Digital Durometer Shore C (0–100HC) – Digital Hardness Tester

Digital Durometer Shore C (0–100HC) – Digital Hardness Tester

The Digital Durometer Shore C (0–100HC) is a compact handheld hardness testing instrument designed for measuring the hardness of soft to medium-hard rubber, foam, sponge, cellular plastics, elastomers, vinyl, and flexible thermoplastic materials. It uses the Shore C hardness scale and provides a digital reading from 0 to 100 HC on an easy-to-read LCD display.

Shore C is commonly used for materials that fall between the typical application ranges of Shore A and Shore D. The instrument determines hardness by measuring a material’s resistance to indentation. During testing, the indenter is pressed against the specimen surface under a specified force, and the resulting hardness value is displayed digitally.

Key Specifications

*Accuracy specifications can vary by model/configuration. Published Shore C instruments commonly specify values around ±1 HC.

Key Features

• 0–100 HC Measurement Range: Measures hardness across the full Shore C scale.
• Digital LCD Display: Provides a clear digital hardness reading without requiring interpretation of an analog pointer.
• Shore C Scale: Suitable for soft to medium-hard materials such as foam, sponge, rubber and flexible plastics.
• 2.5 mm Spherical Indenter: Common Shore C configurations use a spherical indenter suitable for cellular and flexible materials.
• Data Hold Function: Available on many digital Shore C configurations for retaining the measured value on the display.
• Zero Function: Allows the instrument to be reset before measurement.
• Compact & Portable: Lightweight handheld construction makes it convenient for laboratory, factory and field measurements.
• Simple Operation: Designed for straightforward hardness measurement with easy-to-use controls.
• Suitable for Quality Control: Useful for incoming-material inspection, production checks and comparative hardness testing.

How Does the Digital Shore C Durometer Work?

The Digital Durometer Shore C measures the resistance of a material to indentation. When the instrument’s indenter is pressed against the test surface, the depth of penetration is converted into a Shore C hardness value.

The resulting measurement is shown on the digital LCD display as a value between 0 and 100 HC. Generally, a higher Shore C value indicates greater resistance to indentation and therefore a harder material.

For consistent results, the test specimen should have a clean, stable and sufficiently large test surface. Some published Shore C instruments specify a minimum specimen thickness of approximately 6 mm, with some allowing multiple layers when the individual specimen is thinner.

Typical Applications

The Digital Durometer Shore C (0–100HC) can be used for hardness evaluation of:

• Soft rubber
• Rubber rollers
• Foam materials
• Sponge materials
• Cellular plastics
• EVA and flexible materials
• Elastomers
• Vinyl materials
• Flexible thermoplastics
• Silicone and similar soft materials
• Flexible polymer products
• Footwear materials
• Industrial rubber products
• Laboratory test specimens
• Research and development
• Incoming material inspection
• Production quality control
• Comparative hardness testing

Shore C instruments are particularly associated with foam, sponge, footwear and other cellular or flexible materials.

Measurement Considerations

For dependable measurements, the test specimen should be clean, stable and properly supported. The durometer should be positioned correctly against the test surface and used consistently for each measurement.

Published technical information for Shore C digital durometers indicates that specimens may require a minimum thickness of around 6 mm, depending on the instrument configuration. Testing multiple points and averaging the readings can help provide a more representative result.

The Shore C scale should be selected when the hardness of the material is appropriate for this scale. Different Shore scales use different indenter geometries and forces, so Shore C should not automatically be substituted for Shore A or Shore D testing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the Digital Durometer Shore C used for?
It is used to measure the hardness of soft to medium-hard materials such as rubber, foam, sponge, elastomers and flexible plastics.

Q2: What is the measurement range?
The instrument has a 0–100 HC Shore C measurement range.

Q3: What does HC mean?
HC refers to the Shore C hardness scale, which is used for specific soft and flexible materials.

Q4: Is the Digital Shore C Durometer easy to read?
Yes. It uses a digital LCD display that provides a direct numerical hardness reading.

Q5: What materials can be tested?
Typical applications include soft rubber, foam, sponge, cellular plastics, elastomers, vinyl and flexible thermoplastics.

Q6: What type of indenter does Shore C use?
Published Shore C specifications commonly use a 2.5 mm spherical indenter.

Q7: Is it portable?
Yes. The compact handheld design allows convenient use in laboratories, factories and field inspection environments.

Q8: What is the resolution?
Several published digital Shore C models specify a 0.5 HC resolution, although specifications can vary by model.

Q9: What standards are associated with Shore C testing?
Published Shore C durometer specifications reference standards including ASTM D2240, ISO 7619, DIN 53505 and JIS K7215, depending on the specific instrument/model.

Q10: What is the country of origin?
The product listing for this Digital Durometer Shore C (0–100HC) identifies China as the country of origin.

Conclusion

The Digital Durometer Shore C (0–100HC) is a practical digital hardness tester for measuring the indentation hardness of foam, sponge, soft rubber, elastomers, cellular plastics and flexible polymer materials. With its 0–100 HC range, digital LCD display, compact handheld design and Shore C measurement system, it is suitable for laboratory testing, quality control, material inspection, research and industrial applications.