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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Mechanics and Materials

Hardness

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

/ˈhɑːrdnəs/nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, hardness means: How well a material resists being scratched, dented or worn at its surface. It is measured with tests such as Rockwell (HRC), Brinell (HB) or Vickers (HV).

In Turkish: sertlik

How it is used

Used on drawings, heat treatment specifications and inspection reports. Engineers specify, measure and check hardness, and parts are hardened to increase it. It is written with its scale, for example 58–62 HRC, and is closely linked to wear resistance.

Example sentences

  1. The drawing calls for a surface hardness of 58–62 HRC after heat treatment.

  2. We measured the hardness at five points and all values were within the range.

Common collocations

  • surface hardness
  • hardness test
  • Rockwell hardness
  • hardness value
  • core hardness
  • heat treatmentHeating and cooling a metal part in a controlled way to change properties such as hardness, strength or ductility. Annealing, hardening and tempering are examples.
  • wearThe gradual loss of material from a surface caused by friction, rubbing or hard particles during use, for example on bearings, gears, seals and cutting tools.
  • tensile testA test in which a standard sample is pulled until it breaks, to measure properties such as yield strength, tensile strength and elongation.
  • ductileAble to stretch and bend a lot before breaking. Most steels, copper and aluminum are ductile; glass and gray cast iron are not.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Mechanics and Materials

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