How to choose a good hardness tester

A hardness tester refers to a piece of equipment used to show the hardness, stiffness, and strength of a material by estimating its resistance when more complex tools like hard steel or diamond cones try to penetrate. When buying this product, it is good to note that each brand uses a standardized measurement method. A variety of these equipment focuses on the penetration of a diamond cone into the tested material or by calculating the force of each rebound after you strike the tested material to measure the material’s hardness.

How to choose

Before you conclude on the best brand of a hardness tester, you should consider some factors before purchasing this equipment. Here are some of the factors;

• Test load

In case you are buying your equipment to work on hard metals such as steel or alloy, your equipment should have a test load of up to 3000 kgf, while for softer metals, go for 500 kgf. However, ensure your impression does not exceed 1/10 of the thickness of the sample.

• Hardness range

When your hardness range goes beyond 650 HB/30, a diamond cone will give you the best results. But in case the value is below the above rate, then go for a steel ball.

• Flexibility

Depending on the dimensions and shape of your samples, your device should have the required adaptability.

Conclusion

When choosing the best hardness tester for your work, ensure you go for equipment with several indenter sizes and one that uses the required test load. Also, the equipment should be fast enough and give accurate results.