What the ASTM B611 page says
The ASTM store page for B611-21, “Standard Test Method for Determining the High Stress Abrasion Resistance of Hard Materials”, read on 24 October 2026, says the method was developed for ranking the high-stress abrasion resistance of cemented carbides, though it has been used on ceramics, cermets and metal matrix hardfacings with hardness over 55 HRC. It describes high-stress abrasion as the condition in which the force between the abrasive and the tool is high enough to crush the abrasive, and says most abrasion tests use low-stress abrasion in which the abrasive stays relatively intact. It states that if this describes the application under study, the method may be appropriate. The page’s discussion centres on mining and rock; it does not mention snow plow edges.
Questions to ask
| Question | Why |
|---|---|
| Which standard and which version? | Methods change between editions |
| Was the test run on the insert grade you will receive? | Results apply to the material tested |
| Who ran the test and where? | Independent labs carry more weight, but ask either way |
| What were the conditions: abrasive, load, duration? | Results are only comparable under the same conditions |
| How many specimens? | A single result says little about variation |
| Does the result relate to road wear? | Ask for field evidence, such as hours per edge on roads |
How to use a test result
A test number is a comparison, and it stops being useful the moment it is treated as a life estimate.
- Treat it as a comparison between materials, not as hours of life.
- Compare only like with like: same method, same conditions.
- Put field evidence next to it: your own wear logs or agency trials.
- Ask for the report, not only a summary figure. The conditions live in the report.
What I could not verify
ISO 28080 is a standard on abrasion testing of hardmetals which I could not open, so I do not describe it. Ask the supplier for its scope and read it from the publisher.
Limits
This article does not rank any insert grade. Check the standards yourself.
Boundary: Only the ASTM B611 store page was read, not the full standard, and ISO 28080 could not be opened, so no claim is made about it or about any insert grade.
Sources and further reading. External references are dated; where a figure is quoted, the link shows where it came from.
ASTM International: B611-21 Standard Test Method for Determining the High Stress Abrasion Resistance of Hard Materials (store page: scope and significance) (B611-21; page shows last updated Jan 26, 2022) ↗Abrasion-Resistant Plate vs Carbide Inserts on Wear Surfaces ↗HSI Crusher Parts: Choosing Materials for Impact and Abrasion ↗Tungsten carbide inserts for snow plow edges ↗Grade 5 vs Grade 8 Bolts on Cutting Edges: Questions Before You Swap ↗Cracks Around Edge Bolt Holes in the Moldboard: Where to Look and When to Park the Plow ↗Does Steel Get Brittle at Minus 30? A Plain-Language Look at Cold and Impact ↗
