Rockwell Hardness Testing

Hardness implies resistance to deformation; in the case of metals, this characteristic is a measure of their resistance to permanent or plastic deformation.

Buehler Macromet 3 Rockwell / Superficial Hardness Tester

Rockwell hardness testing is the most widely used method for determining hardness, primarily because the Rockwell test is simple to perform. By the use of different loads and indenters, Rockwell hardness testing can determine the hardness of most metals and alloys. Rockwell hardness values are expressed as a combination of a hardness number and a scale symbol representing the indenter and the minor and major loads. For example: 64 HRC represents the Rockwell hardness number of 64 on the Rockwell C scale. The majority of applications are covered by the B, C and Superficial scales for testing steel, brass and other metals.