NM400 vs NM500 Wear Plate: How to Choose

NM400 has Brinell hardness around HBW 360–440 and is the most weldable and formable wear-grade steel. It's used for bucket bottoms, hopper walls and conveyor liners with moderate impact.

NM500 has HBW 470–530 and gives roughly 1.5–2× the abrasion life of NM400. It's the standard for rock-bucket lining and dump-truck body liners that take heavy ore impact.

Welding: NM400 needs basic preheat (≥80°C for plates above 16mm). NM500 needs stricter preheat (120–150°C) and low-hydrogen electrodes.

Bending: NM400 can be cold-formed to R = 3×t, NM500 to R = 4×t. For tighter radii, choose NM400 or do hot bending.

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