“Effective Welding of Wear-Resistant Steels: Tips and Solutions from Certilas”
Wear-resistant steels are used in various applications worldwide. The versatility of these steels makes it usable in extreme environments such as mining, recycling, construction and transportation. These steels are marketed by various manufacturers under different names such as Hardox®, Raex®, Dillidur®, XAR® etc... However, welding these advanced steels requires more than the standard procedures. Certilas offers specialized CEWELD welding consumables that seamlessly meet the requirements of these materials and comply with the most stringent international standards.
The basis of these materials is a hardened and tempered steel with an excellent combination of:
- High hardness (up to 600 HBW)
- Good toughness even at low temperatures
- Constant mechanical properties throughout the sheet thickness
These properties can create welding risks such as cold cracking or loss of toughness in the HAZ (Heat Affected Zone). Risks that can be controlled by proper pre-treatment, heat control and material selection.
| Features / brand | Hardox | Raex | Dilidur | Xar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SSAB (Sweden) | SSAB (Finland) | Dillinger (Germany) | Thyssenkrupp (Germany) |
| Hardness range (HBW) | 400-600 | 400-500 | 400-500 | 400-600 |
| Common types | 400, 450, 500, 600 | 400, 450, 500 | 400, 450, 500 | 400, 450, 500, 600 |
| Wear resistance | Very high | High | High | Very high |
| Toughness | Excellent (definitely 450/500) | Good | Good | Good to very good |
| Weldability | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Machinability | Reasonable | Reasonable | Reasonable | Reasonable |
| Applications | Heavy duty, Scrapers, mining | Containers, machines | Earthmoving machinery | Transportation, construction machinery |
| Remarks | Global reputation, consistent quality | More cost-effective than Hardox | Robust, heavy-duty | Industrial heavy weights |
Table 1
MIG/MAG (GMAW)
Stick electrode (SMAW)
TIG (GTAW)
FCAW or MCAW (Flux- or metal cored wire)
- Low hydrogen supply (H5 or lower)
- Preheating (if necessary)
- Correct control of heat input
CEWELD products are designed for these conditions and have low hydrogen content, excellent arc stability and high impact toughness.
For a good joint, the following steps are essential:
- Remove contaminants (rust, oil, coating) up to 25 mm from the weld seam
- Machining the weld seam mechanically (e.g., grinding or cutting)
- Avoid thermal influences such as oxy-fuel cutting
Certilas recommends cleaning the weld seam with mechanical tools and keeping it dry and grease-free to prevent hydrogen inclusion.
The correct preheat temperature according to Table 2 is crucial to prevent cracking and depends on the following factors:
- Plate thickness
- Hardness grade (e.g., 400 vs. 600)
- Ambient temperature
- Hydrogen content in the filler material
| Thickness (mm) | HBW 400/450 | HBW 500 | HBW 600 |
| <20 mm | 20 tot 75 °C | 100 °C | 125 °C |
| 20–40 mm | 100 °C | 125 °C | 150 °C |
| > 40 mm | 125 °C | 150 °C | to 175 °C |
Table 2
Certilas recommendation: Use H5-classified filler material to reduce the required preheat temperature.
Interpass temperature:
The maximum interpass temperature for the wear resistant materials from HBW 400 to HBW 600 is 225 °C
Heat input should be limited to prevent microstructure change and toughness loss in the HAZ.
Welding with low heat-input has a positive influence on wear resistance, deformation, toughness and strength.
Recommended maximum heat input:
- Wear-resistant steel grades HBW 400/450: 1.5 kJ/mm
- Wear-resistant steel grades HBW 500/600: 1.0 kJ/mm
However, too low heat-input will adversely affect toughness. Cooling should be gradual. If necessary, cover the weld under insulation blankets to avoid rapid cooling, especially in cold weather or thin plates.
Q = Heat input (KJ/mm)
U = Arc Voltage (V)
I = Current (A)
V = Travel Speed (mm/s)
The choice depends on:
- Mechanical requirements
- Welding position
- Thickness and hardness
| Welding process | CEWELD Product | EN ISO Standard | AWS Standard |
| GMAW | CEWELD Ultra Clean III | 14341-A: G 46 5 M21 4Si1 | A 5.18: ER 70S-6 |
| MCAW | CEWELD AA M400 CEWELD AA M460 |
17632-A: T 46 4 M M21 1 H5 17632-A: T 46 6 M M21 1 H5 |
A 5.18: E70C-6M H4 A 5.18: E70C-6M H4 |
| FCAW | CEWELD AA R400 CEWELD AA R460 |
17632-A: T 46 4 P M21 1 H5 17632-A: T 46 4 P M21 1 H5 |
A 5.20: E71T-1M-J H4 A 5.20: E71T-1M-J H4 |
| SMAW | CEWELD E 7018-1 | 2560-A: E 42 4 B 32 H5 | A 5.1: E 7018-1 H4R |
| GTAW | CEWELD SG 2 Tig CEWELD SG 3 Tig |
636-A: W 46 5 3Si1 636-A: W 50 5 4Si1 |
A 5.18: ER 70S-6 A 5.18: ER 70S-6 |
Table 3
High-strength welding consumables such as CEWELD Ultra Clean ER 110 Ti (Re max. 900 MPa) can be used for wear-resistant steels with HBW 400 and 450 with thicknesses from 1.0 mm to 6.0 mm.
Low-alloy welding consumables result in a higher hardness of the weld metal which can reduce the wearrate of the weld metal. If the wearrate of the weld metal is essential, the cap of the weld joint can be welded with welding consumables used for hardfacing (see hardfacing or overlay welding below).
Stainless welding consumables
Welding consumables of austenitic stainless steel according to Table 4 can be used for welding all wear-resistant materials. They are suitable for welding at room temperature between 5-20°C without preheating (except > HBW 600 types)
| Welding process | CEWELD Product | EN ISO Standard | AWS Standard |
| GMAW | CEWELD 307Si | 14343-A: G 18 8 Mn | A 5.9: ~ER 307 |
| FCAW | CEWELD AA 307 CEWELD AA 307P |
17633-A: T 18 8 Mn R M21 3 17633-A: T 18 8 Mn R M21 1 |
A 5.22: ~E307T0-G A 5.22: ~E307T1-1 4 |
| SMAW | CEWELD 4370 Ti | 3581-A: E 18 9 Mn Mo R 12 | A 5.4: E 307-16 |
| GTAW | CEWELD 307Si Tig | 14343-A: W 18 8 Mn | A 5.9: ~ER 307 |
Table 4
Wear-resistant steels are also generally well suited for overlay welding and hardfacing. Important points of attention:
It is preferable to weld a buffer layer with extra high toughness between the regular weld joint or plate and the hardfacing. Stainless steel welding consumables such as CEWELD 307 types as described in Table 4 should preferably be used for the buffer layer.
Depending on the desired wear resistance, the following wear-resistant welding consumables can be used, for example:
CEWELD AA M37-42 (40 HRc)
CEWELD AA M57-62 (60HRc)
CEWELD MA 600 (1.4817) (60 HRc)
In areas where even greater wear is expected, a welding consumable with even higher wear resistance can be chosen, such as CEWELD OA 60-68B a high-alloy chromium-free welding consumable with a hardness of 65 HRc.
Max. interpass temperature hardfacing: 150 °C
De CEWELD Wear Plate Pro is a wear-resistant plate that protects surfaces from extreme wear and tear in industries such as mining, earthworks and the cement industry. These sheets offer several advantages:
- Efficient: Up to 10 times faster to apply than hardfacing
- Consistent hardness: No dilution with the base material
- Minimal heat input: Prevents negative effects on base material and maintains strength
- Convenient size: Dimensions of 150x100x5 mm make transportation and installation easy
- Weight savings: Up to 50% less weight compared to traditional clad plates
- Increased wear resistance: The pattern with gaps between the plates provides additional wear resistance
For optimal performance, it is recommended to weld the CEWELD Wear Plate Pro with CEWELD CroNi 29/9 S.
Would you like to know more about the CEWELD Wear Plate Pro? Read the blog 'Wear and tear solutions'.
Welding wear-resistant steels requires technical precision, material knowledge and high-quality filler materials. With CEWELD Welding consumables, you choose:
- Full compatibility
- Low hydrogen with high toughness
- Standard-compliant products
- Specialty solutions for wear & load
