Hardness Testing with the Highest Resolution

Testing machine manufacturer Zwick (Ulm/Germany) presents a universal hardness testing system equipped with an innovative path measurement system. With a resolution of 20 nm, it offers the highest resolution for a hardness tester currently available in the market.

The hardness measurement system is equipped with a special transmission modification. On account of its modularity, it is suited for all standardized, classic hardness methods (indentation/depth measurement, optical testing) as well as for instrumented indentation testing (Marten hardness). A combined testing of the instrumented indentation test with the classical optical methods in a single testing sequence is also possible. The modular design allows implementation in Zwick materials testing machines or in automated test systems. The system shows its true strengths when testing high-strength materials such as ceramics and dental materials. Further application areas are the testing of steel, aluminum, plastics, and glass as well as materials in the automotive industry.

The machine consists of essentially four components: a materials testing machine, a hardness measurement head with the high-resolution path measurement system, a supplementary optical unit, and the proprietary Zwick testing software testXpert®. Two different hardness measurement heads are available, for the load ranges 2 N to 200 N and 5 N to 2500 N.

The automatic evaluation of the test load/indentation depth characteristic for the extensive material characterization merits special mention. The hardness tester is equipped with a special measurement microscope with an integrated CCD camera for this purpose. The test indention is performed by the Zwick hardness measurement head, the measurement by the indentation/depth measurement system or subsequent to displacement by the supplementary optical unit.

An extensive compound table program makes multiple sequences possible, so that batch testing can be performed.

The testXpert® test software is used to operate the hardness tester. It controls and monitors all functions and allows variable configuration of the test sequence. The hardness tests are automatically evaluated and documented in a clearly laid out test log. The configuration of test sequences for specific requirements and multi-purpose result representations are possible as well as the transfer of data to external databases.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by ZwickRoell GmbH Co. KG.

For more information on this source, please visit ZwickRoell GmbH Co. KG.