Rockwell Hardness tester

What is Rockwell Hardness?

Rockwell hardness is a method of measuring the resistance of various materials, especially metals, by measuring the depth of indentation made by a primary measuring tool. This method uses two loads (preload and main load) and has many different scales (such as HRB, HRC) depending on the type of material and the measuring tip to give accurate results.

Rockwell Hardness Testing Method and Practical Applications

In mechanical manufacturing or metallurgy, a common question often arises: “Is this material hard enough to withstand load and wear?” Hardness directly reflects the working capacity and service life of a material. To answer that question, many factories and laboratories use the Rockwell hardness testing method.

How does Rockwell work?

The test is straightforward: a diamond cone or steel ball indenter is pressed into the material surface under two levels of force. The depth of the indentation is then converted by the machine into a hardness value.

The advantage of this method is that the operator does not need advanced skills, the operation is quick, and the results can be compared globally since international standards clearly define the procedure.

Key strengths of Rockwell in practice

Short testing time: each test takes only a few seconds.

Wide applicability: suitable for many metal groups, from steel and hard alloys to aluminum and copper.

Various scales: HRA, HRB, HRC… each scale matches different types of materials.

Full-process applications: from raw material inspection, production monitoring, to final product evaluation before shipment.

Common Rockwell machine types

Depending on requirements, users can choose:

Basic analog machines: for example, HR-150A. Compact design, manual operation, cost-effective.

Semi-automatic machines: such as INSIZE HDT-RA151. Reduced manual steps, more stable loading force.

Digital machines: represented by LHRS-150. Direct result display, data storage and printing available, convenient for data management.

In Vietnam, EMIN supplies a wide range of Rockwell machines, from basic models for everyday use to advanced digital versions for research and industrial production. This variety allows customers to easily select equipment that fits their scale and budget.