Hardness testing measures a material’s resistance to deformation under a standard load. It is a quick, quantitative check on material condition — and the usual way of confirming that a heat treatment has achieved what it was supposed to.
How it works
An indenter is pressed into the surface under a defined load and the resulting indentation is measured. Harder material deforms less, so the measurement maps to a hardness value on a standard scale. Portable testers allow this to be done on installed components and large fabrications rather than only on cut samples in a laboratory.
What it tells you
- Verification after heat treatment — confirming that a heat treatment cycle produced the intended material condition.
- Weld and heat-affected zone checks — welding can leave a hardened zone next to the joint, and hardness limits are frequently imposed in specifications for that reason.
- Material condition in service — establishing whether a component still has the properties assumed by the design.
Where it fits
Hardness testing characterises the property of the material; it does not look for flaws. It is normally used alongside a flaw-detection method such as magnetic particle or ultrasonic testing, and alongside PMI where the alloy grade itself also needs confirming.
Hardness testing with CAST
We perform hardness testing on site and at our Bintulu facility, most commonly as verification after heat treatment we have carried out ourselves. Because we do both, the treatment and its verification can be handled as one scope rather than split between suppliers.
Call +6086 348 938, email cast@ctne.com.my, or tell us about your inspection.