Hardness Testing Case-Hardened Steels: When to Use Rockwell vs. Alternative Methods
posted on Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Rockwell hardness testing is a fast, familiar method for many heat-treated steels, but it can produce misleading results when used on nitrided surfaces or thin case-hardened layers. This article, written by Senior Metallurgist Jake McCann, explains how indentation depth and case–core mixing affect readings, and outlines more reliable alternatives (such as microhardness testing) for verifying surface hardness accurately.
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