Load cell technology boosts hardness tester's accuracy

摘要

Canton, MA—Rockwell hardness testers essentially measure hardness by determining the depth a steel ball or other penetrator moves into a specimen's surface under certain fixed test loads. Like the Brinell, Vickers, and Knoop tests, the Rockwell test defines a material's resistance to permanent indentation. Although indentation hardness is not a fundamental material property, it has become one of the more reliable controls for the heat treatment and quality of manufactured parts. Unfortunately, correlating hardness test data taken with mechanical deadweight systems is challenging. Dirt, friction, and other mechanical parameters cause variations from tester to tester.