Durometer Testers

Soft Vulcanized Rubber, Elastomers, Tires, Seals & Rollers (Shore A, B & E Scales):
Shore A is the global standard for testing soft-to-medium rubbers and elastomers using an 822 gf (8.06 N) spring load and a blunt 35° frustum cone indenter.

• Target Materials: Natural and synthetic vulcanized rubber, automotive tires, extruded profiles, gaskets, hoses, neoprene, EPDM, nitrile, silicone, soft PVC, and printing rollers.
• Recommended Analog Solutions: The constant-pressure shell HP Shore Durometers, the magnesium-alloy Imada E2 Durometer Hardness Tester (with elongated presser foot for stable roller testing), the AD-100 Precision Analog Shore Durometer, AD-300 Shore Scale Durometers, Rex 1600 Dial Durometer, and compact barrel-style Rex 2000 Dial Durometer.
• Recommended Digital Solutions: The IP65-sealed Bareiss HP-DIGITAL Basic Digital Durometer, DD-100 Digital Shore Durometer, DD-300 Digital Durometer, DeFelsko PosiTector SHD Shore Hardness Durometer, Rex 1700 Next Gen Digital Durometer, and Rex DD-4 Digital Durometer.

Hard Rubber, Rigid Thermoplastics, Acrylics, Nylon & Epoxies (Shore D, C & DO Scales):
When material hardness exceeds 90 Shore A, ASTM D2240 requires a high-force 4,536 gf (44.5 N / 10 lb) spring and a sharp 30° cone indenter (Shore D) or blunt/spherical indenter (Shore C / DO).

• Target Materials: Ebonite, hard rubber wheels, bowling balls, UHMW, HDPE, ABS, nylon, Delrin, acrylic, polycarbonate, rigid PVC, fiberglass, and cured epoxy coatings.
• Recommended Solutions: Shore D, C, and DO configurations of the HP Shore Durometers, DeFelsko PosiTector SHD-D, Bareiss HP-DIGITAL, Imada E2-D, Rex 1600, and Rex 4000 Digital Durometer.

Cellular Foams, Sponge Rubber, Shoe Soles, Medical Gels & Soft Polystyrene (Shore OO, OOO, O & Asker C / F):
Ultra-soft materials below 20 Shore A will tear or bottom out under an 822 gf cone needle. Low-force scales (113 gf for Shore OO/OOO) and large spherical/disk indenters measure delicate cellular structures without crushing the cell walls.

• Target Materials: Open- and closed-cell polyurethane foam, sponge rubber, EVA midsole foam, polystyrene, silicone medical gels, prosthetic liners, and dough/food products.
• Recommended Solutions: Shore O, OO, OOO, and OOO-S models from the Rex 1600, Rex DD-4, and HP Shore Durometers, as well as the specialized Rex RX-1600-A120 Skate Wheel Durometer (for EVA shoe soles and micro-cellular rubber) and the large-disk Rex 4000 Max Hand Durometer (for soft urethane foam cushions).

Thin Elastomers, Small O-Rings & Precision Seals (Shore Type M Micro Scale):

• rubber specimens thinner than 6 mm (down to 1.25 mm / 0.050") and cross-sectional O-rings where standard Shore A needles cannot be used, select the Type M scale on the Rex DD-4 Type M Digital Durometer or Rex 4000 Type M (must be mounted on a Durometer Test Stand).