Technical Terms

ALL

0-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

H

• H-Plane – Hard Plane

  The description of orientation of a rectangular tube bend. I.e., bending a 1” x 2” tube against the 1” side.

• Hardness

  This refers to the resistance of a material to deformation, indentation, or penetration by means such as abrasion, drilling, impact, scratching, and/or wear. Hardness is not as relevant nowadays, compared to other mechanical physical properties. Common hardness tests include Brinell, Rockwell, or Vickers.

• Hardness Test, Brinell Scale

  One of the most commonly used test standards for measuring hardness of certain metals, in which a hard steel or carbide ball of a specified diameter is forced onto the material under a specified load. Abbreviated as BHN.

• Hardness Test, Rockwell Scale

  This test determines the hardness by indenting a metal with hard steel ball or diamond cone under a specified load and then comparing the penetration made by a preload. There are different scales, denoted by a single letter from “A” to “H,” which use different loads or indenters. Rockwell “B” (HRB) and “C” (HRC) are the most common measurement scales in use at this time.

• Heat Affected Zone

  This is the area of a base metal which was not melted and has had its microstructure and properties altered by welding or heat intensive cutting operations.

  Hot Rolled products are generally less expensive than Cold Finished materials, and they are ideal for applications where precise shapes and tolerances are not required, nor is the appearance especially critical.