Swedish steelmaker SSAB is promoting its 'Made with Hardox' certification programme for equipment and spare parts made from wear steel. The label promises end customers quality assurance – but how does the certification function, who stands to gain, and what market relevance does the programme have in the fiercely competitive wear steel sector?
**How does the 'Made with Hardox' programme work?**
The certification programme is aimed at machinery manufacturers and suppliers who incorporate Hardox wear steel into their products. Hardox is a registered trademark for high-strength wear steel used in mining, demolition, recycling and earthmoving operations. Typical applications include excavator buckets, screening plants, hoppers and crushing solutions.
SSAB awards the label to manufacturers who demonstrably use original material and adhere to specific processing standards. The certificate is therefore not merely a material seal, but rather a product quality assurance at manufacturer level.
**Who benefits from the certificate?**
From SSAB's perspective, the programme serves several objectives: brand protection through avoiding confusion with inferior products, building end-customer confidence through a recognisable quality seal, and sales support through marketing materials and logo usage.
For machinery builders and suppliers, the advantage lies in differentiation. In the fiercely competitive attachments market, material quality and durability rank among the most important sales arguments. The Hardox certificate signals to potential customers: 'No corners were cut on materials here.'
**What role does wear steel play?**
Wear steel is a niche category within the construction materials sector. Its primary application lies in civil engineering, demolition and material processing – anywhere abrasive minerals such as sand, gravel, rock or construction waste are handled. In the context of circular construction, the material gains additional significance: the more durable crushing solutions and recycling technology are, the more efficiently recycled construction materials can be processed.
**Market significance and business model**
SSAB is not the sole supplier of high-strength wear steel. The difference lies in the branding strategy: whilst many manufacturers primarily market their products through technical datasheets, SSAB pursues a closed ecosystem of certification and co-branding. The business model demonstrates how steelmakers can differentiate themselves from commodity competition.
