HARDNESS TEST

ME 272 Experiment #4

Scenario:
A local high performance engine builder has recently experienced some
engine failures. All of the failures have resulted in broken connecting
rods, which cause significant damage to the engine. The builder has
experienced problems with two types of engines. The first type is drag
race engines that utilize aluminum connecting rods. The other type of
engine is used in oval track stock cars which use steel rods. The builder
finds it strange that both types of engines are experiencing the same
problem with completely different types of rods. This has led him to
believe that it is not the rods that are causing the problems.

Attempting to prove his hypothesis, he has contracted your company to

test the failed rods to determine if they were the likely cause of failure or
not. Along with the failed rods, the builder has shipped you several good
rods, of both types, that have been used without failing. These rods
provide you with a baseline of the required strength of the rods without
having to analyze the forces in the complex engine.

To quickly obtain results for the builder, it is most convenient to perform a

hardness test.

The builder also requests that he receive documentation so that he could

present the findings to the parts’ manufacturers.

Objective:
The objective of this project is to design and perform an experiment to
determine if the failures were caused by a material flaw in the rods.

Apparatus:
RAMS Rockwell Hardness Tester - Serial # 2160, including diamond
(conical) and steel (spherical) penetrators

Theory:
Hardness is a measure of the resistance of a metal to permanent (plastic)
deformation. The hardness of the metal is measured by forcing an
indenter into its surface. The indenter material which is usually a ball,
pyramid, or cone, is made of a material much harder than the material
being tested. For example, hardened steel, tungsten carbide, or diamond
are commonly used materials for indenters. For most standard hardness
tests a known load is applied slowly by pressing the indenter at 90
degrees into the metal surface being tested. After the indentation has
been made, the indenter is withdrawn from the surface as shown in the
figure. An empirical hardness number is then calculated or read off a dial
(or digital display), which is based on the cross-sectional area of depth of
the impression.
 The hardness of a metal depends on the ease with which it plastically
deforms. Thus a relationship between hardness and strength for a
particular metal can be determined empirically. This relationship can be
seen in Figure 5. The hardness test is much simpler than the tensile test
and can be nondestructive (i.e., the small indentation of the indenter may
not be detrimental to the use of an object). For these reasons, the
hardness test is used extensively in industry for quality control.

The Rockwell Hardness test consists of many different scales for a range
of different hardnesses. The B and C scale are the types used in this
experiment. The B scale uses the spherical steel penetrator and the C
scale uses the diamond cone shaped penetrator.

Hardness Testing:

Deliverables:
1. Document this experiment with a formal lab report following the report
guidelines set forth in the ME 272 lab manual.
2. Design an experiment that will accomplish the objective. This will be
documented in the experimental procedure section of the report
3. Explain the significance (Introduction) and theory (Theory) behind the
Rockwell hardness test. This will involve some additional research.
(Search “Rockwell Hardness” on Google)
4. Present the hardness numbers, ultimate tensile strengths, and variances
in the Results section.

Hints:
1. A more precise relationship between hardness numbers and
strength can be found by using tables that can be found on the internet.
Figure 5
 Hardness Test
ME 272 Experiment #4
Pre-Lab Assignment

1. Perform some research to determine the theory behind hardness testing.

You do not have to write anything up, just print off the information and
submit the printouts.