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Shore Hardness
Choosing Shore hardness equipment is rarely just picking a durometer. Once Shore is established as the right method, the decisions that remain are about the scale the material needs, whether a handheld is enough or the work calls for a controlled stand, and how repeatable and defensible the result has to be. Pick the guide below that matches whichever of those decisions is still open.
Shore covers most everyday hardness work on elastomers, soft plastics and similar materials, so it turns up in incoming inspection, production QC, mould-release checks and field service alike. What usually decides the rest of the choice is how far the setup has to go: a single dependable handheld for spot checks, or a controlled bench arrangement that will be written into a procedure and audited later.
1. Common Measurement Scenarios
You are most likely here if one of these sounds like your situation:
- A specification already calls for a Shore scale (A, D, OO or another) under ASTM D2240 or ISO 868.
- The choice is between a handheld-only purchase and a controlled bench setup with a stand and verification blocks.
- The purchase will be a set — durometer, stand, block kit, replacement indenter — rather than a single instrument.
- A Shore programme is being standardised across more than one site or shift, working from the same hardware and procedure.
2. Available Selection Guides
From here, the guide that fits your decision takes it the rest of the way:
- Choose a Shore Durometer if the main purchase is the handheld instrument itself.
- Select a Durometer Test Stand if controlled force and better repeatability are part of the requirement.
- Durometer Essentials if the setup also needs block kits, fixtures, calibrators or routine support items.
3. Supporting Knowledge Resources
If you would rather understand the method before deciding, start here:
- Shore Hardness explains how the method works and what each scale measures.
- Shore Hardness Scales sets out how to match the scale to the material.
- Factors Affecting Shore Hardness Readings covers what keeps a reading reliable.