Hardness Testers and Durometers

Industrial Hardness Testers & Durometers for Elastomers, Plastics, Textiles & Metals

ABQ Industrial offers a comprehensive range of portable and laboratory Hardness Testers and Durometers organized across seven specialized subcategories: Barcol Hardness Testers, Durometers, Durometer Test Stands, Textile Durometers, IRHD Hardness Testers, Metal Hardness Testers, and Durometer Accessories. Partnering with world-class manufacturers including Checkline, Rex Gauge, Bareiss, Imada, Asker, Hildebrand, DeFelsko, Barber-Colman, and InnovaTest, our instruments deliver NIST-traceable compliance with ASTM, ISO, DIN, and NFPA standards.

Precision Hardness Measurement by Material & Industrial Application

Selecting the proper hardness testing method depends directly on your material's elastic modulus, specimen thickness, and surface geometry:

1. Rubber, Elastomers, Polymers, Cellular Foams & Gels (Shore & Asker Scales)

Non-metallic materials ranging from ultra-soft gels and sponge rubber to rigid thermoplastics are tested by measuring the indentation depth of a spring-loaded indenter per ASTM D2240, DIN 53505, ISO 868, and ISO 7619:

• Analog & Digital Shore Durometers: Browse our Durometers subcategory for dial and electronic models across Shore A, B, C, D, DO, E, M, O, OO, OOO, OOO-S, and Asker C / CS / F scales, including the Checkline HP Shore Durometers, Bareiss HP-DIGITAL Basic Digital Durometer, Imada E2 Magnesium-Alloy Durometer, Checkline AD-100 & DD-100 Digital Shore Durometer, Checkline AD-300 & DD-300, DeFelsko PosiTector SHD, Rex RX-1600, Rex RX-1700, Rex DD-4 (RX-DD), and Rex 4000 Digital Durometer.
• Constant-Load & Motorized Operating Stands: Eliminate operator pressure and descent-speed errors using our Durometer Test Stands, such as the Imada YMS Motorized Stand, Imada SY Lever Stand, Rex OS-AUTO, Rex OS-2 / OS-2H, Rex OS-1, Checkline OS-300-2, and Checkline PTS-HP Test Stand.

2. Thin O-Rings, Precision Molded Seals, Soft Gel Capsules & High-Repeatability Elastomers (IRHD & Micro-Hardness)

Standard Shore A/D indenters cannot accurately test specimens thinner than 6 mm (0.24") or small curved cross-sections like O-rings without reading the hardness of the underlying table:

• Macro & Micro IRHD Testing (ASTM D1415 / ISO 48): Explore our IRHD Hardness Testers subcategory featuring the Hildebrand IRHD-MICRO (for thin samples 1 to 5 mm and small O-rings with the IRHD-ORCD Centering Device), the Hildebrand IRHD-MACRO (for samples ≥ 6 mm), the FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliant Bareiss GELOMAT Automatic Capsule Hardness Tester, and the Rex OTK-DG Digital O-Ring Hardness Test System (for parts as thin as 0.030"–0.050").

3. Textile Yarn Packages, Bobbins, Dye Tubes & Rubber Nip Rollers (Cots)

Wound textile bobbins and cylindrical spinning rollers require specialized curved or large-area contact feet and constant-pressure shells:

• Yarn Package & Cylindrical Roller Durometers: Our Textile Durometers subcategory includes the Checkline HP Textile Yarn Package Durometer (offered in HP-2.5, HP-5, and HP-10 with curved or flat bases), the concave-base Checkline HPSA-R Durometer (offered in HPSA-R20, R35, and R55 for rubber nip rollers and spinning cots up to Ø 40 mm, 70 mm, and 110 mm), and the wide-base Checkline HPSAO Shore Durometer.

4. Aluminum Alloys, Soft Metals, Fiberglass (FRP) & Fire Ladders (Barcol Impressors)

Verifying heat treatment on aluminum extrusions, testing copper/brass stock, or checking cure ratios on fiberglass tanks and fire department ground ladders requires a Barcol indentation impressor per ASTM B648, ASTM D2583, and NFPA 1931 / 1932:

• Analog & Digital Barcol Impressors: Visit our Barcol Hardness Testers subcategory for the original Barber-Colman GYZJ Barcol Impressor (GYZJ-934-1 for aluminum/FRP, GYZJ-935 for softer plastics, and GYZJ-936 for leather/extremely soft materials) and the digital DeFelsko PosiTector BHI Barcol Hardness Impressor (BHI1 Standard & BHI3 Advanced).

5. Steel, Castings, Gears, Welds & Surface-Hardened Metals (Leeb Rebound & UCI Ultrasonic)

Heavy metallic components, heat-treated gears, and thin-walled or case-hardened steel parts are tested non-destructively in Rockwell (HRC/HRB), Brinell (HB), Vickers (HV), Shore (HS), and Leeb (HL) units:

• Dynamic Leeb Rebound, UCI Ultrasonic & Combined Testers: Explore our Metal Hardness Testers subcategory for the InnovaTest TIME5100 Series (TIME5100 with D device, TIME5102 with low-energy C device, and TIME5104 with slender DL nozzle), the Checkline QH2, Checkline QH5, and Checkline QH7 Combined Leeb & UCI, plus the ultrasonic contact impedance Checkline SH-21 and SH-22A Metal Hardness Tester.

Hardness Scale & Testing Method Selection Guide

Use the verified technical comparison table below to identify the exact hardness scale, indenter method, and subcategory for your target material:

Explore All 7 Hardness Tester & Durometer Subcategories

• Barcol Hardness Testers: Barber-Colman GYZJ (934-1, 935, 936) and DeFelsko PosiTector BHI Barcol impressors for aluminum alloys, soft metals, fiberglass (FRP), and fire ladders.
• Durometers: Handheld analog and digital Shore (A, B, C, D, DO, E, M, O, OO, OOO) and Asker Durometers for rubber, elastomers, plastics, and foams.
• Durometer Test Stands: Manual lever, pneumatic-dampened, and motorized constant-load operating stands for repeatable ASTM D2240 laboratory testing.
• Textile Durometers: Constant-pressure yarn package hardness testers and curved-base Durometers for rubber nip rollers and textile spinning cots.
• IRHD Hardness Testers: Automated Macro and Micro IRHD dead-weight systems, O-ring centering fixtures, gelatin capsule hardness analyzers, DIN abrasion, and foam rebound testers.
• Metal Hardness Testers: Portable Leeb rebound, Ultrasonic Contact Impedance (UCI), and combined testers reading directly in Rockwell (HRC/HRB), Brinell (HB), Vickers (HV), and Shore (HS).
• Durometer Accessories: NIST-traceable color-coded test block kits, Durometer calibrators, O-ring fixtures, V-blocks, and constant-load weights.