm | 462.4 MT | 1,500–2,080 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 12.0 mm | 265.5 MT | 1,500–2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 14.0 mm | 31.7 MT | 2,000 × 12,000 |
| 15.0 mm | 39.6 MT | 2,000 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 16.0 mm | 112.9 MT | 1,700–2,000 × 5,820–12,760 |
| 18.0 mm | 83.1 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 12,000 |
| 20.0 mm | 91.7 MT | 2,000 × 8,000–12,000 |
| 25.0 mm | 41.7 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 5,000–12,000 |
| 40.0 mm | 60.8 MT | 2,000–2,200 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 50.0 mm | 67.4 MT | 2,200 × 6,000–12,000 |
| 60.0 mm | 34.5 MT | 2,200–2,500 × 6,000–8,000 |
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 and quarrying. Dump truck bodies and floors, loader and excavator buckets, chutes and hopper liners — where impact toughness matters as much as hardness.
Construction and earthmoving. Cutting edges and end bits, bulldozer blades, mixer truck drum liners, asphalt paver screeds.
Cement, concrete and aggregates. Mixer liners, wear strips, conveyor components — high-abrasion, moderate-impact duty.
Agriculture and recycling. Trailer bodies, shredder and grab wear parts, trommel screens.
Fabrication and welding notes
NM400 is the most formable grade in the NM family — but it is still a quenched-and-tempered 400 HBW steel: use low-hydrogen consumables, respect preheat for thicker sections, and keep cutting heat input low. Baosteel's official welding procedure — preheat temperatures, filler selection and real joint data — 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 1.8–60 mm in standing stock, widths to 2,500 mm, lengths to 12,760 mm; thin gauges to 1.5 mm via Baosteel's thin-gauge program. Indicative FOB Shanghai for the NM series: 720–930 USD/MT depending on grade, 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 NM400 the same as Hardox 400 or AR400? Same hardness class and comparable properties — different mill and standard. Treat NM400 as the Hardox 400 / AR400 equivalent and verify each heat with the original mill test certificate; we ship one with every order.
Can NM400 be welded and bent? Yes — it is the most formable NM grade. Use low-hydrogen consumables, control heat input, and follow preheat guidance for thicker sections; see our welding guide.
NM400, NM450 or NM500 — which one do I need? By wear mode: moderate sliding abrasion plus forming → NM400; higher abrasion with retained toughness → NM450; severe sliding abrasion, forming less critical → NM500.
What sizes can you ship? Standing stock covers 1.8–60 mm (table above), cut-to-size on 60 kW fiber lasers, 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)
- NM450 — the 450 HBW middle-weight · NM500 — the 500 HBW heavy-duty class
- NM550 wear plate (Hardox 550 class) · NM600/AR600 wear plate (Hardox 600 class)
- NM400 vs Hardox 400: specs, price and real mill certificate data
- Baosteel welding guide: preheat, filler metal and real joint data
