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Impact body
HARDNESS TESTING METHOD
Magnet
SUMMARY
The instrumented rebound test method invented by
Leeb several years ago has been successfully Fig. 2: Cross-cut of a typical impact device
developed into a viable portable hardness test test surface by spring force. The speeds after and
method that is particularly useful for cast materials before the impact are each measured in a non-
and steel forgings (see Fig. 1). contact mode. This is done by a small permanent
magnet within the impact body (Fig. 2) which
generates an induction voltage during its passage
through a coil, with this voltage being proportional to
the speed (Fig. 3).
time
HRC
80,0
70,0
60,0
50,0
Fig. 5: Determination of pairs of hardness values
40,0
(Creating own conversion tables)
30,0
20,0 It is recommended to measure the average from at
10,0 least 10 – 15 adjoining HL values and at least 3
statical values as a basis for a value pair as shown in
500 600 700 800 HLD 900
Fig 5.
Using those value pairs as input, the computer
Fig. 4: Conversion of Hardness Leeb, HL, into HRC
program calculates the specific conversion, which
as a typical example for conversion tables
stored in rebound hardness testers. These than can be stored in the instrument.
curves are experimentally generated by
material samples of different hardness 3. SUMMARY
measured by rebound and Rockwell test.
Although the Leeb hardness testing with a different
To carry out the measurement it is necessary to measurement principle leads to a “new hardness
select the appropriate material group in order to scale”, which so far is not used in common
ensure a correct conversion into the selected engineering, conversion tables stored in the
hardness scale. instrument allow to measure the hardness in standard
Conversion tables for the common hardness scales scales.
are given in the ASTM E 140 or DIN 50 150 standard. Modern rebound hardness testing instruments,
But it is to consider that those tables are only valid for therefore, offer a fast, reliable and economical
unalloyed and low-alloyed steel grades, and therefore alternative to standard bench-top hardness testers
reflects material group number 1 (see Table 1). If
measurements have to be carried out on high-alloy REFERENCES
steels or other materials, e.g. nonferrous metals, then (1) Leeb, D.: Definition of the hardness value „L“
the instrument has to be adjusted to the suitable VDI Berichte 583 (1986), 109-133.
material group. In this case the ASTM and DIN
conversion can’t be used and the hardness scales
are converted using the instrument specific tables
obtained experimentally (Fig. 4).