Hard and Fast Rules for Portable Hardness Testing

The necessity of on-site component inspection drove

development of portable hardness testers, until today there
are a variety of portable testing instruments to choose from
BY JAMES FULTZ

Fig. 1— Illustration showing how the impact body travels

through the guide tube of a rebound method portable
hardness testing machine.

Almost from the time hardness testing was first conceived, a

need existed for portable instruments that could safely inspect
large components on-site. Technology has improved the
performance of today's portable testers and they are being used to perform incoming
inspections, in-process testing, and failure analysis.
Portables are intended to complement benchtop testers. There is a common misconception that
if a portable hardness tester displays a Rockwell or Brinell scale, it can be substituted for a
benchtop model without question. Since portables use different loads and indenters, the
material's work hardening behavior and elastic properties may not respond to testing with similar
results. Therefore, before using a portable, studies should be performed to verify proper
correlation with a benchtop tester.

Proper selection of a portable hardness tester requires an understanding of various methods to

identify and control the factors that can contribute to their measurement uncertainty. These
factors include microstructure and elastic modulus of the material, as well as size, shape, and
surface finish of the part.

This article covers three entirely different approaches to portable hardness testing: rebound,
ultrasonic contact impedence (UCI), and through indenter viewing (TIV). Explanations follow on
the principles behind each method, how to perform the test, examples of applications, and
influencing factors.

Leeb or Rebound Method

Fig. 2 — The voltage generated by the impact
body traveling through one coil.

The Leeb method, commonly referred to as the

rebound method, determines hardness from
voltages generated by the electromagnetic
induction principle.
Pressing the button on top of the impact device
releases a spring that propels an impact body
through a guide tube toward the part's surface, as shown in Fig. 1. The impact body passes
through a coil surrounding the guide tube. The motion of the impact body's magnet through the
coil creates a voltage across the coil windings. When the impact body's indenter strikes the part,
a portion of its energy is lost in the material. The softer the material, the greater the energy loss
and the slower the rebound velocity. The magnet returning through the coil creates a second
voltage whose amplitude is relative to the velocity of the impact body. Figure 2 illustrates the
voltage generated by the impact body traveling through one coil. The instrument calculates and
displays the Leeb hardness value HL from the ratio of the two voltages based on the following
equation:

A variety of impact devices are available, with the D device being the most common model. The
D device has a 3-mm-diameter tungsten carbide ball indenter and a spring force to create an
indentation size suitable for homogeneous materials. The E device provides the same spring
force as the D device but uses a 3-mm-diameter diamond indenter for testing parts in excess of
50 HRC. The G device uses a larger 5-mm-diameter tungsten carbide ball indenter and a
heavier spring to create a larger indentation, which is necessary for testing coarse-grained
forgings and castings. Some manufacturers provide variants of the D device for use when
access is limited.

Rebound Applications
The rebound method requires large, massive parts. Due to its large indentation size, it is the best
solution for coarse-grained castings and forgings. Examples of applications include the following:

• Steel mill rolls

• Engine blocks
• Shafts or axles
• Extrusion dies
• Crane wheel pulleys.

Factors Influencing the Rebound Method

• The rebound method creates a large force of short duration during impact. Thin and
lightweight parts may yield, causing erroneous and random readings. For example, the D
device requires a minimum weight of 5 kg and a minimum wall thickness of 20 mm. Smaller
parts can be tested but require the aid of an additional support fixture.
• Gravity affects the velocity of the impact body; therefore, as the test direction changes, a
correction factor is required. Most testers require the operator to manually input any
changes to the direction prior to performing a test. However, more advanced instruments
sense the direction and compensate automatically.
• The measured HL value is not frequently specified in test procedures. To display the
common Brinell and Rockwell scales, the operator must choose the appropriate material
group to select a conversion table created for a specific Young's modulus. Since conversion
tables are based on empirical relationships, they must be considered only approximations.
• The tungsten carbide ball indenter of the D and G devices may become flattened, causing
high readings, or, for all models, the guide tube may require cleaning to prevent low
readings. Periodic checks on a test block will detect these conditions.

Ultrasonic Contact Impedance (UCI) Method

Fig. 3 — Illustration showing the ultrasonic contact

impedence method determines hardness by measuring the
frequency of the oscillating rod.

The UCI principle determines hardness by measuring the

frequency of an oscillating rod, as shown in Fig. 3. The rod
consists of a metal shaft with two pairs of piezoelectric
ceramics affixed along its length and a pyramid-shaped
Vickers diamond mounted on one end. One pair of ceramics
excites the rod into oscillating at an ultrasonic frequency of
approximately 70 kHz and the other pair monitors its
frequency.
To perform a measurement, the diamond is forced into the material by either spring pressure or
a motor. A proximity switch senses when the full load is achieved and instantly measures the
frequency and compares it to the frequency in air. The frequency shift is relatively small for hard
materials and becomes larger as the indentation increases in size. The instrument converts the
frequency shift to an HV value using the following formula:

where f = frequency shift, A = area of indentation, Eelast = Young's modulus, HV = Vickers

hardness value, and F = test load.

Ultrasonic contact impedence probes use loads ranging from 100 gf to 10 kgf. For areas difficult
to access, special models that include extended length and shortened probes are available.
Some models use a motor to apply loads below 1 kgf in a controlled manner. Examples of
various UCI probes are shown in Fig. 4.

UCI Applications
The UCI method requires homogenous fine-grained
materials. Its shallow penetration makes it possible to
test thin casehardened components. The probe design
allows testing in any direction, on complex shapes
 without elaborate fixturing, and on assembled
components without costly disassembly.

Examples of applications include the following:

• Heat-affected zone of welds

• Gears
• Camshafts and crankshafts
• Stamping dies
• Chrome plating.

Fig. 4 — Examples of UCI probes.

Factors Influencing the UCI Method

• As indicated in Equation 2, the frequency shift depends not only on the size of the contact
area but also on the elastic modulus of the material. Probes for the UCI method are factory
calibrated on certified hardness reference plates of nonalloyed and low-alloyed steels. To
test another material having a different elastic modulus requires fabricating a reference
standard from a prepared coupon of the material. This can then be used to properly
calibrate the instrument.
• Sufficient mass and thickness are required to prevent the part from going into self-
oscillation. Requirements for the UCI method are not as demanding as the rebound method.
In fact, the size of most standard test blocks is adequate for testing.
• Due to the relatively shallow indentations created, special attention must be given to the
surface condition and preparation of the part. The indentation must be large in comparison
to the surface roughness. If surface preparation is required, care must be taken not to alter
the surface hardness by overheating.
• Alignment of the probe with respect to the surface is important to create a proper indentation
for measurement. Fixtures aid in alignment and should be used whenever possible. When
testing conditions require handheld measurement, operator technique will influence the
results and additional variation in the results should be expected.
• The UCI method is best suited for materials having a homogeneous microstructure. The
small size of the sampled area is unable to provide consistent and dependable results on
most cast and forged materials.

Fig. 5 — Hardness testing on

different materials using the
through indenter viewing
method. A — Steel; B — sheet
steel; C — Teflon; D — glass.

Through Indenter Viewing (TIV) Method

The TIV method is an optical hardness measurement. This method is unique in that you can
actually see the indentation being created as the test load is being applied. Images of various
materials are shown in Fig. 5.

The measurement technique is quite simple. As the force is applied to a spring, a special lens in
combination with a CCD lens digitizes and displays an image of the indenter penetrating the
material. Figure 6 provides a look at the probe's internal workings. When the test load is
attained, the image is frozen, the indentation diagonals are automatically measured, and the
value is displayed. In addition, the image provides a quick check of the quality of the measured
value and the indenter's condition.

TIV Applications
Fig. 6 — Schematic of the inside of a TIV method hardness tester.
The TIV method provides a Vickers hardness value on all materials
without additional calibration. Mass and thickness have no
influence on the results.

The following are examples of TIV applications:

• Thin sheet material

• Heat damage assessment
• Engineering plastics
• Ceramics
• Glass.
Factors Influencing the TIV Method
• The hardness range is dependent on the magnification of the optical system. For example a
5-kgf probe has a range of 100 to 1000 HV and a 1-kgf probe provides a range from 30 to
500 HV.
• Displayed scales other than HV are from conversion tables and are subject to their
inaccuracies.
• The optical system requires a large probe housing limiting its ability to access difficult-to-
reach areas.

Conclusion
Just as Rockwell and Brinell benchtop testers require a variety of indenters and test loads to
inspect a variety of materials and components, one portable hardness test method cannot be
expected to handle all applications. Achieving the best portable hardness solution begins with
selecting the right test method based on physical size and microstructure of the part. The
rebound method is preferred on larger, coarse-grained forgings and castings, while the UCI
method tests small and complexly shaped parts comprised of fine-grained materials. The TIV
method also requires fine-grained materials but, unlike the other two methods, it requires no
calibration and is unaffected by part weight and thickness. v

JAMES FULTZ — jfultz@agfandtinc.com — is Product Manager, Agfa NDT Inc., Krautkramer

Ultrasonic Systems, Lewistown, Pa.