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Rockwell Testing

Testing method for materials where an indenter is pressed against the material in two rounds and the difference in depth is measured and compared to estimate the material’s Rockwell Hardness.

Beskrivning
Illustration of Rockwell Testing

The process

An indenter [1] made of diamond is pressed with a predetermined pressure to the material [2] to create an indentation. This indentation is measured and used as a reference. The indentation is then pressed for a predetermined time interval, with a heavier load, again down against the same depression that is now deepened. The difference between the reference point and the depth of the newly formed depression depth gives a distance, which is compared in a table to calculate the Rockwell hardness of the material.

There are several different variations of Rockwell testing where force and indenter geometry varies. They are distinguished by the names HRA, HRB, HRC, etc. where HRB and HRC are the most common.

Rockwell Testing
Process films
Advantages and disadvantages
In comparison with alternative methods
Allows direct reading of hardness value without the need for optical reading
Quick method: The only method that can be fully automated
The instruments used for this method is the most popular
Restrictions on the thickness of the material
There is no specific scale for some materials
Tests should not be carried out near the edges of the material
All test sample should be distributed evenly over the entire surface of the material