This International Standard specifies parameters for the hardness testing of solid materials for plain bearings made from cast and wrought copper and aluminium alloys by machining and forming their wrought products and ingots, and of tin-based ingots. It represents a supplement to existing International Standards on hardness testing and, therefore, includes only the extensions and restrictions for observation compared to those publications.

Owing to the heterogeneous structural composition of the majority of these bearing metals, a Brinell test is used.