Hi,
I was asked a question in my materials testing class about why a foundry making castings would prefer to use a Brinell Hardness test rather than any of the Rockwell Hardness Tests. To me, it seems like a foundry would rather use the Rockwell Hardness tests because they are the most common and they require no special skill to perform. They are also relatively simple and inexpensive. The only reason I could think of is that the Brinell Hardness Test tests a wider range of materials (softer and harder), whereas with the Rockwell tests, one would have to switch scales depending on the hardness of the material.
Can anyone think of a reason a foundry making castings would rather use the Brinell Test? Maybe it has something to do with Heat? Or how they make the castings?
Thanks!
--rikki