Hardness Testing

Located in Dallas, MES has a complete metallurgical laboratory staffed with graduate level materials engineers to supervise all hardness testing projects. Our full-service mechanical lab offers rapid test results at an affordable price. As an A2LA ISO 17025 accredited lab, quality is our focus.

Hardness testing of metals, composites and minerals is the resistance to indentation, introduced by diamond or tungsten ball, and it is determined by measuring the permanent depth of the indentation. The hardness test is a fast and cost effective method for determining the condition of a material following heat treatment, ease of machining, or to provide insight into strength and wear resistance.

Rockwell hardness testing is the most widely used method for determining the superficial hardness of a material. The majority of Rockwell hardness values for steels are covered by the Rockwell C and B scales. Thinner samples are tested using lighter loads associated with the Rockwell T and N scales. Generally, the surface should be flat and sanded smooth to obtain an average of three of more readings.

The Brinell Hardness Test is utilized to measure hardness over larger sample areas. Brinell hardness is particularly useful for castings and forgings, that have a rough surface or micro structure too coarse for other hardness testing methods. Brinell testing is often performed with a high test load (500 to 3,000 kgf) and a 10mm wide indenter so that the resulting indentation averages out most surface and sub-surface inconsistencies. The resulting impression is measured across at least two diameters and these results are averaged. The averaged diameter measurement is then converted to a Brinell hardness number.

MES is an A2LA ISO 17025 accredited mechanical testing lab that provides mechanical testing of metals, polymers, ceramics, and other materials. Our state-of-the-art test lab and dedicated machine shop allows us to provide the most accurate and reliable results possible. Tests include: tensile strength, compression, hardness, microhardness, impact resistance (Charpy and Izod), friction resistance, 3-point bend, shear, strain, and wear resistance testing for a number of environmental conditions.

CAPABILITIES

• Non destructive minus a small indentation

• Simple and rapid procedure for fast results

• Converts to all common hardness scales

• Standardized test methods

SPECIFICATIONS

• ASTM E18 – Rockwell Hardness

• ASTM E10 – Brinell Hardness

SAMPLE REQUIREMENTS

• Accessibility to test area

• Smooth surface finish free of coatings

• Minimum thickness of 0.02”