HOWO Mining Truck Body Material | T700 & NM450 Steel Solution
Core conclusion: Full T700 body is not factory standard. The mainstream customized high-strength body adopts a hybrid material solution: side plates + front wall = T700 (700L) high-strength steel, floor + tailgate = NM400 / NM450 wear-resistant steel. This is the classic hybrid material solution for HOWO mining trucks manufactured by Tai’an Wuyue.Note: 700L marked on Tai’an Wuyue drawings refers to T700 high-strength steel in the industry; these two terms refer to the same grade of low-alloy high-strength steel and are used interchangeably in the market.
1. Three Body Versions for HOWO Mining Trucks (Tai’an Wuyue Superstructure)
Version 1: Economy manganese steel body (basic standard configuration, old models / low-budget orders)
Material: Q345B manganese steel (ordinary low-alloy steel plate)
Common plate thickness: Floor 16 mm, side plates 12 mm, tailgate 14 mm
Features: Lowest cost; heaviest self-weight; decent impact resistance, but poor wear resistance. Fast abrasion, denting and deformation under large ore conditions.
Application: Earthwork, sand & gravel, gangue, light mining, short-term projects.
❌ No T700 steel used
Version 2: Hybrid high-strength & wear-resistant body (T700(700L)+NM450) – mainstream customized option for mines
This is the "T700 high-strength body" mentioned by customers. The whole body is NOT made entirely of T700.
- Side plates and front bulkhead: T700 (700L) high-strength steel
Tensile strength at the 700 MPa level. Advantages: Good bending resistance, less prone to bulging and deformation; thinner plates can be used for equivalent strength to reduce tare weight and improve payload. Good weldability.
Disadvantage: Poor wear resistance, cannot withstand continuous friction and scraping, and is not suitable for floor plates.
- Floor and tailgate: NM400 / NM450 wear-resistant steel (Brinell hardness 400 / 450)
Quenched and tempered wear plate, designed for ore impact resistance and wear resistance, resisting rock impact and sliding friction during loading & dumping.
Typical plate thickness combination: Floor 16 mm (NM450), side plates 12 mm (T700), tailgate 14 mm (NM450); some 90-ton class mining trucks adopt lightweight specification: floor 14 mm, side plates 10 mm.
Body structure: Side plates with V-shaped stiffeners and multiple transverse reinforcing beams; multi-longitudinal beam structure under the floor to disperse falling material impact; stone deflector as standard.
✅ This is an optional order configuration, NOT factory standard. When placing orders, clearly specify "high-strength hybrid body: side plates 700L(T700), floor NM450".
Version 3: Full wear-resistant steel body (customized for heavy mining & large hard rock conditions)
Floor, side plates and tailgate all made of NM450 (imported Hardox450 is also available as upgrade)
Advantages: Best overall wear resistance, long service life for granite, metallic ore and high drop loading.
Disadvantages: Significantly increased tare weight, reduced payload; highest price; wear-resistant steel has lower toughness than T700 and may crack under extreme heavy impact.
❌ No T700 steel used
2. Performance Comparison: T700 High-Strength Steel vs NM450 Wear-Resistant Steel
Item | T700 (700L) High-Strength Steel | NM450 Wear-Resistant Steel |
Material Type | Low-alloy high-strength structural steel | Quenched & tempered wear-resistant steel |
Tensile Strength | ≥700 MPa | ≥1400 MPa |
Brinell Hardness | Approx. 240~280 HB | ≥450 HB |
Core Advantage | Good bending deformation resistance, light tare weight | Excellent wear resistance, anti-rock scraping |
Weakness | Low wear resistance, prone to thinning under long-term friction | Relatively brittle, easy to crack under heavy impact; heavier self-weight |
Suitable Position | Side plates, front bulkhead (to resist body expansion tension) | Floor, tailgate (direct ore impact and sliding) |
Common misunderstanding: Many sales claim "the whole body is T700". Virtually no mining truck uses full-T700 body. If the floor is pure T700, severe abrasion and large dents will appear on the floor within months when hauling ore.
3. Working Condition Selection Guide
Coal, sand & gravel, soft rock, priority on higher payload and weight reduction → Recommended: Hybrid body with T700 side plates + NM450 floor (most widely used in mining industry)
Large hard rock, iron ore, quarry, high drop of falling material → Recommended: Full NM450 wear-resistant body, prioritize wear life with slight payload sacrifice
Short-term earthwork project, limited budget → Q345 manganese steel basic body
4. Verification Points for Procurement (Avoid material inconsistency)
Material grade and plate thickness must be clearly stated in contract / technical agreement, distinguish material for side plates and floor. Simply writing "high-strength body" may lead to material substitution.
Original mill test certificate for steel plates: T700 (700L) and NM450 have completely different certificate grades for verification.
Nameplate / superstructure drawing: Tai’an Wuyue official drawings are normally marked as 700L, commonly known as T700 in the market, both refer to the same category of high-strength steel.
5. Supplementary Difference (Highway Tipper vs Off-Highway Mining Truck)
Highway muck tipper: Mostly use thin full NM450 plates for lightweight design, T700 side plates are rarely used.
Off-highway mining truck (60/70/90/105 ton large mining trucks): Widely adopt hybrid solution T700 side plates + NM wear-resistant floor.