How to measure Shore A/D rating?
The Shore 00 Hardness Scale measures rubbers and gels that are very soft.
The Shore A Hardness Scale measures the hardness of flexible mold rubbers that range in hardness from very soft and flexible, to medium and somewhat flexible, to hard with almost no flexibility at all. Semi-rigid plastics can also be measured on the high end of the Shore A Scale. The Shore D Hardness Scale measures the hardness of hard rubbers, semi-rigid plastics and hard plastics.
How Do You Physically Measure A Material's Hardness?
The different Shore Hardness scales measure the resistance of a material to indentation. A ‘Shore Hardness' gauge (looks like a round tire pressure gauge) has a needle on a spring protruding from one end. The needle is placed against the rubber or plastic and pressure is applied.
Once the gauge is pressed firmly against the material and the needle has penetrated as far as it can go, the measurement needle will indicate the corresponding hardness measurement.
