Tata Steel will introduce Valast 450, its new high-endurance steel sheet, at Blechexpo in Stuttgart.

According to Tata Steel, Valast 450 was developed in close collaboration with world-leading OEMs, has a typical hardness of 450 HBW and is designed to extend the product life of equipment that is subject to high abrasion wear, such as tipper trucks, dump trucks and asphalt pavers.

Tata Steel claims to be the first company to offer this abrasion-resistant strip product in special dimensions from 2 - 12 mm thick and 1,000 - 2,000 mm wide.

The steelmaker guarantees impact toughness of ≥34 J/cm2 (up to -40 degrees Celsius) and a yield stength of 1,250 MPa. This allows the down-gauging of material in wear-intensive applications for lighter, more fuel efficient vehicles and equipment.

Steel hardness, says Tata Steel, is vital to the development of high performance, abrasion-resistant steel. According to ASTM G65 Standard, the abrasion resistance of Valast 450 is 2.5 times greater than structural steel (e.g. S355). Additionally, it is claimed to offer 'consistent dimensional tolerances and flatness to comply with EN 10051' and can be supplied in customised lengths.

Tata Steel says that Valast 450 hot-rolled strip offers superior surface quality when compared with reversing mill plate in ‘as rolled’ condition and the result is claimed to befurther cost advantages. Due to its high surface quality, Tata says there is no need for shot blasting; tighter tolerances are claimed to reduce waste as well as the need for rework; and the wider dimensions of the material allow easier processing.

In order to develop optimal application solutions for each individual user, Tata Steel offers individual technical support also for Valast 450, which can be extended to include Tata Steel’s Advanced Engineering Service based on CAD analysis and simulation. Valast’s low CET of less than 0.33 ensures that all conventional welding methods can be used. It is fully accredited and available only via a proven supply chain.

Adrian Davies, marketing manager engineering at Tata Steel, commented: “Valast 450 was developed in close co-operation with major OEMs and thus takes into account key customer requirements. The long lasting high quality of Valast 450 ensures that users maximise their processing efficiency and end product performance, while staying protected from costly downtime.”