Shore hardness (HS) is a standard of material hardness, which was first proposed by the British Albert F. Shore. It is measured by the elastic rebound method, which is to drop the striker pin from a certain height to the surface of the test material, and then measure the rebound height.
A striker is a small cone with a point, usually set with diamonds.
The Shore hardness test is a dynamic force test. Compared with the static force test method (such as Brinell hardness, Rockwell hardness, Vickers hardness, etc.), the accuracy is slightly lower, and factors such as verticality and surface finish of the sample are tested. Affected by large data dispersion. The comparison of the results is limited to materials with the same elastic modulus.
This test has certain requirements for the thickness and weight of the sample and is not suitable for thinner and smaller samples. Nevertheless, as a portable instrument, the Shore hardness tester is suitable for on-site testing, with simple operation and high testing efficiency.
The Shore hardness tester is suitable for determining the hardness value of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Especially suitable for medium and large workpieces in metallurgy and heavy machinery industries, such as large components, castings, forgings, crankshafts, rolls, oversized gears, machine tool guide rails, etc. In the rubber and plastic industry, it is often called Shore hardness.
The Shore hardness is expressed as the reading measured by the Shore hardness tester, and the unit is “degree”, which is divided into A degree and D degree. Degree A is suitable for the hardness range below 90 degrees, and degree D is suitable for the hardness range of 90 degrees and above.
Therefore, for rubber or plastic products, before testing, the tester can use Shore A degree or Shore D degree for testing according to empirical prediction.
Products with a softer feel usually use Shore A degree, such as stationery glue bottles, TPU, TPR plastic film bags, etc.
Products with a hard feel usually use Shore D degrees, such as PC, ABS, PP, and other products. Degrees of Shore Axx indicate relatively low hardness, while Shore Dxx indicates relatively high hardness.
Instructions:
1. Adjust the verticality of the testing machine: Adjust the screw horizontally so that the verticality pointer points to the center of the small round hole to ensure that the hammer does not rub against the wall of the cylinder when it falls.
2. Turn the lifting handwheel of the measuring cylinder with the left hand to make the cylinder rise, place the test piece on the anvil, and then turn the lifting handwheel of the measuring cylinder to lower the cylinder and “press” the test piece (the pressing force should be at 20kgf or more).
3. Use your right hand to turn the black hammer operation button clockwise (“backward”) to the bottom, so that the hammer falls to impact the surface of the test piece. Release the knob when you hear a “click”. When the knob is turned back to the stop position, directly read the degree indicated by the pointer on the dial. It should be noted that the rotation speed of the knob will affect the measured value, and the general rotation speed is rps (the round-trip operation time is 1 second).
Table of Contents What Is Shore Hardness? What Is A Shore Durometer? Importance of Measuring Hardness in Materials Material Selection Mechanical Properties Quality Control Material Characterization Wear Resistance Engineering Design Failure Analysis Shore Hardness Scales Shore A Hardness Scale Shore…