If you're starting out in the manufacturing field, then you need to learn about hardness tests. They're invaluable in the creation of new products. A hardness test will determine if your material can stand up to the environmental conditions it will face. The test will also help you determine the hardness properties of your new product. For every new product that you manufacture, you'll need to perform a hardness test for optimal functionality. Learn more by reading ahead about the purpose of testing material hardness.

Understanding Hardness Tests

To perform a hardness test, you'll need a portable hardness tester. This device measures the hardness of a material through controlled pressure. There are four different types of hardness tests:

• Rockwell tests measure the depth of the indentation of a particular material. In other words, it will test how resilient the material is to permanent indentations. To achieve this, the tester will attempt to leave an indentation in the material. These indentation devices come in two shapes: steel balls and diamonds. Rockwell tests can measure the hardness of metal and steel products.
• Brinell tests will measure the area of the indentation. This test applies to large-scale steel, cast iron, and aluminum.
• Knoop tests are similar to Brinell tests in that they measure the area of the indentation. They feature rhombus-shaped indentation devices.
• Vickers tests feature square-diamond-shaped indentation devices. They have a maximum test load of 50kg, which means they can handle macro and micro hardness scales.

Hardness Test Uses and Purposes

Now that you know what a hardness test is, let's talk about the purpose of testing material hardness. When manufacturing products, you need to know the hardness properties of the materials that you use. Having this data allows you to be precise about what your product can withstand. The primary purposes of hardness tests include:

• Determining the material's ability to resist bending and deforming
• Ensuring the overall quality and durability of the material
• Helping to create a combination of different materials
• Determining the shelf-life of a product
• Learning the physical properties of your material

Do you manufacture metal or steel products? Then you need to try our portable Rockwell hardness tester. It can perform all the hardness tests you need on your metal and steel products. By knowing your materials' hardness, you can make some significant improvements.