Legend:
1 Cone
2 Ball
3 Truncated cone
Other test procedures
Shore test
Back to overviewThe different test methods which thus result use seven different indenters and four different contact forces.
The specific differences between the individual methods can be seen in the following table.
| Method | Spring force F [N] | Contact force FA [N] | Indenter | Measuring distance t [mm] | Specimen thickness [mm] | Measuring range |
| Shore A | 8.050 N | 9.81 N | Truncated cone, 35° cone angle | 2.5 | ≥ 6 | 10 - 90 <20 Shore D |
| Shore A0 or Shore E | 8.050 N | 9.81 N | Ball, dia. 2.5 mm | 2.5 | ≥ 6 | <20 Shore A |
| Shore AM or Shore M | 0.764 N | 9.81 N | Cone with 30° angle | 1.25 | ≥ 1.25 | 10 - 90 |
| Shore B | 8.065 N | 9.81 N | Cone with 30° angle | 2.5 | ≥ 6 | 10 - 90 |
| Shore C | 44.5 N | 49.0 N | Truncated cone, 35° cone angle, truncated cone dia. 0.79 mm | 2.5 | ≥ 6 | 10 - 90 |
| Shore D | 44.5 N | 49.0 N | Cone with 30° angle | 2.5 | ≥ 6 | 30 - 90 >90 Shore A |
| Shore D0 | 44.5 N | 49.0 N | Ball, dia. 3/32“ | 2.5 | ≥ 6 | 10 - 90 |
| Shore 0 | 8.05 N | 9.81 N | Ball, dia. 3/32“ | 2.5 | ≥ 6 | 10 - 90 |
How is the hardness value read and represented?
The Shore test hardness value consists of three main components:
- A numerical hardness value;
- The word “Shore” that stands for Shore hardness;
- The designation of the Shore method that defines the indenter and the associated parameters.
If the dwell time deviates from the standard, a time is indicated as a suffixed fourth component.
Example of how to represent and read a hardness value:
75 Shore A 10
75 … Hardness value
Shore … according to Shore
A … Shore method truncated cone with cone angle 35°, spring force 8.065N and contact force 12.5 N
10 … Dwell time of the contact force outside the recommended duration, in this case 10 seconds
