The Vickers test can be used for all metals and has one of the widest scales among hardness tests. The unit of hardness given by the test is known as the Vickers Pyramid Number (HV) or Diamond Pyramid Hardness (DPH). The hardness number can be converted into units of pascals, but should not be confused with a pressure, which also has units of pascals. The hardness number is determined by the load over the surface area of the indentation and not the area normal to the force, and is therefore not a pressure.
1. Name:
The Vickers hardness test was developed in 1921 by Robert L. Smith and George E. Sandland at Vickers Ltd as an alternative to the Brinell method to measure the hardness of materials.
1) Max. Test force is 1000g, we generally call it Micro Vickers hardness tester / Micro hardness tester.
2) Max. Test force is over 1000g (2kg, 5kg, 10kg, 30kg, or 50kg), we generally call it Macro Vickers hardness tester / Vickers hardness tester.
2. Indenter: 136°diamond indenter
3. Working Principle
After a test, the indenter will make a indentation on the surface of workpiece. Measuring the two diagonals’ length of indentation , then input the length value into machine, the hardness will show on the screen.
4. Representing Method
Vickers hardness numbers are reported as xxxHVyy, e.g. 440HV30
• 440 is the hardness number,
• HV gives the hardness scale (Vickers),
• 30 indicates the load used in kgf.
5. Standard
• ASTM E92: Standard method for Vickers hardness of metallic materials (Withdrawn and replaced by E384-10e2)
• ASTM E384: Standard Test Method for Knoop and Vickers Hardness of Materials
• ISO 6507-1: Metallic materials - Vickers hardness test - Part 1: Test method
• ISO 6507-2: Metallic materials - Vickers hardness test - Part 2: Verification and calibration of testing machines
• ISO 6507-3: Metallic materials - Vickers hardness test - Part 3: Calibration of reference blocks
• ISO 6507-4: Metallic materials - Vickers hardness test - Part 4: Tables of hardness values
• ISO 18265: Metallic materials - Conversion of Hardness Values
EBP related products:
Any friends interested in purchase Micro / Macro Vickers hardness tester, please contact us at:
EBPu Electromechanical Equipment (Zhejiang) Co., Ltd.
Add.: 56-57 Multiple-use Building, Danshan Industrial Zone, Wenling City, China
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