Hardness (Rockwell C)
A measure of a material’s resistance to indentation; HRC is the scale used for hardened tool steel.
What it means on the floor
Hardness gauges how well a material resists localized plastic deformation. The Rockwell C scale (HRC) is standard for hardened tool steels and dies, typically running from the high 50s to mid 60s HRC for cutting tooling.
Hardness correlates loosely with wear resistance and tensile strength and can be converted approximately between Rockwell, Brinell, and Vickers scales.
Category: Materials
Applying the term
Interpret Hardness (Rockwell C) in the context of the drawing, governing standard, and customer requirement in front of you — the same word can carry different limits in design, quality, and production documents. Check whether a stated value is nominal, minimum, maximum, or reference-only, and whether it applies before forming, after forming, or after heat treatment.