Rockwell Hardness Tester Instructions
For Use With Ames Standard Hardness Testers
Check Out The Ames Hardness Tester Manual
| SCALE | Major Load(kg) | Penetrator Type | Dial Color | Use Barrel | Typical Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 60 | C Diamond | Black | C | Extremely hard materials, Tungsten Carbide thin steel and low hardened steel |
| B | 100 | 1/16 Ball | Red | B | Medium hard materials, Low and medium Carbon steels, brass, aluminum Alloys, malleable iron, etc. |
| C | 150 | C Diamond | Black | C | Hardened steels, hardened and tempered alloys, hard cast iron, pearlitic malleable iron, titanium, and other materials harder than B100 |
| D | 100 | C Diamond | Black | C | Medium case hardened steel, thin steel, and pearlitic malleable iron |
| E | 100 | 1/8 Ball | Red | B | Cast iron, Aluminum and magnesium alloy bearing metals |
| F | 60 | 1/16 Ball | Red | B | Annealed brass and copper alloys, thin soft sheet metals |
| G | 150 | 1/16 Ball | Red | B | Beryllum copper, phosphor bronze, malleable irons, etc. |
| H | 60 | 1/8 Ball | Red | B | Aluminum sheet, zinc, lead |
| K | 150 | 1/8 Ball | Red | B | Cast iron, aluminum alloys, bearing materials |
| L | 60 | 1/4 Ball | Red | B | Plastics and soft metals such as lead, thin materials |
| M | 100 | 1/4 Ball | Red | B | Same as L scale |
| P | 150 | 1/4 Ball | Red | B | Same as L scale |
| R | 60 | 1/2 Ball | Red | B | Same as L scale |
| S | 100 | 1/2 Ball | Red | B | Same as L scale |
| V | 150 | 1/2 Ball | Red | B | Same as L scale |
Ames Superficial Hardness Tester
Note: There is only one row of dial numbers for the Ames superficial tester.
| SCALE | Major Load(kg) | Penetrator | Typical Material Tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15N | 15 | S Diamond | Same materials as standard Rockwell except where shallow penetration is necessary as in: |
| 30N | 30 | S Diamond | - |
| 45N | 45 | S Diamond | - |
| 15T | 15 | 1/16 Ball | Shallow case hardened parts. To .010 inch |
| 30T | 30 | 1/16 Ball | - |
| 45T | 45 | 1/16 Ball | Hard thin material down to .006 inch |
| 15W | 15 | 1/8 Ball | - |
| 30W | 30 | 1/8 Ball | Cemented Carbides |
| 45W | 45 | 1/8 Ball | - |
| 15X | 15 | 1/4 Ball | Plastics |
| 30X | 30 | 1/4 Ball | - |
| 45X | 45 | 1/4 Ball | - |
| 15Y | 15 | 1/2 Ball | - |
| 30Y | 30 | 1/2 Ball | - |
| 45Y | 45 | 1/2 Ball | - |
Comparison Gage Chart
| Gage Number | Thickness in decimals |
|---|---|
| 8 | .171 |
| 10 | .140 |
| 12 | .109 |
| 14 | .078 |
| 16 | .062 |
| 18 | .050 |
| 20 | .037 |
| 22 | .031 |
View Out Thickness Chart