AR400 Steel Sheet Metal

One of two abrasion-resistant grade steels offered here at SendCutSend, AR400 steel is formulated to take a massive amount of punishment and abuse. Used in shooting range targets, armor plating, and quarry machinery, this material is ready to provide your projects with toughness and durability.

AR400 size and thickness options

Min/max sizes for cutting:

Instant quote
A: .25″ x .375″
B: 30″ x 44″

Custom quote
C: 30″ x 56″

Available Thicknesses:

.250″ (6.35mm)

This Material is available at SendCutSend with a range of thicknesses and part sizes. Instant quotes are possible for dimensions between .25" x .375" and 30" x 44", while custom quoting extends the maximum size to 30" x 56".

AR400 sheet metal material details and specifications

.250" AR400 Steel

6.35mm AR400 Steel

Get started with instant pricing with a sample file!

Get started with instant pricing!

AR400 feature chart

Strength

Corrosion Resistance

Weldability

Toughness

Formability

Machinability

Heat Treating

Strength-to-Weight Ratio

AR400 steel parts custom laser cut by SendCutSend

What is AR400?

AR400 Steel is a high-strength, abrasion-resistant alloy that is specifically engineered to withstand wear and impact in challenging environments. It has exceptional durability and resistance to surface abrasion and gouging.

You’ll find this steel in applications such as construction machinery, mining equipment, and manufacturing components subject to continuous wear.

What can you make with AR400 parts?

Laser cut AR400 plate shines with its low maintenance costs and its through-hardness, positioning it as an economical fit for large-scale mining operations and industries with high wear risk. This steel is three times stronger than mild steel and it can take almost any punishment you throw at it.

Our laser cut AR400 steel is guaranteed

We guarantee awesome quality parts. If you’re not 100% happy, we’ll give you a refund or remake on the spot – no questions, no hassle.

SendCutSend's custom laser cut AR400 steel parts come with a money-back guarantee

Materials similar to AR400

AR400 FAQs

SendCutSend offers AR 400 in one thickness option: .250″ (6.35mm).

When ordering AR 400 through SendCutSend, there are specific size and thickness parameters to keep in mind. For instant quoting, the smallest part size available is .25″ x .375″, while the largest part supported is 30″ x 44″. For larger projects, custom quotes are available for sizes up to 30″ x 56″.

You can add the following services to your AR400 parts:
Laser Cutting

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Upload your CAD design, or try one of our customizable part templates to get instant pricing on your custom laser cut parts. All delivered to your door in a matter of days.

AR400 Steel: wear plate properties, cutting, and fabrication FAQs

Top 5 must-know things about AR400

  • AR400 is a quenched-and-tempered abrasion-resistant steel with nominal ~400 HBW hardness built to resist wear, sliding abrasion, and repeated impact.
  • Sits below AR500 in hardness, but is easier to fabricate (cutting and limited forming) and often a better fit for wear liners and structural wear parts.
  • SendCutSend laser cuts AR400 for clean edges and tight tolerances (±0.005″).
  • Excellent for wear plates, buckets, chutes, off-road skid plates, and industrial tooling exposed to abrasion.

What is AR400 steel?

AR400 is part of the abrasion-resistant (AR) family of steels engineered for high wear environments. The “AR” denotes abrasion resistance; the “400” indicates a nominal 400 Brinell hardness. Through quenching and tempering, AR400 achieves a mix of hardness, strength, and toughness that outlasts mild steels in sliding or gouging wear. It’s a workhorse for liners, wear strips, and impact faces in heavy-duty service.

At SendCutSend, AR400 is precision laser cut so you can go straight from CAD to durable, production-ready wear parts.

What does “AR400” mean, and how hard is it?

“AR400” is shorthand for an abrasion-resistant steel engineered to achieve about 400 HBW hardness. Real-world plate often lands in a window (roughly 360–440 HBW), balancing surface hardness for wear with enough ductility to survive impact without shattering. This balance is why AR400 is a common choice for wear plates that still see bending or shock.

What are the material properties of AR400?

Property values vary by mill and thickness, but AR400 generally targets:

  • Hardness: ~360–440 HBW (nominal “400”)
  • Tensile strength: commonly in the 170–190+ ksi range
  • Yield strength: typically > 140 ksi
  • Elongation: lower than mild steel; depends on thickness/heat treatment
  • Density: ~0.283 lb/in³ (steel baseline)

The key takeaway: AR400’s elevated hardness and strength deliver much longer life under abrasion than A36 or similar mild steels.

Can AR400 be laser cut? What methods work best?

Yes, fiber laser cutting is an excellent method for AR400, and it’s how SendCutSend produces clean, repeatable parts:

  • Tolerances: we hold ±0.005″ on laser-cut parts.
  • Edge quality: smooth, minimal dross, tight kerf that is ideal for holes, slots, and detailed profiles.
  • Heat input: lower and more localized than plasma/oxy-fuel, helping preserve base properties away from the edge.

DIY cutting tools (abrasive saws, consumer plasma) tend to leave rough edges, wider kerfs, and larger HAZ—which can soften the steel where you need it hardest.

What edge condition / HAZ effects occur when cutting AR400?

All thermal cutting creates a heat-affected zone (HAZ) In AR steels, the HAZ can modify hardness: plasma/oxy-fuel often produce wider, softer edges; fiber laser cutting keeps the HAZ narrow so the base hardness is better preserved. Where edge hardness matters (e.g., wear lip), laser cutting is a strong choice.

What are typical applications where AR400 shines?

AR400 is ideal for anywhere steel slides, scrapes, or gets pounded:

  • Wear liners & wear bars: chutes, hoppers, conveyors, buckets.
  • Off-road/industrial armor: skid plates, rock guards, protective panels.
  • Agricultural/mining/construction: blades, scraper edges, impact plates.
  • Tooling & fixtures: where long-life surfaces reduce downtime.

If you’re replacing mild-steel plates frequently, AR400 often cuts maintenance cycles and total cost of ownership.

How does AR400 compare to AR500 (and other AR grades)?

  • Versus AR500: AR400 is softer but more forgiving—generally easier to process and less crack-prone in limited forming. AR500 offers higher surface hardness (better for extreme impact/target faces) but is less formable and tougher to weld.
  • Versus AR450/AR460: incremental steps up in hardness; choose based on wear severity versus fabrication needs.
  • Versus mild steel (A36): AR400 dramatically outlasts A36 Mild Steel in abrasion but is less ductile and more demanding to weld/form.

Rule of thumb: pick AR400 when you need durability + workable fabrication; pick AR500 when maximum surface hardness is the priority and forming is minimal.

When should you fabricate AR400 yourself vs outsource to SendCutSend?

You can cut AR400 in-house with industrial equipment, but the usual DIY routes (abrasive saws, consumer plasma) lead to slow cutting, tool wear, wide kerfs, and large HAZ. Precision holes/slots and fine features are especially tricky.

Outsourcing to SendCutSend delivers:

  • ±0.005″ laser-cut accuracy with crisp geometry.
  • Narrow HAZ to better preserve wear properties at the edge.
  • Fast turnarounds (parts typically ship in 2–4 days).

For most teams, outsourcing reduces consumables, rework, and schedule risk while improving consistency.

Conclusion

AR400 hits a versatile sweet spot for abrasion-resistant wear parts: hard enough to dramatically outlast mild steel, yet workable enough to integrate into real-world assemblies with controlled welding and limited forming. With fiber-laser precision (±0.005″), narrow HAZ, and fast 2–4-day turnarounds, SendCutSend makes it straightforward to turn your CAD into durable liners, guards, and skid plates.