SSAB has decided to invest in a new quenching line (Q&T) in Oxelösund, which will be essential for the ability to grow in advanced wear steels and protection steels, such as Hardox® 500 Tuf and Armox.
The investment is estimated at SEK 3.3 billion over four years and is included in the strategic capex frame presented at its Capital Markets Day in 2025. The production start is planned for 2030 and the investment will support the growth of SSAB Special Steels’ most profitable products.
“The demand for protection steel is growing globally and SSAB’s unique offerings give us a leadership position with customers in the defence industry. In addition, growth continues to be strong also for other advanced steels, including wear steels. This new quenching line will initially add around 100 thousand tonnes in capacity enabling us to serve the most advanced customer needs,” says Per Elfgren, Head of SSAB Special Steels.
The investment supports SSAB’s strategic focus on accelerating premium leadership. Compared with conventional steels, Hardox wear plate enables strong, lightweight designs that increase payload, improve uptime and reduce fuel consumption. Armox is market-leading in high-quality protection steel, offering the widest range of options for both civilian and defence applications.
As an example, Hardox 500 Tuf has a guaranteed hardness interval of 475-505 HBW for high wear resistance in the most challenging abrasive applications in mining. The toughness makes Hardox 500 Tuf perform as a structural wear steel. SSAB: “It will keep your dump body in good shape, standing up to impact from large and heavy objects striking the plate. The high toughness with a guaranteed impact energy of 27 J at -20°C, and a typical value of 45 J at -40°C gives you great performance in any climate – even better for equipment operating in freezing conditions.”
For attachments, SSAB says the combination of high strength, hardness and toughness that Hardox 500 Tuf brings means customers can avoid very heavy wear packages or costly repairs because the attachments will last longer – potentially, up to 100% longer compared to using a 400 Brinell steel or conventional AR steel.
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