HARDNESS TESTING

Description

Hardness testing measures a material’s resistance to permanent deformation at its surface, by pressing a harder material into it. It is used in a number of industries for material comparison and selection, as well as quality control of a manufacturing or hardening process. A specifically manufactured indenter, with chosen dimensions, is used to press into the material being tested, with a prescribed force. The pressing time is also important in the hardness test.

Hardness is not a fundamental physical property of a material, but rather a measured characteristic. It can however provide some valuable information about the strength and durability of a material, depending on the application it is intended for.

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Advantages

Hardness testing provides a valuable measure of a material characteristic with a number of benefits, including:

1. An automated hardness testing machine allows hardness to be measured relatively simply.
2. To provide meaningful hardness readings for a wide variety of materials, from soft to hard.
3. For some applications, the hardness of a material is the key characteristic that is valuable to know. This can be measured directly, rather than inferred by a physical property.