Experiment 5
Rockwell Hardness Testing
Objectives:
1. To study the hardness of different material
2. To understand the principles of Rockwell hardness testing
Introduction
Hardness refers to the resistance, which a body has to the penetration of another. Accordingly, in
common hardness testing methods, a hard test body is pressed into the sample perpendicular to
its surface.
A three-dimensional stress forms in the sample beneath the penetrating test body. Lasting
impressions can be achieved in very hard and brittle materials without resulting in cracks. This
distinguishes hardness testing from tensile testing in which only a mono-axial stress is generated
in the sample and no plastic deformation is possible with hard materials.
One advantageous aspect of hardness testing is that, in contrast to tensile testing, material
properties can be determined without destroying the sample, apart from the relatively small
impression made by the test body.
One disadvantageous of hardness testing is that it is only possible to give a number
corresponding to strength, which depends on the test method used, but not the strength itself. For
this reason, the test method used must always be specified.
Rockwell Hardness
The Rockwell hardness tester is a reliable hardness tester used most widely for testing metal to
plastic materials due to its easy handling even by inexperienced operators and relatively little
personnel errors in measurement. The test is conducted according to E18-07 Standard TEST
Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials. The test principles and testing procedures
are identical for both the Rockwell and Rockwell superficial hardness test.
The superficial hardness tester is almost equivalent to the Rockwell type hardness tester in its
principle and structure. Since its indentation is minute due to small test load, it is the most
suitable for measurement of thin metal plates and completed parts, minute parts of watches,
clocks and computers, and carburized, nitrided or other surface-quenched parts that can not be
measured by the Rockwell type hardness tester. It is thus frequently substituted for the Vickers
hardness tester.
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To measure the Rockwell hardness of a specimen, an indenture is used to apply the minor load
to the specimen. Then, a test load is applied to the specimen, then released the minor load.
Rockwell hardness indenture may be steel bar or diamond cone type. The steel ball diameter
usually 1/8 inch or 1/16 inch. The Rockwell hardness is a value obtained from difference between
the depth of the indentations made by the first and second minor loads. The hardness value,
showed on the screen is related to the depth of indentation. If the materials are soft, the
indentation made are deep inside and vice versa. A unit of the hardness value corresponds to 2micron (2/1000 mm) depth for the Rockwell hardness test and 1-micron (1/1000 mm) depth for
superficial hardness test, which are displayed on the screen.
Rockwell hardness value is designated by a number and a prefix to indicate the test condition.
Diamond Indenture
Steel Ball Indenture
Figure 1.1: Rockwell Hardness Testing Indenture
Scale
Indenture
Load (kg)
B
C
A
D
E
F
G
H
K
15N
30N
45N
15T
30T
45T
1/16 ball
Diamond
Diamond
Diamond
1/8 ball
1/16 ball
1/16 ball
1/8 ball
1/8 ball
Diamond
Diamond
Diamond
1/16 ball
1/16 ball
1/16 ball
100
150
60
100
100
60
150
60
150
15
30
45
15
30
45
Table 1.1: Rockwell Hardness Testing Scale.
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Equipment
1. Digital Rockwell type hardness tester
2. Standard specimen
3. Specimen - Steel, aluminium, brass and copper cube.
Method of Hardness Measurement
1. Select and attach an indenture and an anvil suitable for the hardness and shape of the
specimen to be measured.
2. Select a measure mode by pressing D/B button on the front panel according to the indenture
to be used. Set the test load with the load selector knob.
3. A selected scale is displayed on the scale display on the front panel.
4. Select the minor load.
5. Select whether or not to activate the automatic start function. To activate it, press the AUTO
button.
6. Set the load holding timer.
a) Pressing the DW TIME button displays LDT (Dwell Time) on the scale display and the
load holding time on the measurement data display.
b) Pressing the INC button counts the load holding time up a second. Pressing the DEC
button counts it down a second. Set a desired load holding time with these buttons, to
complete the setting, press the SET button.
c) Display 0.0 and it is ready to measure.
7. Setting Upper Limit and Lower Limit When OK/NG judgement is needed, set limits with HI,
LO, DEC and INC buttons. When OK/NG judgement is not applied, no need to set limits.
8. Setting conversion unit- To convert measured Rockwell data to other hardness scale, press
CONV button and then select a scale with INC and DEC button. The conversion scales are
according to SAE, ASTM and JIS.
Part 1: Calibration
9. Put the standard specimen onto the anvil.
10. Rotate the elevating handle to bring the specimen close to the indenture. As soon as they are
brought into contact, the minor load indicator LEDs light up one by one from the lowermost
one upward. Set the indicator LED simultaneously (refer to Table 1.1).
11. In approximately 1 second from the time, the automatic start function is activated; the load is
automatically applied (if the automatic start function is deactivated, press START button to
apply the load).
12. After minor load holding time, test load will be automatically released. Display hardness data.
13. Turning the elevating handle counter clock wise, specimen table goes down and 0.0 will be
indicated.
14. Compare the value displayed with the value stated on the standard specimen.
(*steps 1-14 will be done by the technician)
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Part 2: Testing
15. Select and attach an indenture and an anvil suitable for the hardness and shape of the
specimen to be measured (refer to table 1.3)
16. Repeat steps 10-13.
17. Table the result obtain.
18. Convert the result shown into the other scales by using conversion button and table the
result.
19. Repeat Part 2 with other specimens given.
Data
A)
B)
Specimen
Aluminium
Steel
Brass
Copper
Scale
HRA
HRB
HRB
HRF
Table 1.3: Specimen Reading
Reading
Specimen
Conversion Scale
Reading
Table 1.4: Conversion reading
Questions:
1. Compare the hardness value of the specimen given.
2. Compare the testing techniques of Rockwell, Brinell, Knoop and Vickers methods.
3. Which hardness tests and scales would you use for very thin strips of materials, such as
aluminium foil? Why?
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