What Is metal Hardness Testing?
Importance of Metal Hardness Testing
Material hardness testing is a method used to measure the strength of a material by assessing its resistance to penetration. It is a valuable tool when selecting materials, as the reported hardness value can indicate the material’s machinability and wear resistance. Testing of metals is used to evaluate treatments and coatings.
Different Services involved in Metal Hardness Testing
Testing services for metal hardness include Rockwell, Superficial Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, and Knoop tests. All tests are done to ASTM specifications as well as according to other standards and customer requirements. Test specimens can be prepared on-site for quick turnaround.
The Rockwell and Superficial Rockwell tests are suitable for large metal products and samples, while the Brinell test is commonly used to test castings and forgings with grain structures too coarse for other types of testing. Micro hardness testing by Knoop and Vickers Hardness Test methods are used to measure small samples or regions in a sample, such as surface or coating hardness on carburized or case-hardened parts.
The testing process involves a test machine equipped with an indenter that is forced into the material over a certain amount of time. The shape of the indenter and the force or load application system varies depending on the hardness test, and the machine records an indentation hardness value according to its individual hardness scales. Conversion charts are available to compare the different scales.
