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Features of the Micro Hardness Tester

• Hardness & Young's modulus
• Unique Z automatic motorized approach
• Integrated Video Zoom Microscope for easy determination of optical failure
• Depth versus load curves
• Continuous rate of loading for depth versus load curves . 
• Automatic operation under Windows XP
• Spherical, Vickers, Knoop and Berkovitch micro indentations.
• Creep, stiffness and fatigue tests
• Sample Heating and cooling holder from -196C to 400C.
• Fracture toughness measurements. 
• Mapping Option.
• Possibility to add Micro Scratch Capability.
• Nano Hardness, Nano Scratch

Introduction to the Micro Hardness Tester
The Micro Hardness Tester is a high precision instrument for the determination of the micro mechanical properties of thin coatings and substrates.  With the MHT you can quickly determine properties such as hardness and Young's modulus on almost any type of material - soft, hard, brittle or ductile.  The MHT works on the following principle. An indenter tip, normal to the sample surface, with a known geometry is driven into the sample by applying an increasing load up to some preset value. The load is then gradually decreased until partial or complete relaxation of the sample has occurred. The load and displacement are recorded continuously throughout this process to produce a load displacement curve from which the micro-mechanical properties such as hardness, Young's modulus, stress-strain studies, time dependant creep measurement, fracture toughness, plastic & elastic energy of the sample material can be calculated.  The MHT covers a wide load range from 10mN to 30N.  This load range of the instrument permits measurements of coatings down to 1 or 2 microns without the being influenced by the substrate materials.  In addition the MHT can also perform all ASTM tests as specified for standard micro-hardness testers and so bridges the gap between traditional and automated indentation techniques.  Standard micro-hardness tests such as fracture toughness can now be used in a dynamic mode since the depth curve for some materials will show the initiation of cracking in the material.  

Complete IBIS Instrumented Indentation Analysis Software

The software runs under Microsoft Windows XP and includes a complete set of features for data analysis.  

• Real time display of load versus displacement curves.
• Automatic calculation of hardness and elastic modulus.
• Automatic data averaging.
• Multi-cycle for fatigue test.
• Creep measurement by holding a constant maximum load or depth over time.  
• Mapping of indentation.
• Positioning of each indent with the microscope.
• Program each indent to a max depth or load. 
• Control of loading & unloading rates and pause time.
• Export in ASCII format.
• Automatic Statistical Analysis of results tabulated with standard deviation.