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Vickers hardness test

Classification, process, differentiation and practical recommendations.

Vickers

Basically, it can be said that the Vickers method is increasingly becoming the most common method in practice due to its wide range of possible applications, even if sample preparation is necessary and the evaluation of the hardness value is time-consuming.

Categorisation of the Vickers method

Categorisation of the Vickers method

The Vickers method is a static hardness testing method, which can be further characterised as follows:
 

  • It is one of the standardised procedures (ISO 6507, ASTM E92, ASTM E384).
  • The Vickers method has a test load range from 1 gf according to ISO respectively from 1 gf up to 120 kgf according to ASTM, which means that this method can be used for hardness testing across all load ranges (from the micro to the low-load through to the macro range).
  • It is an optical method. This means that the size of indentation left by the indenter is measured to determine the hardness value of a test specimen.
  • Indenter shape and material: The indenter is an equilateral pyramid (with a square base) made of diamond with a plane angle of 136°.

Vickers test procedure

Specimen requirements for the Vickers method

Vickers methods and applications

How to read and represent a Vickers hardness value

Advantages and disadvantages of the Vickers method

The Vickers method has the following advantages:

  • The Vickers method can be used with any and all materials and test specimens, from soft to hard, as the procedure covers the entire hardness range.
  • There is only one type of indenter, which can be used for all Vickers methods.
  • Non-destructive testing is possible, so the test specimen can be used for other purposes.

The Vickers method has the following disadvantages:

  • The surface quality of the specimen must be good, because the indent is measured optically. This means that the test location must be prepared (ground and polished), otherwise precise evaluation is difficult.
  • The process is rather slow (compared with the Rockwell method). The test cycle takes somewhere between 30 and 60 seconds, not including the time taken to prepare the specimen.
  • Due to the need to conduct optical indent evaluation, Vickers hardness testers must be equipped with an optical system, which makes them more expensive to purchase than Rockwell testers.
  • In general, it can be said that the Vickers method is becoming the most common testing method in practice due to its diverse applications, even though specimens need to be prepared and evaluation of the hardness value is laborious.
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