SSAB is a specialized steel company that manufacture its products in Scandinavia and the USA. Only SSAB produces genuine Hardox® wear plate. The well-known steel brand Hardox® wear plate is owned by SSAB and is a registered trademark.

In Africa, Hardox® wear steel is solely available through SSAB’s own sales channels and in end-use equipment produced by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), some of whom are members of the quality program Hardox® In My Body.

The product essentials that only Hardox® wear steel can provide

• Consistent hardness from the surface to the core of the material.

Hardox® wear steel will offer an exceptional service life in the most challenging wear conditions. Steels that are not hard to the core will wear out quickly, leading to alarming costs for production stops and emergency repair and maintenance.

• Strength in accordance with the material’s specification.

The high strength of Hardox® wear plate makes the steel resistant to denting and buckling when hit by rocks and other large and heavy objects. Since Hardox® is, in many cases, used as a structural material in tipper bodies, containers and buckets, the strength results in high structural integrity of the equipment.

• Toughness is a unique benefit of Hardox® wear plate

Hardox® wear steel is a material that combines high wear resistance with high toughness. Steel with inferior toughness has a high risk of sudden and potentially dangerous failure if the steel fractures because it is stressed beyond its breaking point.

• Guaranteed properties

Hardox® wear steel is an extremely consistent material, thanks to a carefully controlled chemical composition and production process. That is why Hardox® steel comes with product guarantees which include the steel’s flatness, thickness and bending properties. This ensures predictable workshop performance and end products with a high and uniform quality.

• Certification

Every Hardox® plate, sheet tube and round bar is accompanied by an SSAB mill certificate for the material delivered. If a seller cannot provide an SSAB certificate, this is a clear sign that the product is not legitimate.

Our product brands are available throughout Sub-Sahara Africa and this is our most valuable assets. When they enter the market, SSAB's products carry with them a great deal of recognition and trust, which reflects the quality of the products. We therefore want to encourage customers in Africa to buy only genuine Hardox steel produced by SSAB and sold through our sales channels. We will do our outmost to ensure you only get steel that you can trust. If you come across branded steel that you suspect is not genuine Hardox® wear plate, we encourage you to immediately contact SSAB Africa’s sales team.“

What to do if you have reason to suspect the steel you are offered or have received is not genuine Hardox® wear plate

Get in touch with SSAB’s sales representatives in South Africa. Contact information can be found on SSAB’s website Or take your questions directly to Marketing.

If SSAB is alerted of counterfeit steel on the market that poses as Hardox® wear plate, we will take legal action towards any manufacturer, distributor or seller that makes or trades in such steel. It’s vital for us that only genuine Hardox® wear steel is available for our customers, which rely on the safe and reliable performance of Hardox®.