Introduction
A hardness test is a metallurgical engineering procedure to determine a material’s hardness. The tests are usually performed on various metals such as steel, cast iron, and aluminum.
Vickers hardness test is a standard method for measuring materials’ hardness. Vickers hardness test is based on the indentation of a material by a spherical indenter with a known radius of curvature and penetration depth. It is commonly used to measure the hardness or softness of substances like metals, minerals, and plastics.
Vickers hardness testing machines are used for both research and production testing.
I. What is the Vickers Hardness Test?
The Vickers Hardness Test method uses an optical system of measurement. The indenter hardness tester uses a microscope to view the contact ball-on-flat. A metal ball indents the material surface placed on the flat holder. The metal ball is forced into the surface of a test piece by an applied load. The indentation depth can be observed when compared to a scale micrometer or microscope eyepiece reticle. Vickers Hardness Test shows both dynamic and static measurement.
II. Why Use the Vickers Hardness Test?
The Vickers Hardness Test makes very small indentations on the test sample. This makes it useful for testing very thin materials such as aluminum foils and other microstructures. The Vickers Hardness Test method is very accurate and is fast. The metallurgical engineers can use