Hardness
Glossary · Materials & Heat Treatment
At a glance
- Category /
- Materials & Heat Treatment
- Also called /
- Rockwell, Brinell, HRC, HB
- Related /
- 2 terms
- Source /
- Written in the shop
Hardness is a material's resistance to permanent indentation, measured on scales such as Rockwell C (HRC) for hardened steel and Brinell (HB) for softer or coarser material.
Also called: Rockwell · Brinell · HRC · HB
In practice
A defined indenter is pressed in under a defined load and the depth or width of the impression is converted to a number. It is quick, repeatable and only measures the surface it was taken on.
Why it matters
Hardness is the practical proxy for wear resistance and strength, and it is the number that actually gets checked on incoming material. It says nothing about toughness — a part can be very hard and shatter under impact.
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